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PAGE SIX Taking t Out o By BERN A R Reprinted from T February issue of the Atlanl Huddlrston Healing irith the general scJiich Mr. Huddle ston called '.In Jm phrase wai put into the language close of the TV "rid War throng J: its ? Ruddiest on's article came to the atte man of the War Industries Board at and fas he tcrtfes us), since it sertni idea. induced him to moke praetica hen si on of a the profit uut t w imrhi. To H is end he responds I to < the >" lo- * of international Rein he ?' r f lectures ther> pi' ' Hp' acted t France 7 the cubic t eel Ulnar to tur ru \! i IO.T.J ? Prussia (t ruination of hi . r untrles wcrr : ? to tl Indictment. The .!* of h. Robber Huron# did not < .-* with the end of feudalism. Aun-jxailon by ou<jue-st did not cease. But when Am? ! em : 1 the World War President Wilson fa: i.-red a doctrine that shall always irovem us?that never a foot of territory would be added to our boundaries by force So. as America has taken the lead toward making impossible national profit throuch war, it too may be America's privilege to point the way toward making Impossible individual profit through war. To take the profit out of war Is to take a long step toward creating an economic detestation of war The experience of the I'nited States in the World War affords a basis for the belief that the plan herein discussed Is practical. In fact, it Is more than & belief?it is s certainty, although not widely known. The world Is such a busy place, and the radius of human activity has been so greatly enlarged because of modern Inventions, that it is not strange that there axe but few people wbo are conversant with what waa quietly but effectively taking place in this country in the mobilization and use of its material resources in the World War ?a process that would have eventually eliminated all improper profits Strength Is given to the public advocacy of Industrial mobilzation made by both President Harding and President Coolldge?Mr Coolidge as recently as last October in his Omaha speech to the American Region -bv the fact that the plan they advocated as a part of the regular na >nal war agencies had once bee a set up and successfully operated under the War Industries Board. Preceding the President's recent elear exposition of this subject, some degree of public interest had been engendered by an exchange of letters between Owen D. Young (of Dawes plan fame). In behalf of the Walter Htnes !*age School of International Relations. and the writer. The corre spondencc resulted in the establishment of lectures at the Page School (of Johns Hopkins University) on this theme. Previously the Xf7on/ic Monthly printed an article by Sisley Huddleston. who pointed out that Europe saw treat 81 rides toward peace In the American Idea of "taking the profit out of war" in a systematic way. His basic reference was to the plan of the War Industries Board. The resources of a country might be referred to as the five M*s: (1) man power; (?) money; (3) maintenance or food: (4) material resources (Including raw materials, manufacturing facilities, transportation, fuel and power); and (5) morale. T*ie intelligence with which the first fonr are directed and co-ordinated as a whole will determine the fifth, the morale of the community. In the war emergency it early became evident to those who were charged with the responsibility of mobilizing the resources that there was a just sentiment among the people against profiteering. Profiteering might be willful and profit making might be Involuntary; but. whatever Its form, there was a Just determination it should ccase. So it became necessary to fix prices where the supply was limited. Wherever the government created a shortage by its demands, prices were fixed, not only for the Army. Navy and tho Allies, but for the civilian population as well. And In addition to price fixing on war essentials (such as sreel, wool, copper, and so forth), the balance, after the war program had been filled, was rationed or distributed according to the priority needs of the various civilian demands. In other words, where the price of the product of an Industry was fixed that Industry had to deliver the part which the government did not need to the civilian population, not in the way the Industry chose, but as the government diMotMi It must be rtmember?d that when !k? war came there wm no adequate preparation. Indeed, It Is doubted by the beet authorities whether any effective form of preparation then known would have been of much avail kin view of the widespread and engulfing results of the war and the lack of knowledge of the various instruments of destruction which were being devtssf and which tt became neoeaatry ? combat Oar own Army had several divisions Mkpsthf one with another for mateI j i EbiL - - - - --A'.