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Show oo OUR EXPERTS MAKING WAR MATERIALS. Those who are opposed to the factories fac-tories In tho United States making munitions for the fighting forces in Europe, express regret that me.n of the ability of Dr. W. F. Rittman are leaving tho government service. An eastern "paper makes this commont. "Director Manning of the bureau of Mines explains that since the European Euro-pean war began, the United States government service has lost thirty technical men, trained workers in their several lines, chemists and engineers, engi-neers, some of the most valuable in their lines. Coming right on top of all the talk and agitation for preparedness prepar-edness this loss of the very men the nation most needs ought to make the American people think to a point and give them the right view of what preparedness is. Preparedness Is not constituted by a. big army and big navy. Actual preparedness is in the work of men like Dr. Rittman and the ntliar ennrn nnl n lmlf whn Vmvft hpnn taken away from the government and the people by private corporations. If we had an army of many millions and a navy with hundreds of ships of greatest power, we should still be defenseless without men like Dr. Rittman and these other technical workers who have been drawn out of the service of the people to the private payroll of corporations. This is the real preparedness, to have a large and efficient service of trained specialists In tho many lines necessary neces-sary to provide for every contingency. These are the men who build for the big, army and the big navy and all that big armies and big navies need." Y by complain because our government govern-ment experts are entering on practical practi-cal work in the making of war equipment? equip-ment? They will obtain a greater experience ex-perience than would be possible It they remained in a government laboratory, lab-oratory, and furthermore they are helping to build up private munition plants which may be of inestimable service to the country at some future time. These experts are not lost to us. They are not leaving the country, but, to tho contrary, are remaining with us to hasten the day when the United Unit-ed States will be prepared to defend itself against all possible attacks from the outside. Our government, instead of discouraging discour-aging the entering of our exports in to the building up of private munition muni-tion plants, should offer the services of those specially trained in that line of work. |