The Winslow mail., 1926-06-04

any kind could be used for any
purpose whatsoever unless the War
Industries Board permitted it. No
steel company could sell over five
tons of steel unless approved by
the Director of Steel. The Treas
ury would not permit the raising
of money for any industrial or f.
nancial operation unless it was
approved by the War Industries
Board. The President issued an
order that no Communicating
should be done by the Army,
Navy, Shipping Board or Food Ad-
ministration without the approval
Of the chairman of the War Indus
tries 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 business
except under the rulings promul-
gated by the Board. Standard
zation in every industry was
rapidly proceeding. These rulings
were made known through the is
suance of official bulletins at ir-
regular intervals and were dis
tributed by the press. We were
endeavoring to arrange it so that
the fighting forces were to receive
those things which they needed
and no more, so that whatever was
not actually required at the front
was left to civilian purposes. In
dustries were curtailed, but never
destroyed; skeletonized, but never
killed. Indeed, the use OF men.
money and materials was rapidly
being brought into exactly that
condition which l have previously
stated to be necessary in case of
another war.
II, in addition to this, the Presi-
dent in the future has the author
ity to fix prices and distribution of
materials and labor. rent, and the
use of man power, transportation,
fuel and all the things necessary
for the conduct of the war, any
rise in prices will be prevented,
even in anticipation of war There
are many who claim that war Is
caused primarily by tho desire Of
profit. l am not one of those. But
if there is anything in this conten-
tion this plan will remove the pos
sibility of anybody Urging war IS
a means of making profits. Even
if there are no men who desire war
as means of making profit, the
fact that profits would be less in
| war than in peace, and wealth and
resources would be directed by the
government, might have some ac-
tive deterring influence on men Of
great resources. Instead Of being
passive, they might become active
advocates of peace
There are many people who are,
for various reasons, afraid to dis
cuss the 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,
it has been the experience of some
of those responsible for the indus
trial mobilization in the World War
to remain the objects of venomous
attack begun during the time that
the necessities of the nation made
it imperative to control activities
and profits. Some critics were prom
inent manufacturers who said:
''Tel us what the government
wants and we will fill the orders,
but don't interfere with the sale Of
the part Of our product that the gov
ernment does not want to use."
That was unthinkable. President
Wilson decreed that fair prices for
the government were fair prices
for civilians. l must say, however,
that the vast majority of American
manufacturers rose to the situation
in such G splendid way as to bring
the following commentator from
Woodrow Wilson: "They turned
aside from every private interest
of their own and devoted the whole
Of their train capacity to the tasks
that supplied the sinews of the
whole great undertaking. The
patriotism, the unselfishness, the
thorough going devotion and dis
tinguished capacity that marked