-': i. he Profit .f War D M. BVRLCH "he Atlantic Monthly. 'ir 'or I91S carried a paper by Mr Stsley tuh ert of 'fakin<j (itr pro it out of irar." trioin Plan for Pear,- The frst-quoted t the War Irdustf.it Hoard toward the efforts to chrninatc all tear profits. Mr. ntum of Mr. tlernard It Harueh. chairid administrator of the non-prop! plan, d to ir1> ate a grout> g intermit in the ' mcar i to briny u? ' (i 'rr/l cowl pretr ?n the iari>ii* (treat ountries of the a uyges'i"T; of Mr. Own D. Y"sng. of ns at Johns Hopi-- v University, that e t' espnnrtd the M ar Industries Hoard a :ke ft-rilar arrangements at leading , derrr.any, Italy, ar: ' Japan. Agreeing Is for public let frige and disirussion, n to t.i'fi for the * .na turner?Tin* ri.ils. transportation, housing, and so j forth. On p of hat there prevailed . the d'-man : of the Shipping lioard. with the >; :.:r. that ;;h;p:- would win ' the war. and of the Food Administra1 t: n. with the slogan that food would v p. !lie war. For'her, there wast the ! Railroad Administration with its need f r material and labor* and finally Mi re was M?e fe verish quest for labor and supplies on tb part of the munition makers?all competing for lal>or. jr.: mv. material*, m -; < :'.'.tiou. fuel. ! 1 .vr-r. and : ich insisting on the greater Importance of its activity All this while the labor supply was being lessened by the flow of men nto the Army. While an endeavor was being made bring order out of cr s, the great undertaking i ! to go on. Men. ships, I n:u:s:' <i. material, had to be prov, i. .! or. organizations, bureaus and tradition - had to bo met and langed. but not destroyed until the j. w was set up Th wonder of it all i;. not that there were so many mistak - but that so much was accorap: shed \t -be time we entered the war price- were at their peak, and tending ' 'h?-r he. ause of the war's insatiable :ands The problem was not alone secure M e materials and labor and to v--.,p the confusion, but to do it in : ch a way that the morale of the people would be maintained The prices of some things, lik steel and copper, were fixed far below prevailing rates, 1 and the wages of labor in those Industrie? were standardized. The mora ighly organized an industry, the sier it was to arrange. Order did not commence to appear until the Army tunneled its needs through one man sitting with a section of the War Industries Hoard and until the Nary, Shipping lioard. Allies and Railroad \ .'.ministration did llbewto? Pa*a. : partment satisfied its requirements I through a central authoritative body. This was called the War Industries Board, controlling and directing all materials and co-ordinating through 1 its chairman the whole system of gove: omental and civilian supply and demand. It was created by executive order in March of the year 191S. Briefly, this board endeavored to mobilize the industries of America so that the fighting forces of the Allied and associated nations could draw from the United States?the last reservoir of men. materials and money? the things needed for the winning of the war at the time the things were needed nnd with the least dislocation I of industry and the least disturbance of the civilian population. II The War Industries Board was organized like any other supervisory committee, with a chairman, vice chairman, members in charge of various activities, bureau chiefs and sub ordinate workers. It surveyed and sought to arrange the whole industrial war field under the plenary powers conferred by the President and ttao Congress How well it. did this is a -story for others to tell. What it did is the basis of the plan i am here drawing. It was comparatively easy to fix prices and to distribute materials, and indeed to stabilize the wages of lal>or in those industries in which prices were fixed. The labor situation, however, became increasingly difficult, particularly when Ooneral Crowder found it necessary to withdraw men for the proposed campaign of 1919 after 4.000,000 soldiers had already been taken. Much has been said about the profiteering of labor. It is an unjust accusation. It Is only fair to say that this condition was primarily brought abont through the inexperience of the organization within our own governmental departments and by the furious bidding of munitions makers and ship builders for services. That situation, together with the Increased prices of the things that labor hud to buy with the results of its work, made it inevitable that labor must get higher wages. So it became evident that the p fixing pr gram had to go eve? f :: | thor, and the \Var Industrie" i'mr.i ! when the Artr.fstir came, was pro eeedlne a-fth n #? ? "> 1 u | prices of all the br.?' . ,.? bor ha:l to buy Sotre !; "J prev been fixed I a|?