Evening star., 1935-04-10
Novel Preparedness.

War preparedness in a novel form,
a form designed to make war less
attractive to some persons, is sought
in the McSwain war profits bill passed
by the House yesterday by a vote OF
367 to Is. The bill is the first of its
kind ever to pass either House of Con-
gress. although there has been talk
for years about taking the profit out
of war" 1t is the purpose of the bill
to prevent a crop of war millionaires
from springing up if the United States
should ever again become involved in
armed conflict with another nation.
The McSwain bill now goes to the
Senate. There the Munitions Com
mittee, headed by Senator Nye OF
North Dakota. stands waiting to at
tach many of the provisions of its own
bill to take the profits out Of war, a
bill considered as in some respects
much more drastic. The prospects of
some legislation along the line Of anti
profiteering during war. however, ap-
pear far brighter than had been eX-
pected. The country has been we'll
educated to the idea by the friends OF
such a measure during recent months.
Senator Nye has gone on the air IN
Nationwide hook-ups to tell the
country about the investigation which
the Senate committee has prosecuted
SO vigorously The tales of huge profits
taken by munitions manufacturers and
others during the World War have
been spread throughout the land by
the newspapers.
During the consideration of the
McSwain bill in the House, anti-War
sentiment manifested itself strongly.
And particularly there was opposition
to the proposed draft section OF the
measure, under which men between
the ages of l8 and As would be sub
iect to draft. Apparently, this
smacked too much of preparedness for
actual conflict, and by vote of the
House it was stricken from the bill
after a hard fight. 1t is quite true
that during the World War the United
States adopted the draft and under 1t
q huge army was raised. And 1t is
equally true that in the event this
Nation goes to war again the draft
system probably will be invoked once
more.
The idea of a war in which muni-
tions makers and persons engaged in
other industries which produce neces-
sites, such as food and clothing and
supplies Of all kinds, may not make
large profits is, to say the least,
one to which the world is unac-
customed. There are those who re-
main convinced that it is impossible
to fight war in national defense if all
profit is stripped from the essential in
dustries during the period of the war.
Pocketbook patriotism, 1t is insisted,
is, after all, inevitable. On the other
hand, no one has ever yet tried to run
q war in the manner proposed by Rep
resentative McSwain and by Senator
Nye. The plan might work.
In these days, when rumors of inter-
national conflict are flying fast it is
not unnatural that Americans should
consider what may come to them in
the event of war abroad. Something
more than seventeen years ago this
country was involved in the greatest
war the world has ever seen. Even
though there be determination
among Americans, as there now is,
not to permit this country to be drawn
into another war in which the foreign
nations are engaged and which does
not threaten an invasion of American
soil, the thoughts of many turn to-
ward preparedness for eventualities.
And taking the profits out of war is
such a measure. It can be dealt with,
perhaps, more dispassionately while
the Nation is not involved in a war
than after war is declared.