The Monticellonian., 1917-07-19
FORGET PROFITS;
WIN The WAR
President Wilson Appeals to Bus
mess Interests of Country.
lust PRICES is HIS DEMAND
Business Should Not Take Toll on
Men in Trenches, Says the Chief
Executive Ship Owners
Are Condemned.

Are Condemned.
Washinston.-Pr Wilson APP
peaied to the country's business IN
terests Wednesday 10 put aside every
selfish consideration and 70 give their
mid to the nation as freely as those
who go to offer their lives on The bat
tlefield.
IN a statement addressed to the coal
operators and manufacturers he gave
assurance that just prices will he paid
bv the government and the public dur
ing the war, bur warned that no at
tempt 10 extort unusual profits will be
tolerated
Your patriotism, said the preSi-
dents appeal, ''is Of the same self.
denying stuff as the patriotism Of the
men dead and MANNED on the fields OF
France, or il is no patriotism at all.
Let us never speak, then, of profits
and patriotism in the same sentence.
Il shall expect every man who is not
a Stacker to be ut my side throughout
this great enterprise. In it no man
can win honor whe thinks of himself
Condemns Ship owners.
The president declared there must
be but enc price for the government
and for the public. He expressed con
fidence that business generally would
be found loyal to the last degree, aud
that the problem of wartime prices.
which he declared viii mean victory
or defeat will be solved rightly
through patriotic cooperation.
In unmeasured terms, however. Mr..
Wilson condemned the ship owners of
the country for maintaining schedule
OF ocean freight rates which has
placed almost insuperabe obstacles
In the path of the government.
Presidents Call.
The presidents statement follows;
1.-THE government Is about Ia attempt
10 determine the prices AT which ii
will ask you hencef0rfh to furnish va
rious supplies which are necessary for
the prosecution of the war, and yari-
Gus materials which will he needed in
the industries by which the war must
he sustained We shall, of course fry
70 determine them justly and to the
best advantage Of the nation as a
whole: but justice is eaSier To speak
of than to arrive ut. and there are
some considerations which I hope we
shall keep steadily in mind while this
particular problem of Justice is being
worked out
Promises Just Price.
Therefore | take the liberty of
stating very candidly my own view of
the situation and of the principles
which should guide both the govern
ment and the mine owners and man
ufacturers of the country in this diff
ficult matter.
"A just price must, of course, be
paid for everything the government
buys. BY Il just price | mean price
which will sustain the industries CON
cerned in high state of efficiency
provide a living for those who con
duct them, enable them TO pay good
wages, and make possible the eX
ransions of their enterprises which
will from time to time become neees
sary as the. stupendous undertakings
of this great war develop.
Must Face the Facts.
I'VE could not wisely or reasonably
do less than pay such prices. They
ere necessary for the maintenance
aud development of industry. and the
maintenance and development of in
dustry are necessary for the great task
we have in hand.
But | trust that we shall not sur
round the matter with n mist of sen
timent. Facts are our masters now
We ought not to put the acceptance
of such prices on the ground of patri-
otism.'
Patriotism has nothing 10 de with
profits in a case like this Patriotism
and profits ought never in the present
circumstances be mentioned together
1t Is perfectly proper TO discuss
profits as Il matter of business. with Il
view to maintaining the integrity of
capital and the efficiency of labor in
these tragieal months, when the lib
erty of free men everywhere and of
industry itself tremhles in the bal
ance; but il would be absurd TO dis
euss them as a motive for helping to
serve aud save our country
Patriotism leaves profits out of the
question. In these days of our SUI
preme trial, when we are sending hun
dreds of thousands of our young men
across the seas to serve Il great cause.
no true man who stays behind To
work for them and sustain them by
his labor viii ask himself what he is
personally going 70 make out of that
labor.
No true patriot will permit himself
to take toll of their heroism in money
or seek to grow rich by the shedding
of their blood. lie will give as freely
and With rs msrinted self-Sacrifice
Is they When they are giving their
lives, viii he not at least give his
money?
Assails Bribery"
i hear 1t insisted that more than
a Just price, more than price that
viii sustain our industries, must he
paid: that II is necessary to pay very
liberal and unusual profits in order to
stimulate production; that nothing
but pecuniary rewards will do-re-
Unnecessary Caution.
Mrs. Yearwedd-J John. when we