-ak f labor l:i i r.r broader ?;n xe than manual 1 *?<?r ior | the unorganized au-calleJ "wii ?r* -o lar" part of our community t , ics teachers, governmt nt employees. < r? fessional men?were less able to met J the situation than labor in the ^ar rower sense For the prote< tion and I . relief or such groups certai.; plana j were derised. Te illustrate? THE CHEROKEE SCC O. ti thorn provided that manufacturers, jobber- *nd retailers of shoes could make and sell shoes only of a spec J fled quality at a fixed price, of fee^vc July, 1919 No one who did not have a card of the War Industries Board in his window could sell shoes, and only the standardized shoes could be sold. No jobber or manufacturer would sell shoes to anybody who did not bare this r&rd. The shoes were to be stamped Class A. B or C and had to be of the quality prescribed and sold at the price fixed. The country was so organized iu every district that there- could be Immediately reported to Washington the name of any shoe retailer who did not carry out the regulation! of the War Industries Board ; i) nriCfl :.r?d n nallt? Thrnn^K :rictk?ns on his labor, money, raw materials and transportation no manufacturer would have been permitted to .- II to any dealer violating the regulations. The Armistice stopped the execution of this plan. Another plan of this nature: The manufacturer* of men's and women's wearing apparel had in 1313 been called to Washington, together with the retailers of various goods, and notified that regulations would have to be made in regard to retail prices and 1 randardlsatlon of clothing The rulings by the board were made frnown through the Issuance of official ! bulletins at Irregular intervals and were widely distributed by the press, which co operated in this most necessary work with a whole-hearted purpose that gave to the orders of the War Industries Board the Instant and broad circulation they required. Mr. Hoover already was doing much to perfect his contr<d of food products and prices. There was also talk of fixing rents, and in some cities this was done. If we were to start, in the event of another war, at the place where we were Industrially when the World War ended, the President, acting through an agency similar to the War Industries Board, would have the right to fix prices of all things as of a date previous to the declaration of war when there was a fair peace time relationship among the various activities of the nation. It would be Illegal to buy. sell, serve or rent at any other than these price*. Brakes would be applied to every agency of inflation before the hurtful process started. An intelligent control of the flow of men. money and materials would be Imposed, instead of having the blind panic heretofore ensuing on the first ap pearauce of the frantic demands of war. The Draft Board would have before it the rulings of the priority committee, together with the estimated needs of every business and profession in its relationship to the conduct of the war. and men would be selected accordingly. The Draft Board could more intelligently decide, with the advice of the priority committee, many of the problems with which it would be faced. There would be no sending of men to the trenches who wers needed for expert industrial war [ worn and then bringing them back , again. Businesses not necessary to the winning of the war would be car- j tailed. The Draft Board would hare ' that Information before It. The prices of all things being fixed, the price fixing committee would make nny necessary adjustments, as waa done during the war. Utfder the aya- j tern used In 1918 these prices were made public and adjneted every three | months, so that any consumer or producer had his day In court when he considered prices unfair. Those who , complained that during the war prices . were too high had this ready recourse to hand. In the meantime all the Industries of the country would have been mobilized by the formation of committees representative of each industry so waa done in the World War. Over them would be placed a government director or commodity chief. The various government departments would appoint committees .epresentlng their , requirements, so that on one commit-1 tee the resources of the nation would j be represented and on the other the | demands of the government. The government director would stand between to decide, in