The Leavenworth echo. [volume] (Leavenworth, Wash.) 1904-current, 1919-01-03

time of the cessation of hostilities.
Apparently the institutions that have
coupled up with the government eX-
pect the federal machinery to keep
their salaries at the top notch no
matter what happens to the rest of
that giant class of citizens who call
themselves workers"
Napoleon's Big Idea About Moving
Armies
When Uncle Sam frightened his belt
around him and picked up his trusty
musket and jumped into the middle
of the biggest fight that ever was
known he had done some mighty ser
ious thinking beforehand.
"Now," he said to himself, 'every
war I've been in before this there has
been a lot trouble about food. Ma
poleon left one good idea for people
that have to fight wars, and that was
that "an army moves on its stomach
I've got to feed my army and navy
and help feed their people, too. And
my own folks right here at home have
to be fed. This time III not run the
risk of not having enough food or not
having it good enough. It's just a
matter of getting together with the
right people and getting the right
people together"
Uncle Sans food administration
undertook this problem. 1t knew that
big difficulties were apt to arise, and
it also knew that it takes big men to
overcome big difficulties.
Uncle Sam came thru the war with
flying colors, and his food administra-
tion kept the meats and meat food
products going to the army and navy
without a hitch. Not a week passed
without conditions arising which
would have baffled an unorganized
force, but the cooperation of the
packers committee, headed by its
chairman, Thomas E. Wilson, presi-
dent of Wilson & Company, was help
which was of tremendous value.
The meat industry of the country, as
has been said often during the war,
was the one big industry which did not
"buckle under the strain" 1t was
ready for the war and its demands;
Its plants were all equipped for the
sudden requirements of huge quaint
ties of provisions, or they were speed
lily made ready and enlarged-in some
instances, literally cover night" The
packing companies stand almost alone
as one line of business which did not
require financing by the government.
They paid for their enlargements as
they went along.
Mr.. Wilson himself suffered an in
jury to his right leg in the midst of
his war work, but he stuck to his
desk and kept things going, even de
nying himself the briefest of vaca-
tions. As chairman of the packers
committee working with the food ad-
ministration he gave an exhibition of
unselfish devotion to the country and
its cause which was to be expected of
him, and which perhaps was empha-
sized a little bit because of the 1000
soldier employees of his company who
helped put the great victory over for
Uncle Sam.
8 The Merchant Marine
Edward N. Hurley, the hard hitter
who should be given most of the credit
for putting ships into the water in
stead of making them an issue for
political quarrels in the national capi-
tai, says: "Let us picture an imagi-
nary customer; suppose we want him
to do business with Robinson Cruso
on the desert island. He needs our
fabrics and tools. His island has good
soil capable of raising food stuffs.
II has goats to yield milk and meat.
1t has guano for fertilizer, and maybe
it has undeveloped minerals. Robin
son Cruso does not possess any money
and his island resources have been de-
veloped only for the needs of himself
and Friday" Mr.. Hurley follows out
the story by sending calico and shoes,
tools for farming, woodworking and
blacksmithing. The result is miracu-
olus. After awhile the islander and
his Friday live better, "wear better
clothes, have a better table" Mr..
Hurley declares that "our new mer-
chant marine can establish trade on
this basis with many a nation"