Grand Forks daily herald and the evening times., 1914-08-24
MONDAY. AUGUST 81. 1914.
AFTER THE WAR.

No nation, whether directly involved
or not. can avoid paying some of the
cost of a great war such as that which
is now raging on the other side of the
Atlantic. We of the United States
have no direct interest in that war.
but already we are paying ONE of our
share Of the cost of the helligerenCy
of other nations. our m has
been interrupted, because of inability
to obtain foreign supplies and the
closing Of many of our foreign mar
kets III manufacturing trade has
been ~disorEanized. and our finances
are al sizes and sevens. sound nough
but SO confused that every interest
suffers.
Because We are not directly involved
i'll the war We ought to he the first
great nation TO recover from its ef-
teCts. and, according to the present
prospects. we will be able to do so.
some of the things which we have been
accustomed to obtain elsewhere, our
manufacturers are preparing to sup
ply the demand themselves, because
foreign ships cannot carry out our
freight We arc preparing to carry it
Ions notably those of South America,
nave had their European supplies cut
off, they are turning to the United
States as the great storehouse on
which TO draw.
All Of this means the revival of
American trade in the near future,
HOW will it be after the war If our
people are wise and resourceful the
advantage which this nation will gain
in comparison with others will be con-
tinued and become a fixture. After
the debauch ONE the headache. Aft
err war ZONES readjustment and set
Element. When this war is over Eu-
rope will be bankrupt. The greater
part of the crop of a year will have
been ruined. Cities will have been
wrecked. Factories will have been
leveled to the ground. There will be
devastation on every side. And the
people who will be confronted with
the work of repairing this ruin will
at the same time be fact to face with
the greatest national debts ever Gre
ated. Whatever means may be m
ployed to finance those debts, the load
will be there. and there will be a bur-
den Of interest to be paid which will
ring from an already Impoverished
people the last mark and the last sou
in taxes, taxes, taxes.
Under these circumstances the Uni
ted States will have a tremendous ad-
vantage, financially, industrially and
commercially. 1t will be for our en-
terprising business men to make the
best use of thai advantage, SO that it
may remain with us. And it will be
for our government, by whatever par
ty it nay be administered, to place
itself in such relations to the bust
ness of the country, the real legitimate
business, hat it will be certain that
the attitude is one of sympathy and
not Of antagonlsm. Let us hope that
It has been made plain hat the days
of the exploitation of the general pub
the organized piracy which has mas
queraded as big business" are over,
ever to return. But let us hope, also,
that in the face of the opportunities
which low lie before this country, and
of the responsibilities which rest on
all of us, great n small, the blatant
cry Of the demagogue, who has pois-
oned the air with his foundations Of
everything which looked like success,
will be silenced by the stern pressure
of public opinion which has things Of
more importance with which to con-
Germ itself.