Evening star., 1933-09-03

IL,
enough Of this fact, If proof is needed.
\lfEIL, what does it mean?, This is
w business world, and people don't
work for nothing. What, then, Is the
crude dirty truth behind the walls Of
these places? The truth is-more death,
more dividends.
This is bitter writing, but the facts
are as bitter as the taste OF stale blood.
Factc-you say? These things can't be
facts. Over and over I have said the
same to myself, but it is no nightmare.
am not dreaming.
Facts That the government Of every
country allows vast corporations to trade
in death. That the government Of every
country, while raising its black-gloved
hands in horror at the white slave traffic,
at the drug traffic, at all other illegal
traffics, yet gives its approval, its honor
and blessing, to the traffic in death.
It is necessary to give the reader an
impression of the way in which these
firms spread their tentacles over Europe.
France is quito literally governed by the
Comite des Forges-that sinister asSOcia-
ton of ironmasters whose influence is
the more poisonous for being so secret.
The French press is largely in the grip
of the armament manufacturers, and
criticism is silenced, so that even the
most appalling accusations against the
Comite receive little publicity. AS an
example, may quote the accusation of
that great Socialist Deputy Barthe, as
reported in fine article by the Daily
Herald's Paris correspondent on March
81, 1888:
'Barthe explained to hushed House
how the Comite des Forges willfu1ly
limited the development of the produc-
ton of iron and steel before 1914, so that
when the war came it might exploit the
scarcity with profit. In this way Ger
many was favored and France imperiled.
ST affirm he added that certain
members of the Comite des Forges fur
nished raw material to Germany during
the war and that in order to conceal
the affair the Comite hindered the in
vestigation of justice.
"I affirm that either through the in
ternational solidarity of the great metal
lurgical industry or in order to safeguard
private interests an order was given to
our military chiefs not to lombard the
Briey Valley factories which were oper-
ated by the enemy during the war"
Immune from attack the Briey region
furnished material for guns which
slaughtered French and British troops.
Germany would have capitulated in 1915,
: ironmasters have since admitted, If
Oriey had been bombarded.
These accusations have never been re-
futed. People don't even seem to care.
Why? I can only conclude that it is be-
cause they do not realize what men like
Barthe are talking about. These things
are merely vague generalizations to
them. They do not visualize these fac
tories, nor smell them, nor hear the
sound of their whirling wheels. They
cannot form a picture of endless crates
of arms and shells, labeled with destina-
tions that cover the face of the globe.
found it difficult to realize these
things myself And that is why went
to the great factory of the Schneider
Armament Co. at lie Creusot.
In order to obtain permission to visit
this factory had been forced to 60
first to Geneva, and to spend a fairly
long time there, pulling strings. How
ever, the strings had eventually re-
sponded, and one day was informed
that the French war Office had tele-
graphed to Geneva, saying that I had
only to present myself at the factory to
be shown anything cared to see. Where
upon I set out for lie Creusot.