THURSDAY, OCT. 5, 1939
TO THE AMERICAN PUBLIC
American Industry Hates War.
*, War destroys lives. War wrecks homes.
Economic chaos and years of crushing
depression are its inevitable aftermath. It
imperils representative democracy. Free
institutions are among its early victims. Ulti
mately no one can escape the ruin of war.
American industry wants peace. Peace
is the life blood of progress. Peace must be
the national objective.
Industry's position on this matter has
been stated repeatedly and there must be
no misunderstanding about it.
The United States can stay out of war.
Emotionalism can betray us into war.
A public will to peace, coupled with wise
public policies and affirmative action to this
end by our government will keep us out of
war. A fatalistic attitude that war is inevi
table for us is absurd. It presupposes that
America cannot conduct itself intelligently
to preserve peace and its own interests.
Europe's problems do affect us, but our
domestic problems still must come first.
If yesterday industry was the only
source of prosperity and reemployment,
today it is as well the keystone of pre
paredness and peace. Under any condi
tions, America must depend on a smoothly
functioning, efficient industrial system.
Manufacturers will not relax their efforts
to achieve and maintain sound improve
ment in our domestic economy.
Industry opposes profiteering—the utili-
THE BLUFFTON NEWS, BLUFFTON, OHIO
American Industry
Is Opposed to WAR
THE TRIPLETT ELECTRICAL INSTRUMENT CO.
In
MEMBER OF
NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF MANUFACTURERS
14 WEST 49TH STREET, NEW YORK, N. Y.
a
zatidftof war psychology'to boost prices
for the purpose of making excessive profits.
As manufacturers we recognize it to be
our responsibility and moral obligation to
conduct our businesses so that the prices of
the products we produce and sell are related
equitably to production costs.
We pledge our energetic support to this
policy.
The National Association of Manufac
turers calls upon all its members to exer
cise vigilance against any price or profit
policies not justified by actual cost and
anticipated cost of replacement.
Months apo this Association said: "No
sensible person believes that profit can
come out of the wreckape of human life
and economic dislocation."
The use of this crisis as an excuse either
to extort unjustifiable profits or to pursue
partisan political objectives is not only
indefensible and dangerous, but reprehen
sible morally. Nor should pleas of "emer
gency" be utilized as an excuse for reach
ing objectives which the American people
would not sanction otherwise.
The present situation calls for agree
ment on common objectives, but the demo
cratic process of consultation and criticism
must never be abandoned. Otherwise, we
shall be following in the footsteps of those
who believe in government by coercion.
world distraupht by force the best
way to preserve representative demote
racy is to practice it.