The Sentinel=record., 1915-01-01
ALL SHOULD GET BUSY
Says Prosperity is Here if the People and Business Interests Will Only Reach Out and Grasp lt-Urges Business Activity.

W daulHStoh, Iec. 1I.-1edrtened by months of close study of the business outlook of the nation. Secretary Red. field of the commerce department wrote today a New Years greeting to the merchants and manufacturers of the country, bidding them in charac- teristic language reach out for the prosperity he sees within their grasp.
 There is no warrant, NIT. Redfield declares, for gloom or despair. The ill-effects of the European war on American enterprise are passing and new Vistas for commercial ventures are opening with eacI new day. His message follows:
 If you want prosperity do your own share to bring it and do it now. Get that addition on your shop going: it will cost you less today than six months hence Is trade a bit dull In the works? Get those improvements begun. Prices are low and likely to rise You've been thinking of that contract work; better start it your self before things get the start of you.
 This country slows down bit now and then, but it never stops growing and il always moves up and not down. We don't know what it means in most of the United States to have real distress. Think of Belgium and Poland 0 man with a grouch, and slink into your hole and pull it in after you. There think of your sins and your blessing and come out with your courage in working order.
 There are lots of good American examples of pluck. Do you remember San Francisco and Galveston and hicago-Boston, Charleston. Balti. more and Dayton and many others like them? Remember Thomas A. Edison and lots of others of your fel- low citizens who showed pluck when things were hard?
 Nothing is the matter with the man with grouch except an absen- tee heart and missing nerve Cheer up, go to work, do your level best, quit talking misery. The wars oyer yonder-not here. Men are slaugh- tered wonder; they are living here It's all clouds there-clear day here.
 Get out and sell some goods Plant some more acres do more work than you planned. Talk cheerful, talk cheerful talk and you'll find this coun. try of ours a pretty good place after all"
 To support the secretary's hopeful views are the figures gathered by the department as to American foreign commerce since the outbreak of the great war. Since August, when the monthly trade balance of the nation showed a deficit of nearly $20000, ,000 through excess of imports over ex- ports, the situation has been com pletely changed For December alone it is estimated the export excess will reach $l00,000,000 or more. with one exception the highest mark of the last two years.
 The war caught the country unpre pared in that a tremendous import ex- cess had been folled up in the four months preceding it's outbreak. W ith the August total included American merchants were in debt to foreign manufacturers and producers nearly $40,000,000 by these figures alone Since then. including the December estimate, the export excess reached a total of $l74000.000 The floating debt of the United States to foreipn countries has been paid in goods, the secretary declares, and he looks now 10 the near approach Of a day when the United States will take her place as a creditor nation, no longer borrower.
 Since the war, also, 105 foreign built ships with gross tonnage of 373,S40 have come under the Ameri- can flag. Additions to this fleet are being made every week. Already plans are afoot to draw closer through commercial bonds the Latin American countries Extension of credit, Mir. Redfield believes, must pave the way toward any expansion of commercial relations with those l countries There has been called a conference here between the financial ministers and great bankers of all American republics next year. From that gathering is expected to come