conjunction with the priority committee, to what department supplier, should go. Money would be controlled and directed like any*otber resource. "Taking the profit out of war" is not synonymous with "conscription of wealth." as It la sometimes regarded. The latter is a theoretical project, proi hibited by our Constitution, contrary to the spirit of our social and political ' institutions, and impossible in prac1 tlce. Taking the profit out of war is j an orderly and scientific development of the economics and conduct of modj em war, necessary to the effective mobilization of national resources and < indispensable to equalizing the bar) dens of war among the armed and i civilian population. Born of expej rience and proved by practice, It removes some of the moat destructive ! concomitants of modern war?the eonj fusion and waste Incident to war time j inflation. j This term "conscription of wealth," I W- ?. ? - - u/ ou rnauj, U&B CTBIUd A HOP? among those of socialistic tendencies, and a fear among those who. Idee me, believe in oar system based upon personal initiative awd reward, of a taking of money, without payment, for j the use of State. Neither the hope j nor the fear is Justified by the recommendation herein contained or by oar ' experience in the war. The use of ! money sbocld be controlled and directed in u national emergency. man should no more be permitted to use his money as he wishes than he j should be permitted to use the pro! ductien of his mine, mill or factory except through the general superrlo| lng agency. This was being dowo t* | ward the end of the war. i HJT. MURPHY. N C. Durtaff the final phase of the World War no man or corporation or Institution could raise money without the approval of the Capital Issues Committee of the Tr-aeury Department, which committee in turn would not permit the borrowing of money unless the War Industries Board approved the use to which It was to be put. Thus the City of New York was not permitted tc spend $3,000,000 for the building of schools. The City of Philadelphia was prevented from making improvement* that in peace time would have been necessary, but in war time were not- Various states, counties and cities, and a vast number of private concerns, were denied the use of money am: mat-.ials for pu-poses not necessary for *he winning of tb<* war Each par' of 'he .-nmr: mity had to adjust lis wants t.? the whole great undertaking. Ill There have been a great many hills Introduced into Congress on the subject of industrial i -b'ligation some sponsored by grea' rganixations like the American Lev on. and others by newspapers and [Mblieists But It is surprising how liftI-- knowledcr there was on the part of :hn?e who drew up the bills of the practicability and fea sibility of so mobilizing our resource:-! that it would be Impossible to make an uiui.il prom in war as in tune or peace Take Into consideration the fact that the following things were be ing done in 1918: ? General Crowder, who was in charge of the draft, had asked the chairman of the War Industries Board where he conld obtain additional men needed for the Army In France with the least possible dislocation of the war making Industrial civilian machinery, and we were in the process of replacing male j labor with women. By a system of priorities the Board was allocating to ?ur own Army and Nary, to the Allies | and to the essential war industries the things they required It was making ; priority rulings as to transportatioa. and they were being followed*"out by the Railroad Administrator. The Fnel Administrator distributed fuel only on tbo rulings of the War Industries Board The Board was engaged In disentangling and removing the many conflicts and competitive efforts in voived in labor and buildings that had previously occurred because of lack of any co-ordinating agency It was allocating power and making regulation* j for the hitching up of scattered units i of power It was changing munitions orders from congested to less congest- j od districts It had actually carried into effect an order that no building Involving $2,500 or more could be undertaken without the approval of the War Industries Board. No steel no cement, no material of any kind could he used for any purpose whatsoever unless the War Industries Board permitted it. No steel company could sell over Ave tons of steel unless approved by the Director of Steel. The Treasury would not permit the raising of money for any Industrial or financial operation unless it was approved by the War Industries Board. The iTegident Issued an order that no commandeering should be done by the Army, Navy, Shipping Board or Food