The Nonpartisan Leader Newspaper, October 14, 1918, Page 11

Through the United States Chamber of Commerce, the Packers and Other Profiteers Are Attemptlng to Hamper President Wilson’s Wartlme Efficiency Measures ~JHAT of the bitter attack on the ¥| federal trade commission for its report on the packing trust by that mouthpiece of the spe- cial interests, the United States Chamber of Commerce? Is it nothing more than an expose of an erring department of the government, as the kept press pretends" Let us see. The commission works directly under the orders of the president; it'is a part of him, so to speak, just as all his closely associated -representatives are. Also the president held up the packing trust report from July 3 to August 3, a whole thonth, to better assure himself of its correctness. It is . in a special sense, therefore, his report; moreover, he personally ordered the Heney investigation and pushed it in spite of an unwilling congress. THIS ATTACK, THEN, IS NOTHING LESS THAN: AN ATTACK ON TION FOR A STEP WHICH IT CONSIDERED ESSENTIAL TO WINNING THE WAR. While admitting that the administration may make mis- takes, there is a clear line between honest criticism of the government and attacks made for the pur- pose of defending private privilege at the expense . of war efficiency. SPECIAL INTERESTS’ ONLY DEFENSE But this attack is not an isolated affair engi- neered by the packers alone. It is a part of a steady drumfire that has been directed against the ad- ministration from the moment it became evident that the government would have to interfere with profiteering. . 'What if the ‘guns are somewhat camouflaged they work better and do more damage than guns in the open. s The simple and full truth is, our entry into the war made regulation and speeding up of American industry absolutely necessary. This meant inter- ference with those who dictate to American in- dustry in normal times, our great financial and - industrial overlords. Even if President Wilson had been'a conservative of conservatives, he would have had to take over shipping and railroads, create a food administration, favor war profits taxes, ete., ‘because -these things, and more, were absolutely necessary, and the-president was responsxble for the conduct of the war. The big special interests, on the other hand, are responsible for their profits only. ' Consequently . they ‘easily find excuses for attackmg war meas- ures ‘that interfere with their maximum profits; consequently they eased off on the slogan, “Stand behind: the president,” as soon as it became gppar- ent ‘that he would interfere thh their pnvfleges and’ profiteering. Let us not forget that our money trust, our mo- nopolies of various kinds, and : . other = special privileges . have ~ been on the defensive in this war. In bringing men -and materials THE ADMINISTRA- _ a thousand disguises; whereas the chief difficulty AVING an iron gnp on all the basic’ supplies needed _by the nation before the war, and using these solely for piling up maximum profits, the special interests naturally had to be disciplined for war efficiency. . They have been on the defensive since we-entered the war, using every means to defend their self-assumed rights to do what they pleased with the re- sources of the nation.. Their many or- ganizations, and their kept press, have been continually trying to scare the . government into letting special privi- lege alone. The latest phase of their defense is an attack 6n the federal trade commission for exposing the packing trust. together in better shape they and not the farmers or the eity workers have had to be restrained, dis- ciplined, brought into-line. We found tliem in the position of keeping labor and materials apart for - the sake of profits. So some of -them have been brushed aside and others -anticipate similar treat- ment, for they, better than outsiders, know how they are profiteering, wasting, halting production. These others know that if the president thinks he has sufficient popular support, he will bring down ~ the big stick. Their best defense, as the military experts say, is to attack, to scare the administra- tion from radieal steps by the huge barrage they can start with the big city papers, the magazines, the lobbyists in Washington, old-guard congress- men, and. attacks on all organizations urging -these necessary steps, such as the Nonpartisan league. A WHOLE STRING OF CAMOUFLAGED ATTACKS Shortly after the administration took over the shipping to get food and munitions to the allies, - the attack on the war department, led by the Roosevelt forces, was staged; the great object in- that was to make a show of strength and to scare ° the president into letting the special interests alone. : It is significant that Roosevelt attacked the Nonpartisan league at the same time. Later there was the vicious attack on Fuel Administrator Gar-' field when it appeared that the president was about to take over the coal mines. . Then we have the subtle attacks on the 'govem- ment administration of the railroads appearing in the railroads are having is the bad bargain forced on the country by the special interests in the way of excessive interest. payments-to stock and bond . governmental holders. against war profits taxes is, of course, obvious everywhere, and it is significant that it should be led by Otto H. Kahn, one of the financial barons of the country. The insurance companies, who see a menace to their wasteful methods of handling the people’s money in the government insurance for soldiers and ships and in the discontinuing of railroad insurance, are not only in with the gang but are conducting a widespread propaganda of their own. JIndividually the special interests proclaim their loyalty and willingness to sacrifice for the war, but collectively they maintain a number of organizations such as the United States Chamber of . Commerce to do the dirty work of attack. - That is why the federal trade commission’s’ ex- posure of the packers is met by the chamber of commerce rather than the packing trust. It en- ables the trust to declare that it is loyal and ready to fall in with any. government measures. THE -INDIVIDUAL PROFITEERS DISCLAIM ANY DESIRE TO PROFITEER; YET THE PROPA- GANDA AND THE LOBBYISTS OF THE OR- GANIZATIONS WHICH THEY ALL SUPPORT ENABLES THEM TO GET BY WITH AN ENOR- MOUS SWAG. A BIT OF THE ¢ INSURANCE PROPAGANDA Nearly a year ago a country-wide organization with headquarters in Philadelphia was formed to fight all insurance reform. It has sent its agents into the Northwest to fight the National Nonpar- tisan league because the League wants state hail insurance and bBecause the League urged insurance at cost for soldiers and has backed the adminis- tration in other insurance service. This insurance gang is spending money and fighting hard because their only argument is that “they want their jobs and they know that the government can perform - the same service at about half price. A secret document recently sent.out by a Wis- . consin risk company to its agents, evidently pre- pared by some central organization for use by the individual compames, contains the following: “The business of insurance is at stake. of us do not yet realize it, and others have just awakened to the . grave fact. Powerful forces are at work at Washington to secure control of all branches of Socialistie measures which sianism have, as you are troduced in congress, (Continued on page 14) the business. smack of Prus- aware, been in- which are a se- é B - -The elaborate headquarters sfaff of the Chamber of Commeree of the Uhlted States is establxshed in Washingum in the white marble Riggs building, shown in © 5= this ‘picture, just across Fifteenth street from the United States treasury. President Wheeler has just organized a committee, with himself as its chairman. which: ° will attempt to line up general business in support of the special interests such as the packers, the oil trust and the steel trust. The plan is to get all ‘the local chambers of commerce and commereial clubs: of the country into the big chamber as members and accepting” “the leadership of the big chamber. - *Then the Chnmber of Cummeree of the United ‘States. will ‘use this: hold ‘on general business to put over propaganda and laws to favor the special interests trleky of “divide i nnd _govern.” 'The speelal interests prey on. general business almost .as s j eneral business as’'a class agamst the common people. ‘Monopolists on Desperate Defensive The propaganda of the war profiteersi Many -, e e e et s mariae e e e A e R T P o A Aoy R s A A A T AL PO RS S S e i R