The Bridgeport times and evening farmer. (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1918-1924, 1918-02-11
CLEWS
WEEKLY LETTER


Tho FIRST real blow of the war has
been received by the United States in
the sinking Of the Tuscania and the
loss Of American soldiers. This was
the first positive reminder of what
war is; 1t will carry sorrow to many
homes; and it will immensely strength
en- the nation in its determination to
crush such ruthless militarism. Amer
lca has been the least bitter of all Of
Germany's enemies, and might have
been useful to Germany at a peace
table; but Germany's ruthlessness has
1oohshly destroyed any spirit of con-
sideration that once might have been
of advantage to her, and has accom-
plished nothing but so1idifying the
bonds between us and our Allies and
confirming the resolution for victory.
Aside from this event there has
been subsistence of peace rumors,
this week and a. consequent decline
of optimism. That distress and inter
nal discomfort are widespread in Ger
many, fastening the termination of
the war, is well known over here; but
it is unwise to underrate the endur-
which has firm grip upon the home
situation and will suppress all uprss-
ingS with a relentless hand. What
with an unbroken military govern
ment on the one hid and the char
acteristic ready submission of the
German people to authority and sys-
TEN at all times, tho immediate out
look for any internal uprising that
virIrIxr No ies
not over-encouraging. 1t is true that
political discussions in Germany are
growing very rapidly, and that con-
ditions in Russia and Austria are
highly confusing; but it must be re-
membered that in Germany the people
have no means of expressing their
will, such as exists in the United
States, France or England. For all
practical purposes the political power
of Germany Is entirely IN the hands
of the Emperor and his military adj
visers, who have nothing to gain by
peace, unless on their own terms,
which as every nation but Germany
knows are impossible. The war must,
therefore, be one of exhaustion or at
triton; victory coming only to the
side which can do the greatest killing.
Such is the horrible, yet perfectly
logical, outcome of the crime of mil
itarism.
Initiative Of an finds is almost en-
tirely concentrated at Washington,
whittier it has drifted from nearly all
the great industrial and financial CEN
ters. Whether it is a question of fuel,
food, clothing, transportation, finance
or manufacture, all these great d.
IA
fallen more or less completely under
the spell of government control; and
the process is stin going on. At first
our business leaders were summoned
to Washington for advice; then they
volunteered for service; then for var
ious reasons many returned, and
finally the administration assumed
closer end closer control over various
industries; until in some cases, nota'
bly, in transportation, it has gone
about as far as possible without &C
tual government ownership; and IL
the case Of ships in foreign trade
ownership is already an actual fact
OF course these revolutionary step:
were proposed and accepted as purel!
war measures, because the necessary
concentration and cooperation on ;
5 complished in no other fashion. Sucl
a wholesale readjustment of our bus
mess machinery at time when in
dustries most affected by the wa
were under intense pressure, mean
a large degree of confusion and de
moralization. The sweeping change
thus made necessary seriously i'm
Z paired the morale of large industrie
in rank and file among the higher OF
ficiaS seriously delaying productio
and materially counteracting the Ell
forts for speeding up. Full efficiency
therefore, has too often been more
mater of talk than Accomplishment
=, and the administration has had t
face some hostile criticism, which ha
the desired effect of stimulating Ell
fort and it is to be hoped will resu
& in elimination of any inefffciency. A
a matter of justice it must be sale
that the administration has on il
hands a herculean job; that its shor
comings, if any, were no worse tina
might have been expected; that aft
all great things had been accom-
s. plished, and that when the new az
illustrators have become, accustomt
to the new order of things, the worl
ing of the government and the indu
~ tries under it's control would becon
more satisfactory.
One of the most important propos
N from Washington is for the create
n Of a $500. 100000 financial institution
and and finance the essential war i
dustries and regulate new security
q sues. A bill for this purpose is nc
before Congress, and its propriety W
no doubt be thoroughly discusse
Some time ago it was proposed tn
1 a. subcommittee Of the Federal r
serve Board, aided by an advise
committee of banks and banke
should supervise all new issues, a
y r1,ts method was favorably receive
TODAY'S WANTS