New-York tribune., 1918-04-07

lOC III tne places OF these men the
total volume of our production will
certainly decrease.
Increased Production
improbable During War
For filling their places the only
resources upon which we can draw
are the unemployed, those previous
ly and normally employed in unpro-
ductive enterprises, the leisure class
and women. We shall do we'll if
from these sources we fill up the
gaps in labor's ranks. 1t would be
folly to expect to do more than this,
and not at all surprising if we fail
to do as much as this. Some speed
ing up is, perhaps, possible but not
probable. The maximum that we
can reasonably expect, therefore, is
to avoid decrease in the total vol
ume of our production. To increase
it materially during the war is out
of the question.
A second fundamental fact froE
which there is no escape is that as
long as this war lasts we must pro-
duce here on our own soil and in our
own factories and mines more than
the equivalent Of our own consump-
tion, including that of our military
forces at home and abroad. With
the possible exception of a few guns.
shells and the like, we shall be
obliged to produce here the precise
things we consume and a consider
able fraction of which is needed by
our Allies. The reason for this con-
dition of things is the partial ex-
haustion of our Allies on account of
the ravages of the three years of
warfare through which they have
passed, and their consequent inabil-
ity longer to supply their own needs,
and the lack of self-suficiency-
nay, even the dependency on us-of
that part of the world which still
remains neutral. Such a condition
of affairs has not confronted us or
any other nation in any of the wars
of modern times. Hitherto it has al
ways been possible to borrow abroad
and to buy in foreign countries mu-
nitions Of war and other needed
goods. Now the greater part of the
commercial and industrial world is
in the fight, and, with the exception
of ourselves, the industries Of those
countries have been so adjusted that
they are producing solely for their
own or each others needs, with no
surplus for expectation. Even so.
they lack food and certain raw ma
terials which we must supply.
Pay as We Go
The Only Way
We must also dispel from our
minds the vague belief or hope in
dulged by some Of us that in some
way our great accumulation of
wealth can take the place of current
production or that we can spread a
part of the expense over the future.
Such beliefs and hopes are an in
bo~;+opca fro,,o %1,o +;,,,oc q,,box, e,,ob
things were possible; that is, from
the times when it was possible both
to buy and to borrow from foreign
countries. We cannot fight battles
and feed soldiers with land and fac
tories and railroads and fine houses
and furniture, ETC., ETC., except indi-
rectly by using these things for the
production, day by day and and
week by week and year by year, Of
the condition needed for consump-
ton. No financial legerdemain can
alter this fact. 1t is true whether we
raise our public funds entirely by
taxation or entirely by loans of or
combine these methods in any man.
ner whatsoever. To the extent that
we employ loans some of US will help
others to bear their burdens, but not
an ounce of these burdens will be
shifted from the shoulders of the ma
ton. We must literally pay as we
go. There is no escape from this
disillusioning and uncomfortable
fact.
A third proposition, also incontro-
vertible, is that, so long as the war
lasts we must produce some things
in enormously increased quantities,
such things, for example, as guns,
shells, explosives, powder, bullets,
airships, sea ships and certain kinds
of food and clothing. The instru-
ments of war differ considerably
from those of peace and some of the
things needed both in peace and war
are required in larger quantities in
war times. The labor, raw materi-
ais, machinery, buildings, etc, need
ed for the production of these new
things and these additional quanti-
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