Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-08-21
PROFITEERS AND THE DRAFT
Having Charged the War Industries With
Plunder. Can the Administration
Draft Labor for Them?

Committee to Secretary Baker in the
course of the hearing on the new draft
bill, "to use the draft regulation in in
dustrial dsputes?"
The Secretary of War hesitated and
replied:
"Yes; to a limited ertent."
In that instant one of the most un-
pleasant situations that ever has risen
in the processes of national legislation
reached a climax. Congress and the
Administration, after announcing that
profiteers are rampant in the United
States, after creating a widespread feel
ing of distrust by half-explained in
dictment of the war industries, left
themselves open to fiat charge of play
ing into the hands of these same inter-
ests at the expense of the workers of the
country.
Little time was needed to give that
challenge the form of words. Frank
Morrison, secretary of the American
Federation of Labor, flung it at the
House committee yesterday afternoon.
The issue thus formulated automatically
from the drifting tendency IN Congress
and IN the A administration is one that
trdnScends the interests of any group or
dirisiom of the population. Any move
ment for the conscription of labor at
time when charges of scandalous prof.
teering are still hanging in the air will
tend certainly to imperil the unity of
sentiment which has enabled the United
States to work miracles in the industrial,
financial and military processes of the
war.
The President himself implied that
profiteering is general. The Treasury
Department presented statistics few
days ago to make the indictment conclu-
sive. 1t has been held, on the other
hand, that the statistics were unfair and
misleading. Perhaps they are. II the
great majority of the industries are, in
fact, innocent of profteering, then the
Administration has permitted a pro-
foundly disturbing misapprehcnsion to
become prevalent throughout the country
and has aided in the creation of almost
impossible obstacles in the 1Uoy of 1Vhat
it now describes as essential 1Uar legisla-
ton.
An intolerable contrast is presented in
nations industries upon a charge of
plunder and the Thomas-Reed amend
ment in the new man-power bill which
would, as Mr.. Morrison said, deliver
weapon of limitless power into the hands
of employers, fair and unfair alike.
A recognition of the irreconcilable
principles involved does not imply fault
finding with the general programs of
the President or the Secretary of War.
It is the methods of procedure that seem
lax and i'll advised. 1t is significant that
bitter opposition to the clause permit
ting labor conscription springs instantly
from the most conservative leaders of
American labor, Mr.. Morrison and Mr..
Gompers.
Ground for even more violent opposi
ton is provided by the failure of the Ad
ministration and of Congress to clarity
and to prove or to explain fully the
sweeping indictment by which the Treas
ury Department made it appear that
most of the concerns engaged in war
work are reaping unjust and often fabu
lous profits. Congress shrank from a
full elucdation of these charges. 1t left
a tale half told and it left the imagina-
ton of the public to round out the story
of war plunder in its own way and to
rest upon it's own conclusions.
The officials of the American Fedora
ton are justified in describing the
Thomas Reed amendment as an insult
There is nothing to show that labor will
not do it's part or that it isn't doing its
full part, except in isolated instances.
1t is conceivable that in an emergency
the country would surrender to the new
and fantastic theory of labor conscrip-
ton. But it will reject that plan now,
and reject it violently, because it has
been led to believe that the industries
which are camoring for men are piling
up millions of illicit profits in secret.
The President and Mr.. McAdoo have
not yet uttered a word to dispel an i'm
preston which many of the business men
of the country call unfair and unjust.
If any such explanation is to be made it
should be made at once. If the industries
are profteering Congress should set
aside the laws which shield them and
cause the names of the profteering in
dustries to be made public in roll of
dishonor. Otherwise labor in the United
States will have its first actual grounds
for a suspicion of unfair treatment.