Arizona republican., 1921-09-26
By Herbert Corey

WASHINGTON, Sept. 25.-Gen. Hell-and- Maria Dawes is conducting the greatest bargain sale in history. He will not want this statement made in this form. He vii object, and with justice, to this use of his pop ular pet name. But it is the truth for all that. He and his aids are selling and getting ready to sell about three billion dollars worth of property. In this transaction three factors en-< ter:
 The buyer must be offered such
 . bargain that he will buy.
 The sales must not be made at
 SO low a price that the market
 will be broken to the injury and
 perhaps ruin of American busi-
 ness men.
 The largest possible sum must
 be realized for the United States
 treasury.
 Think over that list of factors. and then realize what a whale of a job Dawes has on his hands, I have said that he will sell three billion dollars worth of property. but that is only a guess. The war and navy departments are each accredited with from one to two billion dollars sworth of surplus stocks, and there dI through other departments The to- tai may be more and it may be less. Whatever it may be, the bargain sale was wished on Dawes as an incl dent to his budget making. He had no thought of any such thing when he took his job
 Just Like . Merchant
 His plan at the outset was to out line the 1923 budget, rough hew the logs for the budget structure or the future. and then hurry home But his job was not so simple. Betore ne could get at the total for the next budget he found himself compeiieo to find out what he could realize from inc stocks on hand. He has con ducted his affairs precisely as merchant might. Before preparing to borrow money for next year 5 needs. he is trying to get In what cash he can by advertising an emu of-the- season sale
 Fefore any merchant can hold reduction sale he must get an III :. -,a,torv of the stock on hand That is what Dawes did. No one knows v.hat difficulties he met wlth' TOT Dawes is talking less for pupiicaeion ' than any man who ever came ~ Washington This may be a sur ts ing statement, but wait A'.s You'll find he has reason lol l. It ss rnown that some of the minor chiafs tried to hold out on Dawes vher he came inspecting and inven- ,nrving. They wanted to hide Var ions items and stores which they oio moi need at the moment, but thought thev might perhaps need in the fu- ture. Dawes, in the belief of the on- 1oolrarS found 'em all
 He is a beautiful talker." said one bureau chief in almost tearful ao- miration.
 Dawes gives a glimpse at his meth ods in his interesting book of rem iniscences on the part he played as chief purchasing agent for the A. E, iF. during the war He relates tna' in France and England he oIten found it necessary to move assem- blages of brass hats to action Every one knows there is a type or genera who thinks more of his personal ols- nifv than of getting his job of wori done. Dawes found these dignifieo old fossils delivered into his hands
 Uben he entered the room in wnici snch a gathering of starched heroes yras heinz held he began to preat down their moral resistance. h' smoked. talked loud. cussed, put ni' feet on the table-anything 10 mak' them forget what gosh- h-almignty mei they were. Pretty soon they "sl' | willing to give him anything n' wanted if he would only go away an' let them get another look al tn' mirror.
 So he treated those who held ou on his inventorying. but that Is no part of this story. Recently h. 1 named officers in each departmen l whose duty it is to coordinate pur