Evening star., 1918-03-30
NO OTHER FIGHTING
TO CHECK REAL WAR
No War Over Partisan, or Eco
nomic Issues May Hamper
War Efficiency Against
the Kaiser.
WAR CONTROL OF UTILITIES
THEODORE W. MOVES.

| Editorial Correspondence of The Star.)
Our primary duty, subordinating all
things else, in to win the war. We
must quit any fighting among our
selves which prevents us from uniting
to fight the enemy.
! All good Americans give verbal as
sent to these principles of action in
the abstract We must apply them i'm
partially, consistently and with SIN
cerity in the concrete.
| In normal times war RACES between
the political parties, each exposing ana
attacking the others faults of commits
sion and omission and it's insincerities
and general unworthiness. We all agree
that partisan fighting must not now
continue I'm any shape which hampers
united war against the kniser.
| In normal times wholesome conten-
tion is frequently in evidence between
the executive and legislative branches
of the government over their respec-
tive constitutional rights and preroga-
tives Such unity-destroying conten-
tion is not for the war time. Recfpro-
cal consideration and patriotic self
sacrifice are demanded by war condi-
tions from both branches of govern
ment. ;
| Public Ownership of Utilities.
The same principle applies to violent
| wrangling over the question OF govern
ment ownership OF public utllities.
| There should be no bitter contention
now over this peace-time issue, which
wenkens Americas war strength by
breaking up united team work In war
Dreparedness; and which converts the
appeal to all of the cooperating fac
! tors for temporary wartime patriotic
fsacrihceS into denuncf1ftor---6y--Of
factor of another, dEnputtnG unpAtrtst.
| ism and general unworthiness, ana car
rying threat of permanent drastic
| punishment and vital financial injury.
1t is distinctly in the national inter-
| est that the issue of permanent control,
through government ownership OF pup-
| lie utilities, should not be fought out at
| this time. To meet the war emergency
| the government should be empowered
to take over for the war time any
needed property whatsoever OF Amert-
can individuals or corporations. This
temporary control by the nation of pFf
vately owned property should be justi-
| fed on the score of military necessity;
and the individual or corporation should
cheerfully surrender this wartime con-
| troll of his, or its property as a part of
the patriotic Americans national war
time service To make the government
control more effective for war work
| than that of private owners. the hearty
and enthusiastic cooperation of the
employers and employed of the COM
tmandeered plant, in support of the new
national control, is essential.
An Untimely Issue.
| In the national interest, then, we are
wise to refrain from attempting to de-
eide at this time the question of per-
manent, government ownership of the
railroads. To secure the maximum war
efficiency which we seek the patriotic
enthusiastic cooperative labors of all
the parties in interest are absolutely
necessary. These parties in interest
! are % the public: collectively the gov
ernment, individually the railroad users
and the taxpayers; (2) the owners of
the roads, stockholders and their
agents, the railroad officials and di-
rectors; and (S) the employees of the
railroads.
The government control of the rail-
| roads necessary for war purposes II
only such control as will coordinate
everybOdy's enthusiastic labOrs in the
! business of war makinE-the army of
railroad users. the army of railroad
stOckhOlders, the army of railroad em-
plOyes. All three of these American
peace armies are to be SO handled as
Ito secure from them maximum Of ma
tional patriotic service. No one of the
three is to be injured more than is
necessary in self-sacrif1ce essential to
this national service; no one is to be
wantonly slurred in respect to pa
, triotiSm or integrity.
Wartime Patriotic Sacrifices.
These patriotic sacrifices will be
greater and more effective if it is thor
oughly understood that they are solely
for the war time and to meet war con-
ditions. like the sacrifices involved in
heatless. meatless and worthless days.
Clearly it interferes with the CO.
! ordination and efficiency of national
plans of belligerency to insist upon
deciding at this time either for or
against the issue of permanent govern
ment ownership. The tendency of a
present threat Of permanent govern
ment ownership is to cause the neces-
sary wartime sacrifices of railroad
stockholders to be rendered xrudEinxly
and In fear Of yital injury, whereas
these sacrifices should be voluntary,
hopeful, eager and unStinted,
! Railroad employees who have resisted
in peace time even the regulation of
wages by the public through compul-
the war stress be converted in a mo-
ment into compulsory. permanent en-
ployes of Uncle Sam and be subjected
to his decisions in respect to wages.
hours and working conditions The tax
payers Of the nation should not be COM
PEELED in the confusion and turmoil of
war to decide whether they will put up
the billions necessary to purchase the
| roads from the stockholding owners or
whether they will confscate them
wholly or in part from their fellow
Americans. the railroad stockholders.
The taxpayers should not be hurried
into paying, fOOlishly. more than they
ought. or, unfairly. less than they
ought. for the purchased railroads. The
stockholders ought not to be tempted to
| take advantage of the situation to try
to get more than they ought. or be
bul1ied into taking whatever they can
| now get by the threat that after the
war they will get nothing for their
property.
| Whether the profits and losses of rail-
road management and control should be
| a responsibility of the $4,000 .Ameri-
cans who are railroad stockholders. or
| the 400, 900 Americans who were the as
| certainable national taxpayers In peace
or the 100000 who are national tax.
lpayers in war Is a grave question to be,
examined and studied from every view5