The McDowell times. [volume] (Keystone, W. Va.) 1904-1941, 1940-09-20
Warrington Digest
BY CARTER FIELD
by Western Newspaper Unior


WASHINGTON.-It Is fairly SIM
pie for the government to comman-
deer any existing plant which Il
may deem necessary for the nation
al defense program and the owners
OF which are unwilling to cooperate.
But 1t Is bit difficult for the gov
eminent to commander a plant for
which the blueprints have not even
been drawn.
Yet the ONLY fact behind the
amazing public misconception Of
this whole picture Of the alleged bog
ging down Of the national defense
program. which is blamed on greedy
would-be war profiteers, concerns
PROPOSED plants, not EXISTING
plants.
And the truth even about that Is
that there is very little delaying
on the part of concerns which the
government wants to take war con-
tracts. Dozens Of big concerns are
risking the shirts Of their stockhold-
ers by constructing new plants for
the manufacture of airplane en-
gines, airplane propellers and what
not without knowing what the prices
will be, without knowing what profits
they will be allowed, and at the
risk Of having stark and idle plants
on their hands two or three years
hence.
Right now there seems to be dan
ger. The public is aroused to 1t, and
Is behind the appropriating Of bill.
lions for national defense. War RACES
in Europe, and there In eager de-
mand for all sorts Of war supplies.
But who can tell what the picture
will be even next summer, much
less three years from now7
Disaynsonssne Misht o..
Follow Peace IN Europe
For example, there might be not
only peace, but the sort Of disarma-
ment agreement for which the
statesmen Of the early 1920's were
striving. situation in which no ma
ton would build another fighting ship
or fighting plane, tank or a big
gun, for considerable period of
years.
At the moment this seems far
fetched, but consider the arguments
which those who will be advocating
this course will have, should there
be peace a couple of years from
now. Every nation in the world
will be so deeply in debt that there
will be serious doubt that they can
ever pay the interest on It'll A mo-
ment's thought about the present
British debt and the rate at which
1t Is being increased will show that
this Is not totally impossible pic
ture.
Taxation will be grinding, not only
in Europe, but in the United States,
whether we get into the war or not.
For we are rapidly reaching a total
OF debt which will require heavy
taxation merely to pay the govern
ment's annual interest bill.
Expansion of Plants
Requires Real Nerve
So beyond any question, when
peace does come, there is going to
be q tremendous demand on the
part of the taxpayers to cut down on
military appropriations, If this can
be done safely, and It will appeal
to number OF statesmen then, as
1t did in 1921, to bring about disarm-
ament by treaties.
Boiled down, that is why manu-
facturers OUGHT to be worried
about amortization. And that is why
the public should really be appre-
ciating the nerve of those compa-
MES which are building new plants
because the government wants them
to do it, without waiting to find out
about profits, and whether the tax
collectors will leave them anything
with which to pay for the new plants.
Put another way, without knowing
whether they will ever get back 10
cents on the dollar of their new in
vestments.
incidentally, President Roosevelt
Is NOT responsible for these at
tacks on business. But certain SEN
ators and representatives have been
showing either very poor logic, or
rather contemplate politics.
u. S. Foreign Policy
IL Unique in History
There may be some parallel in
history for the course now being
followed by the United States gov
eminent, and the open expressions
OF so many nonofficial American
speakers and editors, but research
ers seem unable TO find il.
For example, the various moves
which have been made in defiance
OF neutrality, moves which very OBJ
viously have the approval Of a con-
siderable maiority-some of the
polls estimate it as more than go
nor cepf-of the Amer,cap paor,Ia