Administration without the approval of the chairman of the War Industries Board. Every raw material Industry, and indeed practically every industry in the country, was organized through appointment of committees, and none Af lhaia InAnatrlae nnlil An >...d neas except tinder the rulings promulgated by the Board. Standardization In every Industry was rapidly proceeding. These rulings wore made known through the Issuance of official bulletins at Irregular Intervals and were distributed by the preen. We were endeavoring to arrange it ?o that the Tlghttng forces were to receive thoee things which they needed and no more, so that whatever was not actually required at the front was left to civilian purposes. Industries were curtailed, but never destroyed; skeletonized, but never killed. Indeed, the use of men, money and materials was rapidly being brought into exactly that condition which I have previously stated to he necessary in case of another war. If, In addition to this, the President in the future has the authority to fix prices and distribution of materials and labor, rent, and the use of maa power, transportation, fuel and all the things necessary for the conduct of the war, any rise in prices will be prevented, even in anticipation of war. There are many who claim that war is caused primarily by the desire of profit I am not one of those. But if there la anything In this contention this plan will remove tbe possibility of anyuoajr urging war ax a means of | making profits. Rven If there are no men who desire war as a means of making pro-fit, the fact that profits would be less In war than In peace, and wealth and resources would be directed by the government, might have some active deterring Influence on men of great resources. Instead of being passive, they might become aotlve advocates of peace. There are many people who are, tor various reasons, afraid to discuss the subject daring peace time and prefer to wait for war. There are also some great manufacturers who oppose any such plan because they were seriously Interfered with daring the war time. Indeed, It has been the experience of some of those responsible for the industrial mobilisation in the World War to remain the objects of venomous attack begun during tha time that the necessities of the nation made It Imperative to control activities and profits. Some critics were prominent manufacturers, who said: "Tell us what the government wants and we will fill the orders, bnt don't Interfere with the sale of the part of our product that the government does net want to nee." That was unthinkable. President Wilson decTssd that fair prices for the government were fair J prices for civiliars t rr.ast say. however. that the vast majority of American manufacturers rose to the sltua tion Is such a splendid way as to bring the HAr-vrng commendation from Woodrow Wilson: "They turned aside from every private Interest of ? their owti and devoted the whole of * th-ir trained capacity to the tasks ' that supplied the sinews of the whole r great undertaking. The patriotism, j the unselfishness, the thorough going ^ devotion and distinguished capacity that marked their toilsome labors day aftf-r day. month after month, have made them fit mates and comrades to the men in the trenches and on the ] seas." There are many men who are afra'd ' that the adoption of this plan t>y Con gress would give an Impetus to soda) Ism or communism or aovietism or whatever they may call it. because they say. "if you show it can be done iD war time there will be a demand that it be done in peace time." It cannot be done in peace time There can be no great undertaking without a strong moving cause. In peace time the moving cause Is personal initiative and payment for services performed The substitute for that in war time is the common danger The War Industries Board was the foremost advocate of price fixing and distribution, and it had great power In this field, hut when the Armistice came it recognized that peace condl i oons were neing restored, and 5t the first to change the war time order ! of thlDg* and to leave to the people themselves the readjustment of their affairs 1 am satisfied that It Is im possible for the government to do In peace time what I am advocating, al though ft becomes absolutely neces aary in order to conduct a modern war successfully and to conduct It or. a non-profiteering basis The application of this plan, besides making the nation a coherent unit in time of war. would impress upon every class in society a sense of its own responsibility In such event. If It were known that this universal responsibility would be enforced, no class?social, financial