Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1918-01-18
COMMENT OF
GREAT EDITORS
ON Coal ORDER
Following is some OF the edit.
oriaI comment on Fuel Admints-
TRAITOR Garficld's order.

New York Times-We hope the
president will Immediately reconsider
and revoke Mr.. Garfield's astounding
order suspending the business OF the
country for five days and on every
| Monday for ten consecutive weeks.
An invasion of the United States by
German armies and the. capture Of
| cities could hardly he more calaml.
tous in its effects upon u indus
| tries and our trade OF upon the spir-
it of the nation. Millions of men and
women will be called upon to forfeit
the gains OF trades and the wages or
employment. and there is too much
reason to fear that with vast numbers
the loss of employment will he pro-
longed. 1t is the worst possible prep
paration for the next Liberty I-oan
MIR. Garfield is not the man for tho
fuel enthusiastically.
Providence Jour1lal-The order
bears every evidence Of panic-stricken
incompetency. Being, as it is, the
elimination of many months OF stu
pidity and vacillation, it 1ouses in
stead Of approval the grave doubt as
has brought us to this pass can be
depended on to make the most of q
five-day respite from general coal
consumption. Here is an effort to
rectify a succession of pathetic blum
ders by paralyzing the life Of the
United States. Can the most practi-
cal and business-like nation in the
world risk a second exhibition of this
character to its own humiliation m
the satisfaction of it's enemies?
New York Sun-Although in tho
~coalless days of the restricted period
set by the administration. fuel will
be supplied for public utilities. food
producers and various necessary
plants and business, there are some
foolish and futile restrictions upon
the activities of the others which will
save little coal and do no great good.
Yet to free the, railroads and the coal
from their deadlock W. shall make
the chest of it. First, because we
must. Secondly, because we shall see
in the calamity which has befallen us
it is the only way.
New York World-The coal orders
issued by Fuel Administrator Garfield
last night is the greatest disaster that
has befallen the United States in this
war. Mr.. Garfield's plan to increase
our supply Of coal by shutting up the
United States is an act of folly and
panic for which there is no precedent.
That wild excitement in economic
worthy of a Bolsheviki government,
has been reserved for the United
States. which has more fuel than any
other belligerent and a system Of
transportation that is adequate to ev-
cry necessity if it is properly used.
President Wilson should not lose an
hour in multiplying the Garfield order.
That done. his next duty is to remove
Mr.. Garfield.
New York Tribune-The order is
impossible Of coherent enforcement.
The attempt to enforce it will he ov-
erwhelmed by demands for interpre-
tation. The fuel administration has
lost its head; DR.. Garfield is in a pan
ic and acts in a headlong manner.
The mechanism will somehow survive,
but fancy the effect that will be pro-
duced upon the minds of our partners
in war and upon the enemy. People
are very patient.
New York Herald-1t is impossible
to escape the conviction that some
" in the handling of the fuel prob
lem. The order of the fuel admins
traitor is,a blow between the eyes Of
business. 1t is hoped that there will
be serious reconsideration of the
whole of this order.
Chicago Herald - At a word Of
AtO!u washington the great
industries of the greatest industrial
sections Of the nation stand idle. A
Few days & n the idea was to
keep them going at full speed. The
war would not wait. Tomorrow, by
exercise Of governmental power which
for drastic character and suddenness
combined. exceeds anything on rec
ord in this country. They are stopped
for a period Of five days completely
and for Sunday and Monday Of each
week for a period Of ten weeks. 1t
was n tremendous decision, and car
rles with it a tremendous responsible
ty. 1t ia. in a sense. a catastrophe
that can only be justified on the
ground that it was needed to prevent
a still greater catastrophe. Let us
trust that the unprecedented measu
will speedily Danish the terror of an
impending Goa famine.