Science, munitions makers, and civilization

Title

Language

English

Year

1937

Rights

In Copyright - Educational Use Permitted

Fulltext

January, 1937 THE AMERICAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE JOURNAL 11 Science, Munitions Makers, And Civilization “Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him” (Job 13: 15)— such, in the language of the Sacred Scriptures, seems to be the attitude of the greater part of the scientific West towards science; science, with its inventions and constantly improving means or instruments for efficient homicide and destruction, has been continually slaying them and yet the Westerners, and some Eastern adepts, keep on trusting and placing im plicit faith in it, believing in “if you want peace, prepare for war”, in the improved armaments and more and more destructive bombs to wipe out whole cities of neighbouring countries, and in doing a man first as they think he would do unto them. Among the greatest promoters of wars and opponents of peace, national and international, are the “organizations engaged in the manufacture or trade in arms”. During the Great European War of 1914-1918 and before the United States joined the Allies, certain American munitions interests were criticized for selling munitions both to the Allies and the Central Powers. The then ex-Prcsident Taft made a public ized statement to the effect that any nation at war should be entitled to freely buy arms and ammunitions wherever it could obtain, otherwise almost every nation in peace would have to accumulate and store up great quantities of arms and ammunitions and thus spend enormously to the detriment of the economic welfare of the people of such nation. By resolution of April 12, 1934, the United States Senate appointed a Special Committee to investigate the operations of “Organizations engaged in the manufacture or trade in arms”, and to inquire into the desirability of creating a gov ernment monopoly in respect to the manufacture of arma ments and munitions. The Committee held its first session September 4 to 31, 1934, in Washington and produced evid ence confirming most of the abuses charged against the private munitions industry in the past. The munitions corporations were private in character, operating for profit, and controlled the source of supply from which the majority of governments must meet their national defense needs. They therefore occupied a dual role. On the one hand, they were private business enterprises, selling a commercial product in the world market; on the other, they were regarded by their own governments as an essential part of the national defense system. The evidence brought out by the Senate Committee was summarized by the Foreign Policy Association as disclosing the following conditions: (1) The national policy, as expressed in arms embargoes or international treaties, has been defied or circum vented by private armament interests operating for profit. (2) Bribery is generally accepted as a necessary clement in the promotion of armament sales. (3) Selling arms simultaneously to both sides in time of war and arming revolutionary and government factions in civil wars are common practices among armament firms. (4) Armament races between friendly countries have been stimulated by armament firms working in competition or in association with other companies at home and abroad. (5) Lobbies organized by armament firms have supported military and naval appropriations and opposed embar goes and other restrictions on arms. (6) British, German and American arms companies arc linked together under patent and sales agreements which provide for exchange of secret processes, divi sion of profits and division of sales territories. (7) National defense policies and foreign policies of gov ernments Jire influenced, if not hampered, by secret agreements between private arms interests in different countries. (8) Agencies of the United States government encourage the promotion of foreign armament sales. The United States War and Navy Departments release military designs to private armament firms and served as sales promotion agents in foreign markets. (9) Under existing laws and regulations, the United States government is powerless to control the shipment of arms to warring nations in violation of embargoes, or to prevent mislabeling of shipments to foreign countries. Bribery, although deplored by armament company offi cials, is apparently regarded by arms salesmen as an essential element in the sales of war materials abroad. The payment of special “commissions” to “persons of influence” is cus tomary. Over a period of 11 years from 1919 to 1930, a cer tain Electric Boat Company paid commissions totalling U.S.8766,000 to Sir Basil Zaharoff whose munitions dealings in Europe covered half a century and whose services were to “do the needful” in certain specific dealings. The Senate investigation also revealed the fact that, up to that time (September, 1934), large scale manufacture of war materials was limited to some ten (10) industrial countries. Armament firms in these ten countries supplied more than 93% of the total world exports of arms and ammunition, while more than 50% of the total exports come from three countries—United States, Great Britain and France. DIXOKOLA I The new refreshing, stimulating beverage you and your friends will enjoy—made by ISUAN, INC. Tel. 5-73-06 • WE DELIVER IN RESPONDING TO ADVERTISEMENTS PLEASE MENTION THE AMERICAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE JOURNAL

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