Cheyenne record., October 14, 1915, Image 1

About Cheyenne record. (Cheyenne Wells, Cheyenne County, Colo.) 1913-19??

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Chegenne Record.
Vwli. 4
Search of Clyde H.Tavenner
,1a pogard' to Government own
e.-ahifi of Munition®.of Wat - .
Extract from Congressional
lie: o. ( .
I>.» .Clyde 11. Tavener.
Mow comes the tip that Wail
S.-«eet vvili demand not only vast
ly increased armrment, but that
it i Gi vi r i.merit must purchase it
from the Wall Street controlled
V. ~r T. ust.
'i ni -v was to have been expect
ed. From J. P. M irgan’s Navy
Le igue discovered that the Unit
ed States was without a navy,'
it might have been expected that
when Congress should d ecide to
buil 1 one, the J. P. Morgan con
troled War Trust would be, all
re uly to accept the fat contracts
N. do it. It is the way the armor
and ammunition concerns obtain
their business in every country
unearth.
The argument that will be ad
vanced by those who will push
the campaign for private instead
of government manufacture of
increased armament will be that
it is a wise policy to distribute
ord rs among private firms in
time of-peace. in order that these
plants' may be available in the
emergency of war. This is not a
reason, but a subterfuge. Any
contracts that would make it pro
fitable to the War Trust to m in
lain a plant, would also make it
profitable to the people to main
tain a government plant of the
same capacity.
Nationalization of the manfac
ture of munitions would undoubt
edly have prevented the present
strain sJ relations with Germany.
The cause of disturbed relations
is that Germany has beau sink
ing ships. Germany has been
sinking ships principally to pre
vent American-made amunition
from reaching her enemies. Thus
in order that a comparatively few
stockholders in war trafficking
firms may make private profits,
the peace of 100,000,000 peoplt
is placed in jeopardy.
War is profitable now to but
one class, the stockholders of the
armor ai d ammunition firms and
their friends. It is not to the in
terest of this class that the Euro
peans war is brought to a speedy
close- but that it shall not be
brought to a speedy close. It is
not to the financial interest of
this class that the U; Fed States
pt America shall not become em
• broiled in the European conflict,
but-that it-shall become emboiled
The more war, the more profits.
Behind the War Trusts is tie
most powerful group of men in
tie United States, if not in the
civilized woild. Its control is
in the hanls of the same group
of money kings that rules the ex
press companies, telegraph com
panies, insurance companies,
railroads, the steamship fines
and the great Wall Street banks.
To realize the colossal power
of the capitalists behin 1 th » steel,
armor, a nmunition and ship
building trusts, and recall the
despera e end 3 to which more
than one i ivestigation has reveal
ed, they will go to satisfy their
sordid greed for gold, and then
to contemplate that the United
States in War means more in dol
lars to this group than the United
CIIEYINNE WELLS, CHEYBJVNE COUNTY, COLOllAM), THURSDAY, OCTOBER 14, 1915.
States in peace, is enough to
Justify the most optimistic man
ito tremble for the peace of this
; nation of patriotic and Chris tain
j people.
And if war should eome, what
a monstrous proposition it would
be winch would require one group
of citizens to go to war and sac
rifice their lives for the state
while another and smaller group
-the war traffickers principally
responsible for the war—remained
at home becoming immensely
rich.
If the powers that be in this
country are going to compel the
American taxp ipers to keep an
even ani e/ei increase! fl>w of
gold pouring into the bottomless
pit of miitarism, why not at least
take all suspicion of private pro
fit and private graft out of it by
having the government manufac
ture all of its own materials?
Private ownership of armor
iiid munition factories is a stand
ing menace to peace. As long
as there is a private profit in war
and preparation for war, there
will he incentive for a powerful
group of men to keep us on the
verge of war continuously.
Why not. in the interest of
peace—which is the cause of men
women and children, the most
deserving cause on earth -make
war unprofitable even to the wa'
and preparations for war? Con
gress could do it witli one stroke
of pen. ‘
It would require several vol
umes to c )ver all the transactions
deserving publicity concerning
armor. Let it be sufficient in
passing to say that the govern
ment purchased of armor has
been a scaodle from stirt to fin
ish. The conduct of the armor
ring in dealing with the Govern
ment averages throughout at
least 80 per cent rotten.
