Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1919-02-02


Inc world. it is believed that months
must pass before these claims can
all be adjusted, and even then some
IF them may be thrown into the Court
of Claims for settlement
All over the nation there are barr
shelves in retail stores and whole
sale warerooms. The world is worse
trousers. its feet are on the ground,
It is living in a rickety, implanted
house. Every indication points to a
tremendous demand for peace COM
modities as soon as the nation and
the world can again connect with O
peace job and a regular pay enve-
lope. The student of reconstruction
assures us that all will be well as
soon az our factories can be diverted
10 peace production. This applies not
merely to the big rifle and cart
ridge plant. but TO the little subcoc-
factory which has been maxi
ing cartridge clips, rifle gauges aad
cutting tools.
Government Holds Up Money.
But consider the position of the
The money witt
which he might develop peace-timr
production is held up by the govern
msnt. Before he can make peace
goods he must know what TO make
Daring the past two or three years
II has been unnecessary for him 10
think about that-the government
through the prime contractor. soughl
hlla out ana handed him specifica-
tions fer certain products. at war
prices. Now he himself must find
soInethfng 10 aanufacture-prodac acts :
for which there ia demand. even
Tor which his little factory is equip
ped. 10 S2ieSa;arship Is required for
lnunitions-the governments of the
world eagerly hunt up the producer ;
and buy in a sellers market Euts
now lie must have statesmen and adj
vertising. Perhaps ne has never run
q factory ia peace times at all, be-
cause his business is a creation Of
war. Even IL Re did business before
the var, his sales force has disinte-
grated
War demand for commodities is
backed by governments spending bill !.
lions. wiling 20 pay any premiusu To !
81 W tiIIre and boost up quantity. IT :
IS like the quick strike Of the king
ish. whica closes on the bait and
fights.
But peace derna nd for co-modities-
comes as nibHle here AID a. nibb,s
there. TIE buying is done by thou
sands OF Individual merchants, cau-i
tiously feeling ont consumer needs
and operating under the fear of fall
Little wonder that the subcontrac-
tor. trying to live up to the 'expecta-
tions Of his workers and his country
on one hand, and facing the dinicuI-
ties Of adjustment on the other. IL fn-
clined to paraphrase Gen. Sherman
and declare. Peace is aelI,'
Government Owns Machinery.
Complications go beyond the adjust
ment OF contracts, big and little. The
owns millions of dollars
worth of machinery which has been
used in war production. It is estimat-
ed that not less than $500. 0o0, 600
worth of equipment belonging to
Uncle Sam now stands in the war fac
tories of the east. Contractors COM
plain that Washington Is slow In
out a definite policy for dis
posing OF this war-makinE machineFy.i
Take the big rife works at Bridge
port as an illustration. Thousands CT
men have been dismissed, leaving ma
where it stands. Most OF this;
equipment belongs to the government
Deterioration sets in the moment 81
stops. 1t should be slushed down With
grease to prevent rust. This WORK,
will cost hundreds Of thousands OF
dollars in the Bridgeport district
Hone. and contractors have no an
.hority to do it. while the war De-,
,artment is said to lack an approprir-s
ion for the labor and materials
The return OF prosperity to Brifire-,
'ort is intimately tied up with the dill
ersfon OF its rifle plant to sonnet
line of manufacturing. Tis..
ompany owning the buildings can
ot begin installing machinery -fo..i
lakinE- other product until the so., ,
has removed its equipment.
Work Partially Completed.
subcontractors have great quas,-
ities OF partially completed n1ss-
hinery ordered for the var indus~
rieS Intricate questions arise IN
yeF q case, ,,,s sSIe S Of this masn,ass
making machines are a good example.
1t would probably b 6ex-5
err to scrap instead of compae1toE
ucis equipment for the. govefnmeI-
lready owns more machinery OF that
ind than 1t will ever require. - IN,
Their cases il will be standard ma
hinery. sucn as 1athes and scrEE-s
ltting machines, and. therefore, can,
e completed and sold. Even heres
machinery and tools which IL mus
ispose of in the open market. seyf
usly affecting peace time deuaaSs
erhaps large proportion OF euc5f
yuipment might be well scrapped.
What is to be done about keeping
p government facilities for the max
lg of arms. ammunition and Other
ar material In the great Quantities
nd at the emergency speed REQUIRED
y the present day war? Rridgepo1r
believe that munitions
luipment owned by the government
louid be concentrated at new
removed from our seacoaska.
afe from naval attack. and declare
lie present government arsenalS- pitt
lilly inadequate
Where would we stand on ulgsss-
ons if war broke out again toincc-
NV?
These are some of the questions
,at wait for answers from Washing
N, and Washington seems to be net
lly without Immediate answers. but
so without q definite policy.
Busy on Unscrambling Job.
we are urged to center upon the
of peaoe-tme prodne-
on said one of the large mum
ons manufacturers. but since the
every executive in our o.
lnization has been busy trying To
ear UP the difficulties connectc6
it'll our war contracts. Washington
,pears to have no policy nor any one
g enough to tackle this job on hssS
isiness lines and put il through.
very few days new man comes
ON Washington TO Investigate. He
'ipgs a mind that is as clean As
ate. We sit down with him and -
to details, and then. he returns 20
and presently we he1r
at he has left government serytce.
I'd a new man shows up with cleAs
ind Much Of our time is taken up
aching details to these government
and the rest in help
& our hundreds OF srbccntractofs
title questions Of detail"
What would you do. IL syou were
ven authuritYy" he WAS A2ked.