Evening journal., 1918-01-19

The facts are incredible and Germany
may not believe them, If that is any
comfort
Power II life or death over The Amer
lcan war machine is delivered into the
hands OF man Nho knows nothing
about its processes and is not respons-
ihlc for them Hc IS not a member of
the Cabinet OF the Council OF National
Defence Of the War Industries Board or
Or any other body concerned with the
conduct of war. He thinks industry can
DE shut up and carried around in his
pocket for five days like a isckknife,
without serious injury.
he had not ihe strength 10 deal with
the coal operators. which was his par
iicular job, and allowed many " them
Co go on making contracts in violation
0f his orders by now he has the OBJ
stinacy Go defy the United States SEN
9te.
Ne is so obsessed with the idea OF
distributing equally the hardshlps en-
tailed by his own failures, that after
having shut up cOal-using factories 90
save fuel. me would shut up also fac
tories driven by water power for 10
they continue 90 run il would be I'M
fair TO the others
U'nawares 90 an the various bodies
engaged in the production OF war ma
terials. and without consulting the rep
rosentatives OF industry. he announced
on Wednesday evening that he would
issue an order closing all factories casl
Of the Mississippi for a period or i've
consecutive days and for ten Mondays
besides. the mandate 10 become efec-
tive on The next day. Later he changed
his mind. and made IL effective the next
day but one. Then DE issued the text,
Of q preliminary order.
Yesterday the whole industrial world
was in an uproar The White House, The
Fuel Administrators office, every gov
ernment department and Congress wero
deluged with telegrams NJ dismaN. Con
vress proceeded TO debate the matter
The Fuel Administrator was hailed ia
Capitol Hill 60 Xplain bis amazing pro-
posal The Senate then addressed ~ him
a resolution requesting that me postpone
action for five days But at . iJ D. m
ne slrued the order, and issued 10 in
time no beat the resolution, Whereupon
the author of the resolution gave ont
a statement i'm which 10 Is suggested
that people may refuse to obey the
order
Meanwhile there was pressure from
within the government almost as Rreal
as that from without The heads Of de-
pariments responsible for vital indus
trial programmes urged the Fuel Ad.
minisirator Co relax his decree. They
showed him letters from manufacturers
saving that rather than close down they
would tear down their own buildings
or rs many as could be spared. ant
burn them for fuel, but the Fuel Ad
minisirator was obduratc.
His order went He would hold. n'
doubt that a manufacturer who burne'
his own buildings for fuel would p'
thereby convicted Of unfairness to thos'
who hadn't any surplus structures u
burn
The last and fantastic touch was ad
dod when a group of men representa-.
the theatrical industry, went tiptoein'
out of Washington, their fingers ol
their lips. with an awful wT secre
they could not divulge To was enousi
90 reconcile them 20 the situation Iha
IS an they would say
There was Intelligence enough h
Washington 90 have averted rue
famine. and there is inielugence enougi
i'm Washington now Go mend the sltu
alton. but. as 10y the inhibition ni