Arizona state miner., 1926-04-17

of money and materials for purposes
not necessary for the winning of the
war. Each part OF the community had
to adjust it's wants to the whole great
undertaking.
There have been a great many bills
introduced into Congress on the sub
iect of industrial mobilization, some
sponsored by great organizations like
the American Legion, and others by
newspapers and publicists But it is
surprising how little knowledge there
was on the part of those who drew up
the bills of the practicability and fea-
sbility of SO mobilizing our resources
that it would be impossible to make
as much profit in war as in time of
peace. Take into consideration the
fact that the following things were be-
ing done in 1915
General Crowder, who was in charge
of the draft. had asked the chairman
of the War Industries Board where he
could obtain additional men needed
for the Army in France with the least
possible dislocation of the war making
industrial civilian machinery, and we
were in the process of replacing male
labor with women. By system Of
priorities the Board was allocating to
our own Army and Navy. to the Allies
and to the essential war industries the
things they required It was making
priority rulings as to transportation
and they were being followed out by
the Railroad Administrator The Fuel
Administrator distributed fuel only on
the rulings of the War Industries
Board. The Board was engaged in
disentangling and removing the many
conflicts and competitive efforts in.
volved in labor and buildings that had
previously occurred because of lack Of
any co-ordinating agency. 1t was allo-
eating power and making regulations
for the hitching up of scattered units
of power It was changing munitions
orders from congested to less congest.
ed districts. It had actually carried
into effect an order that no building
involving $4,000 or more could be un-
dertaken without this approval OF TIE
War Industries Board. No steel, no
cement, no material of any kind could
be used for any purpose whatsoever
unless the War Industries Board per-
mitted it, No steel company could
sell over five tons of steel unless ap-
proved by the Director of Steel. The
Treasury would not permit the raising
of money for any industrial or f1nan-
cial operation unless it was approved
by the War Industries Board. The
President issued an order that no COM
Wandering should be done by the
Army, Navy, Shipping Board or Food
Administration without the approval
of the chairman of the War Industries
Board. Every raw material industry,
and indeed practically every industry
in the country, was organized through
appointment of committees, and none
of these industries would do any busi'
ness except under the rulings promul
gated by the Board. Standardization
in every industry was rapidly proceed
ing. These rulings were made known
through the issuance of official bulle
tins at irregular intervals and were
distributed by the press. We were
endeavoring to arrange 1t so that the
fighting forces were to receive those
things which they needed and no
more, so that whatever was not &C
tually required at the front was left
to civilian purposes. Industries were
curtailed, but never destroyed: skele.
tonized. but never killed. Indeed, the
use of men, money and materials was
rapidly being brought into exactly
that condition which have previously
stated to be necessary in case Of an
other war
If, in addition to this, the President
in the future has the authority to fix
prices and distribution OF materials
and labor. rent, and the use Of man
power, transportation, fuel and ell the
things necessary for the conduct Of
the war; any rise in prices will be pre-
vented, even in anticipation OF w2r
There are many who claim that wnr
is caused primarily by the desire ct
profit. am not one of those 3r; =
there is anything in this contention
this plan will remove the possibility Of
anybody urging war as a means OF
making profits Even if there are no
men who desire war as a means of
making profit, the fact that profits
would be less in war than in peace
and wealth and resources would be di
rected by the government, might have
some active deterring influence on
men of great resources. Instead Of
being passive, they might become ac
tive advocates of peace.
There are many people who are, for
various reasons, afraid to discuss ,ho
subject during peace time and prefer
to wait for war There are also some
great manufacturers who oppose any
such plan because they were seriously
interfered with during the war time.
Indeed, il has been the eXperiance .!