The Washington herald., 1919-04-06
GREASE, NOT GUNS, FACTOR
ON WHICH PEACE DEPENDS

league Of nations, sacrifices his secon-
dairy liberties for the larger freedom
of the world. Now to secure the
larger freedom OF the world in peace.
II is absolutely vital that we must dis
tribute equitably the worlds grease
grease and starch. iron and. copper,
cotton and wool and their by-prodycts
in raw materials OF the earth. Wars
have economic bases always. This
last war had its certain economic
basis. Junkerdom, seeing the rise OF
junkerdom in Germany soon would
be displaced; the people were begin
ming to complain at the military
burden. and their complaints soon
would have unloaded the burden. But
In unloading the burden Of the mill
tary caste, Germany would have re-
lieved junkerdom OF its reason for
being, 1t had to get new territory
the Balkans, and Asia Minor and the
East, 10 relieve the pressure constant
ly rising from below, from the work
ers rising into the middle classes.
from the middle classes demanding
for social service the places and pow
ers and privileges of junkerdom. New
territory would redistribute Germanys
economic maladjustment; so we went
to war The assassination of the Aus
trian grand duke was the excuse; eco
nomic pressure from below upon junk
erdom was the real reason. Germany
needed more starches and iron and
cotton and fats-more grease. in
snort, and so the world was set afirs
in war 10 provide rne grease.
Now at the Peace Conference the
most important work doing is the es-
tablishment of board to distribute
the worlds grease-the economic
board and the financial board which is
its hand maiden. These boards will
do more to keep the worlds peace
than all the guarantees. all the trea-
ties and covenants, all the balances
and adjustments of International pol
itics. For these boards are empower
ed to hear the grievances Of those
who feel themselves oppressed among
the nations, and TO make adjustments
before the grievances become acute.
II may be well to consider these
boards briefly, for they are not some
thing projected into the potential fII-
ture. They have been functioning for
nearly two years; they are in active
operation now, and they are to be
made part OF whatever league OF na-
tions finally is adopted.
During the American participation
in the war, every pound of food and
the raw material of industry and ev-
cry free ship upon the seas-AmeTican
food and American raw materials as
well-was controlled by a board Of in
teralliod economists and business
men. We Americans did not know IT,
but we had no control as Americans
over a thing we produced. 1t was
sent-nOt where we could get the best
price for it-but where we could do
the most good with II. the most good
for the ultimate peace of the world.
And the men who made the decisions
were experts who knew the worlds
markets, which are really the world 5
reeds. At the present moment the
same conditions exist. We have the
Supreme Economic Council. II was
created February s 10 take the place
Of the wartime shipping Board. and
of several minor commissions on food
and steels and munitions. This Su-
IRENE Economic Council reports TO the
supreme War Council-that is to say
to the council of which Foch is the
commanding figure, though the re-
I.Orts of the Supreme Economic Coun-
Gil come rather formally 10 the War
Council and are not changed. Draft
ing boards for over month have
been at work completing plans for
economic and financial councils which
shall have TO do, first, with the prob
lens pending during the armistice and
second, with problems arising during