Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1920-12-22
OUR WASHINGTONLETTE

great industrial corporations in pro-
noting their open shop campaign.
Builders have testified that the big
steel companies, such as the Bethle-
hem Steel company, have refused to
sell structural steel direct to build
ers who employed men under union
shop conditions. Builders who were
wiling to be fair with labor. therefore,
according to the testimony, have been
virtually driven out of the steel erec-
ton business.
This control which the trust exer-
cises over small business probably ex-
plains why so many business men
stuck to the open shop drive almost to
the point Of ruin.
NAVAL RIVALRY STRONG
Naval affairs are attracting great
attention in the capital at the present
time. A suggestion was made recent
ly in British circles that the United
States, England and Japan agree to
five-year naval holiday" The report
of the general board of our navy an
swers this suggestion by demanding
that America build the greatest war
ships her brain can devise, until she
possesses the most powerful navy In
the world.
The reason for both suggestions I'm.
doubtedly lies in the failure of the
peace conference to settle the problem
of the freedom of the seas. If building
were stopped at the present time Eag.
land would remain the master and our
business subject to the good will of
England. On the other hand, if we
continue while England, as it is alleg.
ed. can not, we shall soon be in posi-
ton to rival and then surpass the
British Strength. Perhaps our naval
experts figure that our navy must
equal or surpass that of the combined
navies Of England and Japan.
While great efforts are being made
to develop good feeling and under
standing between England and Amer
lea in both countries, those who deter
mine policies realize that there is a
great possibility Of clash between
the dollar and the pound in the trad
ing field and neither side allows emo
ton to interfere with its business.
With the world remaining on the
same basis as before the war the de-
struction Of the German fleet by the
peace conference really meant that
America would have to build that
much more to balance the English
power.
William Denman, first chairman Of
the United States shipping board, who
Is now testifying before the Walsh
congressional investigation committee,
declares that only great care on his
part prevented British interests from
stopping the growth Of the American
merchant marine during the war. The
British plan, according to Denman,
was to clog all steel shipyards in this
country with British contracts and to
force our government to build wooden
ships which would be valueless after
the war.
ATTACKS PRESS CENsoRlNG
Senator La Toilette is planning to
intro duce bill repeating that section
Of the espionage law which has been
| used by Postmaster Genera! Burleson
to gag the press.
Under the section which he aims at,
hundreds of newspapers and maya.
zines have been denied second class
mailing privileges. And to all of these
| denial has meant great economic loss,
and in many cases actual ruin.
The situation in the past has been
such that the postmaster general as
sumed the right to act at once with
out giving the parties in question the
opportunity to have the merits Of their
case considered by a court Of law. A
newspaper or magazine can not sue
coed when its mailing privilege is de
MED without notice after it has al
ready gone to press.
It would be hard to find a better Il
lustration of taking Of private prop
erty without due process Of law. And
yet the system has stood for three
years. The assumption which justified
this unconstitutional proceeding ap
pears to be that the authorities woul6
use the act only against so-caJled radi
cal papers, and that these papers hai
no right to protection from the Con
stitution anyway. The practical re
suit, however, was that not only die
the radical papers lose great deal o.
money, but all the liberal press saw
the danger of opposing reactionar,
measures and altered it's policies.