There have been nine officials
estimates as to actual cost of the
manufacture of a ton of armor
olate. Tne average estimate is
5217,17 per ton. Yet since 1887
we ha - >e purchased 217,379 tons
of armor, paying the armor ring
an average of $440,04 per ton, oi
a total of $95,056,240. I believe
lam well within the bounds of
conservatism when I say that it
all this armor had been manufac
tured in a Government plant at
least $35,000,000 would have been
saved the American tax-payers,
and armor as only one of the
things being purchased by the
Army and Navy under similar
conditions.
Take powder. We have pur
chased $25,000,009 worth of
powder from th 3 trust since 19
05, paying for it all cue wiy
from 53 cents to 80 cents par
pound. We are manufacturing
powder in government plants
now for 33 cents per pjuud, aa.l
the officers in charge state that
the more we manufacture, the
cheaper we can produce it.
There is little doubt but that
from eight to ten million dollars
of the twenty-five million dollars
paid the Powder trust could have
oeen saved by the Gs/ernmjnt
manufacture. Secretary Daniels
has asked Congress for an appro
priation for a Government armor
plate factory, but thu3 far Con
gress has refused him.
If the Government builds an
armor plant and a padlock is plac
ed on the doors a3 soon as it is
complete, and it is never used,
it will, in the opinion of Secre
tary Driiels, piy foritself sim >■
ly by eubling him ti obtat.i
fair treatment from the armor
! manufacturers.
| Army and navy officers gener
ally are opposed to complete Gov
ernment manufacture of moni
tions of war, taking the position
that it is the part of wisdom for
the Government to encourage
private manufacturers to operate
plants so that they may be avail
able in time of war. Experience
has shown: however, that instead
of patriotically coming to the re
lief of the Government in time of
war, the war traders take advan
tage of the necessities of the
Government, which is at their
mercy, and boost their prices
For instance, when our war with
Spain was imminent the armor
manufacturers practically issued
an ultimatum to the Government
that they would not manufacture
a single piece of armor plate un
less the Government shoulid!
agree to pay them SIOO a ton
more than the price fixed by Con
gress after an investigation as a
fair price. And it is also worthy
of notice that their patriotism
did not prevent them from sell
ing armor to Russia for $249 a
Lon, while they were asking then
own Government $616 a ton.
If the Armor and Powder
Trusts once overcharge Govern
ment in time of war because they
have it at their mercy it is their
fault, but if they repeat the per
formance because they are a sec
ond time permitted to have the
Government at their mercy, it
will be the Government’s fault.
Every man who' opposes war
and favors peace can support a
policy of Government manafac
tare, because as long as these
hydra-headed capitalistic cliques
which thrive and fatten on inter
national distrust and suspicion
remain in our midst wa are in
danger, not so much from the
people beyond the sea as from
the war traders at home, who, if
permitted to ply their trade to its
final analysis, will lead us to the
very brink of desolation and then,
to satisfy their sordid greed of
gold, plunge us headlong into the
bottomless abyss of war itself.
Permit me here to quote the
words of Minority Leader Oscar
VV. Underwood, uttered in debate
on the Naval Bill in the House of
February 5, 1915.
“I believe we ought to have a
reasonable *?avy and a reasona- i
ble Army, hut I do not want toj
see my country have either a Na- j
vy or an Army that will invite!
us to make issues that may pre- j
cipitate our people into the cal j
dron of bloodshed and disaster. j
(Applause). I believe that if you j
propose to enter into a race of \
armaments the end of the story
will mean war. (Applause).
The American people should
not permit themselves to he fool
ed by the exprission, “peace at j
any price.”
! I will venture to say that not!
[ one public official in the United
! States, not one man outside of a
lunatic asylum, has advocated
“peace at any price.”
To be for peace at any pi ice
would be equivalent to saying
j that a foreign power could come
over here, burn our homes and
> attack women, cut off our hands
' and legs and gouge out our eyes,
and that vve would still be for
peace. It is absurb! Any na
j tion jumping cn us or invading
our lair land with the idea that
. we are for peace at any price
would receive the surprise of its
; life.
“Peace at any price” is merely
the officially adopted cry of an
, guish of the stockholders of the
| munition and armament firms,
j and their friends, who are max
ing use of it to take the wind out
!of the sails of any man who has
j the audacity to oppose their war
j propaganda—and their private
profits.
These patriots for profit—the
richest and most powerful group
of men in the United States—
have their minds set on vastly
increased armament, and they
want no interference. But what
is more important, and more sig
nificant, they also have their
minds set on supplying the in
creased armament themselves.
