The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1924-03-04
AS WE SEE IT
By T. J. o'FLAHERTY.


tor. He spoke in Houston, Texas re-
Gently. The General is blunt and
truthful. He declared to the assem-
bled Rotarians that war originated
because of business or trade, that the
first reason for war is trade. Now,
this is just what we like to hear a
general give forth. There is an old
truth to the effect that if you call
a man a horse thief justice demands
that you submit proof to support the
truth of your charge but if the ac-
cused admits that he is a horse thief,
that makes your task ever so much
easier, to say the least.
Communists have been telling the
workers that all capitalist wars are
gigantic commercial enterprises,
struggles between opposing capitalist
groups for markets, spheres of in
fuence, and territories to exploit.
The workers did not believe us. They
thought-most Of them--that wars
are fought for pure womanhood
clean religion and moral preachers
decent kings and chaste queens andy
such glorious issues. Now comes any
honest-to-God general and bears out
everything we have said. He then
! proceeds to lecture the rotarians on
their duties. "The object Of my visit"
he said, sis to bring to the attention
Of the business men that national
defense is part and parcel of your
business. War originated because of
business or trade. The first reason
for war is trade"
This is illuminating and instruc-
tive. Paste this little bit Of informa-
ton in your hat and pass it around
the information, not the hat--to
every worker who still believes that
wars are fought for beautiful ideals
as specified in Woodrow Wilson's
fourteen points. We like frank and
stupid generals.
Col. Charles R. Forbes is such a
iovial fellow that we are averse to
saying an unkind word about him.
! He was also such a good friend of the
late and dearly beloved Mr.. Harding.
But duty demands that we politely
call attention to the fact that
suspicion of irregularity has been
created by the conduct of the Vet
erans' Bureau by the said Col. For
bes. This in itself would not be so
henious a crime in our opinion, but
for the fact that rumor has it that
the Colonel disappointed his bene-
factor, Mr.. Harding, the American
Mr.. Honeywell who expected so
much of Mr.. Forbes that he was al
most broken-hearted when he heard
that his favorite "son" actually shot
craps with the wife Of Elias Nor
timer who was trying to share the
good fortune of the Veterans Bureau
with Mr.. Forbes.
"He that steals my money steals
trash; but he that abuses my con
fidence is confidence man." Thus
Mr.. Harding must have reasoned II
the good man ever reasoned. Now
the wounded veterans who are dying
of tuberculosis and shell-shock may
say that Forbes affair with the wife
of another man is not near so re-
prehensible as the looting of funds
appropriated for the relief of suffer-
ing heroes, but we fear that our
/
the honors that were conferred upon
them by a proud nation, in being
allowed the privilege of becoming
heroes and wearing wounds as deco
rations. We fear the poison OF
materialism is sinking into their souls
and we believe no better evidence can
be offered to substantiate this asser-
ton than that instead of protesting
against the alleged moral lapse Of
the said Colonel Forbes, they raise
the dickens over the disappearance of
few paltry million dollars. No de-
cent Observation-Disclosures Henry
Dubb would put material gain before
nations virtue and a nations
honor.
1t is hard to say off hand whether
the National City bank of New York
is a financial institution or a bawdy
house. No house Of i'll fame in any
of our many underworlds has come
in for SO much unenviable publicity
for the past few years as the great
New York bank. Our readers may
remember that Mr.. James Stillman,
he of Indian guide fame, was once
president of the National City bank.
Stillman had first mortgage on the
front pages for almost two years.
Hardly had he turned over the pre-
mier position to Secretary Fall and
the Teapot Dome when Beverly ID.
Harris, now head of that institution,
broke into print and the divorce court
simultaneously and startled the pub
lie with the charge that he was lured
into marrying prostitute, and only
recently came to know that his wife
was not up to snuff so to speak.
We are half inclined to agree with
the Boston Post that affairs Of this
kind are more fertile breeders of re-
volt than the most effective radical
agitator. The moral equilibrium Is
disturbed. The workers lose faith
-. "A.