WARHOGS AND MILLIONAIRES.

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 4, Issue 99, 22 October 1915, Page 1 (Supplement)

WARHOGS AND MILLIONAIRES.

(By A WAR BROKER.)

■» —— FRENZIED AMERICAN FINANCIERS.

Tlio attention of the world seems concentrated on the question of American war munitions for the Allies. 1 think it is a vital issue, for the course and duration of the war turn on it. I think it is about as great a strain getting the munitions made, 6old, and shipped as using them in the fighting. Our activities attract some undesir alio attention from German spies, whose activities seem to increase. Whether in Government service or volunteers we don't know—or rare. Factories are policed and our principal offices euarded, and since the attack on Mr. Morgan we have all placed loaded revolvers handy in our dosks.^ Bince I threw my energies into sell inz war materials to the Allies T have no~t had one day'* rest, dined out, it

tended a single theatre, r- .id aii.V books, been in the country •>' 10 ihe seashore. The greatest adveutine of my life—and I've lived actively—is jn now. and 1 cannot lose one hour lro.ll my work. What just one man does or refuses to do—on this hinges millions of pounds for American manufacturers and the supplying of millions of rifles and shells to vast hordes of men fighting for their cause! HUGE ORDERS FOR THE ALLIES. Everyone had reckoned that the Allies would buy largely from American manufacturers, but none foresaw the gigantic size of those orders. Accustomed to millions, we were confronted with hundreds of millions. During last February the orders of guns, powder, shells, automobiles, chemicals, horses, etc.. began to move gold our way, and, b * May, the flood was on. About this time New York caught this "war order" mania, and the liars and warhogs appeared, bred .and multiplied in our wist. All our hanks

pricked up their ears and smiled when cables ordering tens of millions of American products were flashed around —with the Bank of England and the Bank of France backing them up. Every facility of modern banking was open" and ready, for this newest of games comes not as a borrower but as n depositor. Hence the glad welcome. For once a deal appeared that did not seek to separate New York from its coin. Small men. full of importance, swaggered through bronze doors and had interviews with attentive hankers. Manufacturers thronged in from every section of America, eagerly looking for orders. It must be borne in mind tliat every Government, except Germany. Auftria, and Turkey, has a "commit-on/ located in New York, whose function ;s t) expedite the buying, making, ind shipping of munitions of war. Of course, manufacturers sought out these, commiss'ons and were confused by the. terms and conditions. The lisc.il agent*

proved rapacious and useless. 'J lien the day of the warhog dawned. He knew it all. He had orders for every thing. Trust him and get rich ,uic>.. Warhogs must not be confused with our efficient, powerful contracting mid- , dlenien who have offices in London, Paris, and Petrograd. Warhogg root en the edges and live on manufacturer's credulity and cupidity. Middlemen actually sell a thousand tons of picric acid ami warhogs offer thirty thousand tons. It is worth 6n. 3d. a pound; figure it out. A reeeit sale of picric acid was made through a hank and the maker had foolisHy r-,ti-tracted to give the warhogs over a certain price as their profit. It worked out at lid. a pound diftt'ivnj* between what the factory received and the Government paid, and I sa;v i.ii.e warhogs nearly come to Mows rrtr ths divis : on. Twelve and sispen-o a ril* and 8«. 4d. a shell is the goal in certain circles of warhogs, when '-rv fa.il snare the.maker into a contract appointing them sole fi elling agei'«.