Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1941-06-26
Government Issues
BY Hjalmar Petersen.
No War Profits?


Wars are fought because of de-
sire for expansion, more possessions
and imperialism, and sometimes be-
cause a certain individual wants to
be world dictator, which has to
date not been accomplished and like
ly never will be- Wars are fought
for commerce and trade, and because
of greed Wars have also been fought
for self-preservation. But in one
word the thing that really stands
out is greed.
During the World war, in which
America took part "a years ago, we
acquired here in America crop of
$4,000 new millionaires. We are told
that that will not happen again, that
there are to be no war profits.
In peace or in war time there are
certain large industries that fare very
well, such as the Ford Motor Com
pany, General Motors, U. S. Steel
Corporation, the oil and aluminium
industries, and others. Those indus
tries, ably managed and we'll or
ganized, and some of them monopo-
listic, make big dividends and pay
big salaries right along. But there
are, comparatively speaking, many
smaller industries and individuals
worth $4,000, 100000, and on up to
a million, who have lust for more
money and power. They have a
yearning for one big killing that
will provide fortune and set them
up for life. The killing can best be
made during war times, as was
demonstrated in the World war.
The national administration tells
us that there will be no war profits.
But how can it be avoided in the air.
plane, steel, munitions, ship build
ing, and aluminium industries?
Let us take a look at what a
million means and how long it would
take an ordinary person to acquire
that fabulous sum. A tradesman or
farmer earning $4,000 a year, and
that is above the average, would
have to work 400 years in order to
earn a million dollars. Assuming that
a person can maintain his earning
capacity for 33 years, it would re-
quire IL individuals a lifetime to
earn one million dollars. That sum
was cashed in by just one individual
in few short years during the World
war. And there were $4,000 indi-
viduals in America who acquired
each a million or more during that
war. Figure it out for yourself.
Such centralized and stupendous
acquisition of wealth and such dis
play of greed should make the COM
mon ordinary citizen sit up and take
notice and think twice before &C
quiescing on entering the maelstrom
of another war. If America were at
tackled it would be an entirely diff
ferent matter Let us give calm
thought and deliberation to what
another war means.
Since the World war, for two dec
AIDES, economic conditions have not
been normal in America, and that is
because of greed and the establish
ment of the new millionaireS. When
the few have too much the many do
not have enough.
True Americans appreciate deep
ly the freedom of press, speech and
religion-and this priceless liberty is
appreciated alike by native born and
naturalized citizens. That love of
freedom is fundamental and inherent
in the native born whose American
ancestry dates back to the Revolu-
tionary days and way back 10 or IL
generations, to the days of the May
flower. 1t is also deeply rooted in
millions of men and women who
came from foreign lands to these
shores since the Civil war, to here en-
joy political democracy, freedom and
opportunity.
But freedom and political democra-
cy are not all the requirements of a
happy life. We must also have eco
nomic democracy. If our country
can not run along on an even keel
in times of peace, without going
backward, without increasing the
federal debt, there is something
wrong. War will not cure it-only
make it worse.
For the past eight years the policy
of the country has been that no one
shall starve, and it is good policy.
But under prevailing conditions it
has cost billions and has increased
the federal debt tremendously. 1t is
one thing to spend, and that is easy,
and it is quite another problem to