or Industrial-could fail to understand that in case of war it would have to bear its share of the burdens involved and would have to make sacrifice? of profit, convenience and personal liberty correla | tively with those made by the soldiers in the field To this extent thp plan would act as a positive deterrent to I any hasty recourse to force In an in ternat.ional controversy One thing that hn? definitely come from the war is the necessity of arranging affairs so that a portion of the population shall not be sent to the front to bear all the physical hardships and thHr consequences while others are left behind to profit by their absence If applied at the outbreak. the. War Industries Hoard (as it was functioning at the close of the World War) would prevent this and lessen, if not remove, the social and economic evils that come aa the aftermath of war. AMERICAN YOUTH w ^^^H^MBSPgjBBB^lMuHEfi&?^|N j ;9fl jdottrj Elizabeth ("Betty") Clark, 15, of Cedars, Delaware, ia one of that state's girl candidates for the American Youth Award, established by ths directors of the Sesqui-Centennial International Exposition, to be held at Philadelphia from June 1 to December 1 in observance of 150 years of American Independence. If "Betty" it finally chosen to represent Delaware she will be given a week's trip to the Exposition and to Washington and the White House, where she will receive * medal from the hands of President Ooolidge Are You Ailing ? | Murphy, N. C.?"I felt as though everything was wrong with me so I | wrotetoDr. tP i e r c e and described my case. He prescribed 'Favorite Prescription' and 'Golden Medical Discovery.' I began taking both according to directions, with an occasional dose o f Dr. Pierce's Pleasant Pellets and was soon able I to help with the work. In fact, ! I felt like a new woman. There's 1 nothing better than Dr. Pierce's Favorite Prescription for feminine weakness ! and 'Golden Medical Discovery* for indigestion."?Mrs Lillie Penland, R. F. D. All dealers. Tablets or liquid. Write Dr. Pierce. President Invalids' Hotel, Buffalo, nTy* for free. FRIDAY. JUKE 11. 1?26 I Man Sleeps Like Log. 1 Ea's Anything "After taking adierika 5 , * tnything and sleep like i - ] ras on the stomach and coui-;- t^.. dod down nor sleep." (signed* R. q Miller. ONE spoonful ader a tioves Gas and often brir-.r jr.r?. ng relief to the stomach. St" nil, bloated feeling. Of'en h e. >ut old waste-matter yon n > /** hought vas in your system. Excel, ent f< r chonic constipation. R. s PARKER, Druggist r.?>Tvn_ y ? ,, ...e 1 a. <1 '26 t ate r. rses. li'gh - ' fioi Mired. Apply in r-^ri r wr'.i:- to the Sups r.t h ol. -I ir \ Mo.-- . ?rgia. 4?-2t-Vi We h mm m ? ?? PULLS EYE onager / A-?nthrr "Ball" Hurt" I i n: .(rlutmnir b* Will ( 9 Kncrta. /.ictlcM Foil,. \ 1/ ruv;?-rc*ar?ar..Midlc.vl1/ * ?? : ^mrhK?h<im?iiv. h!.?r j rorilnp. Watch The Farmer Can't Stand Much More Help Like He Has Been Getting Congress say they are heiping the Farmer. They arc inWashingtonOM salary- He is home trying to pay ir. Farmers have had more advice and less relief than a way ward son. If- ivicesoid for 10c a column, Farmers would he richer than Bootleggers And when they get all through advising, there is justoncihingvvill h<!p the Farmers. Thati: eliminate some of the middleman at,-! let the tv o ends meet. The Co- umcr and the Producer are two no in Am i that have nev?*r?-vonseen nor}* t > Cut out the middio and tit- the two ends together. When a steer starts from the feed pen to the table, there is about It) to take a bite o-:: of him, before he reaches the family thai pay for him. Who v.va.s '.he best clothes or drives the best c.ir, the fellow who raises a bushel .f vhcat^or the working fellow who goes up to buy a sack of flour? Why neither one of them. The ones in between these two ha\ their priva:e Tailor and Straight Eights." The Government just told / * iculture, *'You are in a l.uje." 'i 1. didn't offer to pull them out, b ;? they did say, \Ve will get do r. in there with you." I want to tell you right h-.rc, don't know what would have ha; pened to the poor far met . . !.. not been for his c 1.1 friend, "Dull" ' Durham. It's the only thin * 1 - ! been absolutely able to rely c.v. .A I want him to know that mys.!:. "Rull" Durham arc !;!. hint righ. to the poor house dcor. A P.S. There will be annt'uTyfocc here a few weeks from now. Look for it. \cys*r%jci \ "Bull Durham Guazantecd by INMKHMTII 111 MfcAvMM,Nrir York Gfcr -
The Cherokee Scout (Murphy, N.C.)
Standardized title groups preceding, succeeding, and alternate titles together.
June 11, 1926, edition 1
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