Profiteering and patriotism went hand in hand. All for the army, and the more for the army the better—that became the highest aspiration of society. The manufacturers drew their own corollary! Having succeeded in securing enormous contracts at fabulous prices, they did not let any considerations of prudence or economy interfere with them. In fact, such a chance was unique, and never to come to them again. Cheap and obedient labour was easily had; for the workers, under pressure from the public, or themselves infected by this patriotic fever, allowed themselves to be exploited as never before. Raw materials and fuel were supplied by the State or by the War Industrial Committees.
In order to understand the spirit of this period, it should be remembered that the War Industrial Committees, which took over the entire business of supplying the army with materials, were themselves representative of the biggest capitalist interests in the country. Guchkov, the leader of the Octobrist party, which was the political embodiment of capitalism in Russia, was the president of the Central Industrial Committee, whose members were themselves the leading manufacturers and financiers of the country. In every big provincial town there was a local Industrial Committee, again presided over by the local political or industrial chiefs of capitalism, and consisting of the leading manufacturers of the district. These Committees themselves gave the orders which their members had to execute. Revelations published since the Revolution confirmed the many rumours about favouritism and corruption in the distribution and execution of munition orders, even involving highly reputable members of the Industrial Committees.
But whether the motive was patriotism or gain, or both, certain it is that the manufacturers exploited this golden opportunity to the utter exhaustion of industry. The future of industry concerned nobody. All principles of sound economy and care in the use of machinery and plant were thrown over. Why should the
