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Show ARMY APPEALS I I FOR MORE CASH; i Harbord Compares Forces To Insurance Against National Disaster WASHINGTON; Oi t. Stoekhold-I Stoekhold-I era of "the. firm of I n, le Sam. Limit-i I oij" were called upon today by Majorj General J. ; Harbord, deputy chief of staff of Ihe army. o come to the-1 rescue o' the "old Kne inaurance" buslni : o army has conducted sue-) i ifully for L50 reara in speaking to the first convention o' t Keser' Officers' association, in session nere. lie t ,. . le hearers that as Bto -di ra of the national firm. ' whose board of directors meets unJ r tho dome of the capttol." the army was appealing to them for a vote of con-ridence con-ridence in the shape of adequate :p-proprlatlons. :p-proprlatlons. HOIiDIXG TRAINED MKN (.eneral Iarhord spOke in tnt Ian-. guage of the commercial world, sav-, Lng he did so because the eitlzen offi- cerd to whom he spoke were business j and professional men. 'carrying sol-; dienng as a side line." He described conRTess as the board of directors of a holding company controlling the lestlnles o! :i!l government ind'iHtrles, Including the army ..hose principal business was "that of national life j ; 1 fire Insurance." e i .aim to )" lp gn urantee, and 1 to guard and Insure the life of our country,-' General Harbord said 'Our, lirm has born doing this class oi . business for nearly 160 years" Once evetrj 80 years on nn averag . he declared, the business faced a war expansion. Genera! Harbord described the re-actlons re-actlons that followed wa- experlenc is, closing out surplus stoc'is at gnat sacrifice shutting down factories mi l "discharging many trained employes." i In tho iLu reorganizations, he sail attempt was made to profit by war expert ace in the building up of a reserve agalnsl some no .-'.u rgency. LIMIT ni EU3TR NCH Ml NT. Retrenchment was promised, ho continued, but with knowledge that "there was an irreducible minimum belOW which our firm could not go." i "Th. management cannot brint; it- to believe " General Harbord de- . ti h d. "that you stm kholdera wish to perpefuate the vicious circle ol false economy bringing unprepared-1 ! ness with its train cf untold cost In blood and gold, compelling further parsimony to bring about a repetition of tbc same ghastly history in time I yet to come. We claim that your hoard of directors does not know I your wishes, if (1 does i'. docs not act upon them and substitute) Its I Judgment for yours its judgment ,. oceived 'n the comfortable office of the politician seeking to perpetuate himself in office your judgment being be-ing under the- guns. of tne enemy an 1 matured in the slime of the trenches with the reek of battle. "Under your judgment and the p i of hard times and the necessity for economy, our operating capital has been much reduced and our reserve pror.pects diminished.' DISARM IMFXT I I ttEAJLl . Trying days wen- uh.iud. Genera! Harbord said. When "wi'd cat schemes of socialism and Bolshevisml aid seek to impair the standing of . ,. firtri In the country and when a I much-advertised substitute called 'dis- ( armament' presented as a panacea for 'ry m-.tional allim rJ from callous' tp consumption" would be offered! i against the firm's line of national in- , i surance. 'This is tn the interest of firms who are rivals of ours across distunt seas and especially in the oriontal trade. " General Harbord warned. The substitutes for the army's bid line insurance would be offered ' the "smoothest agents in the bu-si nogs." General Harbord said including includ-ing "those who In the enthusiasm of newly conferred suffrage and anxlo to do good" would urge the substl- i tution "with all that fascinating In-coneistency In-coneistency of mingled charms and j hysterics which so often characterises lovely women without whose apnro- ! val no war has ever been waged " PRESS1 RE 0 i oM.f.l In conclusiou he said: We do not wish for war any more, 1 than the ordinary life insurance com- pany wishes for death, or longs for ' i 'Aslatl'e cholera.' yellow fever, a 1 bloody battle or a sickly season iPit. ! no business man cancels his fire insurance in-surance polity v. hen there is a con-I fliigrntion raging In the next block. "See that your representatives, our directors here In the nation's capltol. j know your wishes, and under the lash of your displeasure that they curry j them out. Give us a rising market! on the army, and we promise you I heavy dividends in the next etner- I I genoy." UK |