In this connection 1 desire to
suggest to the American taxpay
ers a method by which they can
turn the table and take the wind
cut of the sails of the patriots for
profit who hold stock in munition
firms and cry out to heaven for
preparation for war.
Have Congress say to J. P.
Morgans and the other war trust
stockholders, some of whom .are
high in official life: All right,
gentlemen, you can have a fleet
„of battleships that will darken
the sky, and fortifications that
will cumber the earth, but the
government itself will manufac
ture all its own war parapherna
lia in government plants. But
although you will not draw down
the fat munition contracts as
heretofore, your patriotic desire
to serve your country will not be
slig.ited. The present tax on n
comes in excess of $1.0,000 annu
ally will be immediately tripled,
which will give you an opportu
nity to demonstrate the calibre
of your patriotism by helping the
poor bear the burden of the cost
of the increased armament which
you advocate, and 90 per cent of
which agitation conies from the
rich. Of course you gentlemen
will have no objection to com- 1
piete government manufacture ot
war materials, because your on
ly interest and motive is the safe
guarding of your country from
invasion by a foreign foe, and so
long as you get the ships and the
increased armament, and the
(country is saved, you don’t care
where the ships and the muni
tions come from?”
There have been ten official es
tinutes as to the actual cost of
the manufacture of a ton of ar
mor plate. The average estimate !
is $239.64 a ton. Yet since 1837 j
i vve have purchased 217,379 tonsi
j of armor, paying the armor ring
ian average of $440.04 a ton, or a
j total of $95,656,240. If all this
1 armor had been manufactured in
i a government plant it is entirely
i conservative to say that at least
! $35,000,000 would have been sa
ved to the American taxpayers.
Another sample illustration:
"he War Department, in 1913,
purchased 7,000 4.7 inch shrap
nel shells from the ammunition
ring, paying $25 26 each therefor
At the same time, precisely the
same article was being manufac
tured in the government owned
[Frankfort arsenal f0r515.45.
A hundred similar illustrations
■could be given which would make
[plain why it is, that although we
jhaye been spending $240,000,000
annually on our Army and Navy
I the claim can now be be made
j that we are “pitifully unprepar
ed” and that “if war were to
break out today it would be found
that our coast defenses have not
sufficient ammunition for an
hour’s fight.”
/
ARAPAHOE
Mrs. Mary Wyant was a Chey
enne Wells visitor Tuesday.
E. B. Kibbee had the misfor
tune to lose a fire horse last week
Wesley Williams entered High
School at Cheyenne Wells Mon
day.
Miss Laura Wilson was a Snn
day guest at the home of Lillian
Walker
* Miss Lottie Abernathy was
stopping in town Monday and
Tuesday.
R. C. Lewis of Sac City lowa
was in town several days- this
week, looking after business
interests.
Mrs. Mary Ikler left Tuesday
night for her home in Kansas*
City Kansas.
Prof. Oglesby spent Saturday
and Sunday on his home-stead
south of town.
John Owen and Miss Minnie
Hallgren motored to Cheyenno
Wells Tuesday afternoon.
John O.ven and C. F. KibS-’-e
and wife returned Monday night
from their trip to Drover and
Colorado Springs, by auto.
J. M. Nesbitt wn an Eut
bound passenger Tuesday even
ing to join the Sharon Springs
Cowboys Band in an engagement
at the Oakley Fair.
H, C. Henderson, of Colorado
Springs has been here the past
two weeks in the interest of the
Modern Woodman Lodge, which
he is organizing at this place.
Mrs. Lula Durham and child
ren left Wednesday morning for
their home at Maple Falls Wash
ington. alter a'pleasant vfWi t. with
her parents, Mr. ai d Mrs. N. A.
Pugh south of town.
Eve'-ftf Arnett passed away
last Thursday night at the home
of his brother. N, A. Arnett
South of town. Funeral services
were held at the Chapel Satur
day morning at II o.clock, con
ducted by Rev. McNab, burial
in Arapahoe Cemetery.
GRAND VIEW
Miss Madeline Guaig took Sun
day dinner with Lucille Rahe.
There was an attendance of 32
;it Grand View Sunday School
last Sunday.
Miss Stella Rhae visited with
Miss Leffingwell and folks Sun
‘ay.
Mr James Martin, and brother
and Joe Pfost took dinner at the
Rahe ranch Sunday.
b. D. Piatt and wife, Richard
Skinner and Mi 33 Grace Petty*
visited at Pfost home last Thurs
day evening.
NO 2*>