Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1919-01-28
Tuesday, January %, 1919.
Protecting Us from Ourselves ?

sugar pouring in until the sugar trust
heads were tearing their hair in des-
peration because they knew not where
to put it land we were held to two
POUNDS a month";, supplies of beef
and Of pork in hundreds Of thousands
of tons.
The great reservoir of manufac-
t,:rcd things was flowing over. In
deed it las been estimated by one
expert that the aggregate of supplies
accumulated in L. S. government
dcpots was the largest ever owned by
one interest. Think for a moment of
these figures. the great mass of army
supplies in 1900 depots, arsenals and
warehouses:
100000 cans Of tomatoes.
100000 cans Of corn.
43,000,OOO cans Of pork and beans.
100000 yards of duck.
100000 cotton coats.
1,0Up,VUU WOODEN COATS.
100000 leggings.
100000 pairs Of shoes.
100000 miscellaneous hats.
100000 pairs of mittens.
100000 bed socks.
mer underwear.
100000 pair of summer under
shirts.
$4,000 automobile trucks.
100000 pounds of horseshoes.
100000 tooth brushes.
100000 shovels.
All these. and more and more, do
not tell the story of Americas ac-
emulation for war. From Washing
ton. Saturday, came a dispatch saying
that the chief Of ordnance had des-
cribed to the House military affairs
committee some of the steps taken by
his department to prevent the coun-
try from reverting to such state OF
unpreparedness as before the war.
General Williams said: THE Ord
nance Department now has 100000 RI
f1es, 2,0O0.0O0.0OO rounds of ammunition
and enough artillery ammunition to
supply 4S divisions for six months
Large quantities of other equipment are
being held. The department plans to
keep this material. and in addition ma
chinery for making 1t, which has been
manufactured 1UrinO tho vunnlf,
be impracticable to retain all the ma
chinery. SO portion of it will be sold.
Most OF it will be dismantled and placed
N warehouses where it will be access
100000 Is needed for bringing back from
France thousands Of tons OF ammuni-
ton Of all kinds now in storage there,
well worth saving. The arsenals which
the government had before the war will
be kept in operation. and in addit Oh
several OF the new war plants will he
that they can be put in operation. An
appropriation of $4,000 for experiments
with tanks is needed. Experiments
with body armor have not yet been very
successful. With the exception Of the
helmet all armor was found to be prac-
tically useless. The department has
abandoned the idea of throwing into
the ocean or otherwise destroying great
surplus supplies of T. y. 4. and other
100000 pounds of T. \. T. and 10000. 90
pounds Of powder. in addition to i'm
mense q iantitles of other explosives
The powder will be sold or kept for use
OF the War Department. Part of the
T. n. T. will be sold to the agricultural
department, part Will be sold to the
trade, and the remainder will be kept in
storage in we'll guarded warehouses;
with unusual protection against fire"
But what of the perishable supplies
to which we have referred? If they
are dumped upon the market they will
topplc over the trade balance like 4
house of cards. And if they are held
industrial interests cannot for a long
time with safety lay their plans for
the future. If they are put upon the
market for the benefit of the consum
ers who have funded the war in
money and men. then trade will be
disorganized and prices go into such
tumble as never yet experienced
II they are indefinitely held and
cautiously released as the market
can absorb them, then we must go on
paying war profits to trade and
furnishing the government with
money to hold these goods against us
and paying interest on the money
invested in protecting ourselves from
market panic.
The value Of these enormous SUP.
plies accumulated for war. runs into
billions. To dump them upon the
general market would create chaotic
conditions in manufacture and wages.
And outside OF these are tremendous
stocks Of goods remaining In the
hands of contractors to be disposed
of as they see fit. OF course the gov
ernsnsnt cannot ease these down upon
the market without taking them over
at contract prices.
There Is ono Of the problems OF re-
MISUNDERSTANDING the govern
rnc1tES psotectfon Of trade oszniza-
ton AZ the expense Of our own rce4ct;
both Ways