Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-08-24
How the War Affects Us.
1.-The Worlds Markets
Upset.
By Frederic J. Haskin.

! 1t is the biggest event in history, Half
of the people of the earth are directly
involved In struggle wherein brute
force ~ only made more brutal by the
| rehsee engines OF destruction evolved by
proud civilization. When Alexander
marched, only those In his path suffer
ed: Caesar destroyed only those who
came under his spear. and even Napoleon,
when his step shook the earth, but lightly
stirred the millions who were not in Eu-
| rope.
In the ninety-nine years since Water
loo mankind has been knit into one family,
and when the bolt was shot in continent
tai Europe the bli9hting breath of war
| withered the hopes of men in Asia and
Africa, IN America and Australasia, as
well as IN Europe.
In the n'nety-nine years since Water
loo the farmer who grew food for him
self. his family and his neighbor. the cob
bier, has learned how to grow food for
the aliens Of the antipodes and his neig--
Dor the coobler has been brought out of
the independence Of the haudcrafts into
the dependence Of an international indus
trial system based on the factory and
rapid communication.
1t Is the biggest event In history, and
there Is no yardstick by which 1t may be
alone can reveal.
But for US Americans 1t Is important
| that we learn quickly what 1t all means
to US, that we may prevent hapless in
jury and even turn misfortune into for
tune.
Americans are the best business men
on earth, but they have looked too much
to quick returns
Americans Best from staple prod
ucts and thus have
BUSINESS Men. failed to take their
rightful share Of the wide worlds trade.
Now is the time to correct this fault.
The very first effect of the war was to
destroy for the time being the specula-
tive and investment market wherein were
bought and sold the securities which
represent the value present and prospec,
tive, of the worlds great industrial ana
transportation organizations. STOCK
changes were closed, and SO great Is tug
catastrophe, SO great is the upsetting OF
all normal standards, that their doors
NAV remain shut for long time.
Followed In swift succession the terror
of the seas that crippled the worlds
transportation scheme and changed the
price of every breakfast on eaftn.
Came then the suspension or credlts.
the issuance in this and that nation OF
a moratorium to provide the postpone
rnent of the payment of debts. only
gold settles an lnteTndtlOIdl uoidhSS, "h0
with tn eseas unsafe for gold the inter-
change of credits was all upset.
Within day or two, much to our sur
prise, we began to learn what II meant.
For instance, the dyestuffs needed Tor
our cotton mills is mostly made IN Ger
MANY and there came threats that our
mills would have to close down for lack
of dyes. We heard that many tennis
balls come from England and that
famine in them was Impending. we
rfoi
making moving pictures was all pro-
duced abroad and there there was only
six weeks supply in the country we
learned that we would have to do without
that our supply of Roquefort cheese
would not last two months.
All these things, big and little, were
more or less of shock to some Of U.s.
But other things we learned were IN IN.
South America had turned toward US IN
the hope of being able to buy here the
hundreds of millions of dollars worth OF
manufactured wares that she has been
buying from Europe: We learned that the
oriental trade was looking toward Amer
lea for supplies; we learned that the de-
mand for the millions Of dollars worth
Of wares we import ourselves had not
lessened.
So here is the opportunity: We must
make more than we ever made before,
because other nations are destroying
and consuming: the United states alone
among the great Industrial nations is
still producing. We must produce more
to meet our own needs. for our imports
have practically ceased. We must pro-
duce more for foreign wants. to make
American exports take the place of Euro
pean exports.
The worlds market place has been
swept over by fire. and it must be re-
built. OF h e
World Market Place nations are still
Swept by Fire. the names: it is
for America. now to build anew.
A great man in the administration at
Washington, who is devoting every mo-
ment of this time to the upbuilding Of
American business, holds the theory
that it lies with our own people to say
whether or not this war will work last
ing injury to u.s. His theory is based
on common sense and a knowledge of
world history, both wide and deep. Ac-
cording to his theor%-, there are three
stages of the effect of the great war
on the American people.
The first is, or was, shock. 1t was
SO big and SO terrible that we could