Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1914-08-06
PANIC
SYMPTOMS ARE
SUbSIDINC over
FOOD AND MONEY
Government Measures
Giving Grounds for
Confidence

London, Aug. 5.-Symptoms of a
panic over the question of food and
money supplies subsidized gradually to-
day There Is general confidence that
the measures undertaken by the gov
eminent will meet the crisis that the
money market will not smash and that
the Atlantic route will be kept open
for shipments from America.
The fact that the cunard liner Lusi-
tania was allowed to sail had a re-
assuring effect, as indicating that the
admiralty feels certain that the navy
is in position to keep the German
cruisers off the area of the North At
lantic trade routes.
David Lloyd George. chancellor of
the exchequer, announced today in the
House of Commons that the conclu-
sion had been reached with the unan-
imous assent of banking and other in
terests that there would be no neees-
sity to suspend specie payments.
AT the same time it Is necessary to
eeonomize with respect to the supply
of gold he said. There is danger
that selfish individuals may attempt
TO hoard gold. 1t should be made
clear to them that they might infliet
great injury on their country. In this
treme 5dons struggle. finance VIII play
great part. 1t will be one Of the
most formidable weapons in this great
war"
When the banks reopen on Friday
one pound and ten shilling notes to
the amount of three million pounds
($l5, 600, o00) will be issued through
the Bank of England and Ave million
pounds daily thereafter until the sup
ply is adequate.
Many shops have piacarded their win
dows with the chancellors warning
against the well-to-do boarding food to
the detriment OF the poorer classes. One
OF the biggest stores has limited the
amount of food TO be sold TO each person
to seven pounds in weight; others refuse
to make deliveries so that people can
buy only what they are able to take
away. Still others limit the amount of
any foodstuff sold to two pounds. There
was small riot today in Southwark
where bakery which attempted to dou-
BILE the price of bread was partly dis
mantled by angry women.
A distinct surprise to the popular mind
is the country's apparent preparedness
to change the machinery of ordinary life
to war footing on short notice. Not
only is the army mobilization progress
ing with great smoothness, but the gov
ernments railway service under the di-
rection of committee managers Is being
run with smoothness. Cricket and foot
ball grounds in number of cities have
been occupied as camps, while schools
and other public buildings are being
transformed into hospitals.
The critics who always predicted that
sudden war would throw the country
into confusion do not find their fore
bodings justified. The life of London,
except for the crowd around the govern
ment buildings, was normal today An
UNUSUAL number of territorials In uni
form and the newspaper extras were the
only indications that any extraordinary
events were afoot.
That England remains a free country
even under the shadow of a great peril
is shown by the fact that the labor pa
per The Herald is permitted to urge the
workingmen to oppose the war and to re-
fuse to enlist