Evening star., 1934-06-10
Misunderstanding as a Monopoly
BY FREDERIC ]. RASKIN.

All efforts to reach an agreement on
international disarmament at Geneva
apparently having failed, the question
of taking action which will remove
the profit element from the manufac-
ture of guns and ammunition now Is
occupying the thought of several ma
tions. This development brings a re-
newal Of an old proposal to make the
manufacture of munitions a national
MONOPOLY in the several countries.
Next October a special committee
of the United States Senate is to
begin hearings in an investigation to
trace the ramifications Of the Amer
lean munitions makers affairs and,
inevitably, much information will be
elected concerning such great foreign
houses as the German Krupps, the
French Schneiders and the British
Vickers.
What has stimulated this inquiry is
the gradual leakage of knowledge to
the public that there are rich profits
constantly being made in the industry
devoted to the destruction of men.
Moreover, 1t has become more gener-
ally known than heretofore that the
trade Of the munitioneers is indiscrim-
inately international. Being in a
manufacturing and merchandising
business for profit, the munition
workers are asserted to give no con-
sideration to anything concerning
the prices asked.
Before the United States entered
the World War, it Is known that arms
were sold by American munition max
ers to Germany. Later. our own SOL
diers were moved down with these
weapons. 1t Is particularly true OF
parts Of guns. For example. Germany
has no nickel, an important element
in munition manufacture, yet nickel
was sold by Canadian and other allied
sources which was used in German
equipment. There were many sales
through such neutrals as Sweden, Hol-
land and Switzerland. The United
States got into one of its most heated
disputes with Great Britain between
1914 and 1917 over a cargo composed
largely of cotton linters. from which
ammunition is made, which a British
warship intercepted when it was on its
way to German port or a neutral
port for German forwarding.
Advantage Of Government Monopoly
The President has Just signed q
general embargo measure which, al
present, is aimed at the sanguinary
| fighting between Paraguay and Bo-
| livia in the Chaco Boreal because both
! sides in that struggle are using Amer
| ican-made arms and ammunition. But
an embargo is more or less tempo
rary measure and does not, it il
claimed, go all the way to the heart OF
the matter. The declaration of arm
! ament manufacture to be a national
monopoly can completely solve the
problem, it is urged.
So long as munitions are made by
private corporations, the profit incen-
tive to arm potential Slayers will exist
| Also so long as this business IS il
private hands. the destination of arms
shipments is no concern of the Gov
ernment unless some special embargo
| is laid. For a government, the Gov
ernment of the United States for ex-
| ample, to declare munition making a
national MONOPOLY would be to place
the entire business on a different
| plane.
In the first place the Government
would make arms at cost for its owr
forces. The taxpayers would not be
called upon to pay huge profits tc
| private corporations. Moreover. in the