Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1922-12-27
WAR MUNITIONS AND LOGIC

There is a deal of prating about the
against Christian peoples. 1t cannot
be denied that they are now in con-
troll of territory which for years has
been regarded under Christian infiu-
ences to some extent, but which
they are now insisting shall be re-
moved. The Turks have fought a sue
ccssful war and they did it with the
inventions which had their origin
and for the most part were manu-
featured in Christian lands. SO far
in their civilization they have not de-
Nelopcd the skill to do these things.
The new Turkey may import the skill
and establish munitions factories, but
she never would have arrived at the
point for so doing but for the VIC
TOTES which she has won by means
Of the arms furnished by traders in
Christian lands.
The responsibility for doing this
was at first charged to the French.
The latter are now said to have evil
dence that the munitions came
underground" from London in large
part. 1t is also shown that there are
firms in Holland who will sell NUM-
tons to anyone with the money to
pay for them and deliver the goods
on the high seas if the ports arc
closed to the shipments.
Word comes from Germany that
she is obliged to spend a large sum
OF money manufacturing munitions
and establishing the factories for
such purpose because the Allies in
sisted on destroying what there was
and from which they might have
been permitted to take the supply all
lowed them. And one wonders
whether the munition interests were
delighted to have the Allies insist on
the destruction of the old munitions,
but doesn't need to wonder for long.
Twenty-six munitions factories
have been started in Russia and OBJ
servers say it is not unlikely that
Russia will soon be exporting them.
All the countries engaged in winning
the war have teen selling the huge
supply of old munitions for a song.
These went to furnish the where
withal of the small wars which have
been going since the great war. It
is estimated, however, that the pow
der has been largely fired off by now
and that it costs a million dollars a
month to keep one hundred thousand
men on the firing line. The assump-
ton is that the powder makers are
busy. There is an army in Egypt.
another in Arabia, new armies to
equip in Jugoslavia, Czechoslovakia.
Roumania and Serbia, the fighting
factions OF China and the would be
fighters Of Afghanistan. A merry time
for the powder makers.
Now the logic of this situation ap-
pears distinctly this: if the world
wishes to avoid war it may do so if
the nations will take over the manu-
facture and sale of the instrument
talities. If all the leading nations
did this under suitable restrictions
and ostracized commercially those
peoples that refused to enter the ar
rangement the world would quickly
cease to be huge powder magazine
awaiting a spark-if agreements
were kept!
This is a much bigger task than
may at, first appear. 1t is we'll I'M
derstood that had this country dur
ing the first years of the war not
supplied to the Allies munitions of
war Germany by reason of her abil-
lity to manufacture in large quanti-
ties must inevitably have been the
victor. So the rrohler, is hv m