The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1930-02-10
Big Business Denounces Wars

Big business has come out in two significant disclaim.
ers that 1t favors wars and that there is profit in war fol
1t. From a quarter where one would least expect it ha
come a declaration against war-from Pierre DUPONT
chairman of E. I. DUPONT de Nemours and company, tn
big Wilmington, Delaware powder and munitions corpora.
ton, and from Thomas w. Lamont, of j. p. Morgan ant
company. One would expect rather that the munitions
corporation would favor war for the profit from the sale
of its products, but it says through its chairman thai
munitions represent losses and not gains, while from thu
big banking house one would expect some sort OF an argu.
ment speciously cloaked in the guise of patriotism favor
ing war, which always calls for loans and purchases Of
bond issues. Not so from either source.
The protests against the policy Of war are expressed in
letters from dupont and Lamont to Merle Thorpe. edito,
of the Nations Business; and in them these two mer
aired their ideas on the subject of war.
There is no SANDER" wrote Mr.. Lamont, quite SO un-
founded and outrageous as that to the effect that men
of affairs. manufacturers and bankers. are not averse to
war because Of the fancied or fleeing profits sometimes
xowing from war.
mo suggestion could be falser, more abhorent, than
that.
"There is no group Of men in the world more anxious
for the success of the present London conference than the
business men of America. From the material aspect, the
reduction in armament means a reduction in taxes.
Reduction in tax burden is a help to business, to wage
earners fully as much as to employers"
MI. dupont, in turn, declared that the World war was
far from being a blessing to his company-which, you
AIASAt SuASluOcI ID ONG VI Cc WORLDS great muOlClOOS
makers. War taxes. he said, not only ate up all the
profits on powder sold to the government, but wiped out
the profits on the sale of powder during the 20 years
preceding.
Consider the DUPONT company, whose history is COIN
cident in point of time with that Of the United States"
he wrote. We have furnished a great part of the ex-
plosives used in all the wars in which the United States
has engaged. Therefore we feel that our records should
show conclusively what war will do for-and to-a maker
of munitions.
mo munitions concern can live by war alone. During
the 1879 years Of the existence Of the United States as q
nation, there were four major conflicts before the World
war. They lasted about 10 years in all, or about Z per
cent Of the time. How could any independent corpora
ton keep itself alive for 139 years by turning out q
product thai was only wanted ten years Of that tine?"
These letters strike a note which is OF the utmost I'M |
portance. They indicate that big business Is beginning to
discover that war is bad for 1t. When business leaders
everywhere come to that conclusion, war will end for
ever.
The diplomats can negotiate treaties and agreements r
not, IS they see tit. The business men are the world,s|
real rulers. + they are on the verge Of declaring for
world peace, world peace it viii be. !.
& ~ - AAaAAr~A -. - - l.