Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1915-01-09


tiles to that amount Now, however
served notice that they not only ex-
pect us to pay our debts above our
trade balances in gold-but that in
addition they look 10 US to buy back
from them hundreds of millions of
dollars worth of American securities
which are now held abroad 1t was
to deliver this grim message that Sir
George Palsh, of the English Excfe-
quer. paid his recent visit to the
United States, and when he got
through making his statement to a
group of big New York bankers, an
old veteran hnancier who has suryiv-=
ed many a financial storm remark ed
to his profoundly silent auditors
The sheriff. with writ, is on the
doorstep
That great nationwide crop next
year will give US the largest trade
balance we have ever known is un-
doubleday true-and yet, with having
to finance all our monetary needs at
home from this time on and buying
back millions of foreign owned secur-
tiles, the future at best is precarious.
However, the heaviest strain of all
will come when the war ceases and
when Europe begins TO rebuild the
hundreds of millions of dollars worth
of property which has been destroyed
for this period is certain TO force
the highest interest rates the world
has ever known, and if at that time
American railroad securities are not
earning fair return upon the invest
ment, nothing can prevent them from
going into the financial scrap heap
and it is to prepare for this emer-
gency-to keep railroad securities
from becoming "a point of national
weakness. which will bring the whole
temple of American investments
tumb bling down over our heads-to
protect the hundreds-of banks, life
and fire insurance companies, ETC.,
whose assets are largely invested in
railroad bonds as well as the railroads
themselves-thisi is the fear which is
gripping hundreds of fnanciers, and
students of economic conditions in
the present hour-men many of
whom heretofore have never serious
ly concerned themselves over the
troubles of American railroads In
the present instance, therefore, the
railroad crisis is of tremendous inn
portance because in it is involved the
still greater problem of the integrity
and safely of the whole suoerstruc-
ture of American business. That we
s.ov Sh + do Inv 2cil 10
of demagogic platiLudes or minimize
it by employing the strategy of an
ostrich is apparent to all thinking
citizens who are seriously concerned
in their own and their country's fut-
ure welfare.
Up to the People of Kansas
In no other commonwealth have
the railroads had a larger share in
progress and development than in
Kansas. They came in the early
days when it broad prairies were the
habitat of rowing herds of buffalo and
savage Indians and from that hour
to this they have played their part in
drama of thrift and enterprise
which is without a parallel in the
history of the Republic wondrous
STORY of progress which has travelled
upon the four winds to the end of
the earth and which swells with
pride the breast of every true Kansan.
And yet marvellous as they have
been our accomplishments in the
past, is not Kansas today merely
standing upon the threshold of her
true destiny? Have we not ample
room for thousands of additional till
ers of our fertile soil, and do not our
splendid inland cities plead for fac
produce some OF the finished pro-
ducts ourselves for which Kansas peo-
pie spend scores of millions every
year? Do we not need hundreds OF
miles of additional railroad mile
age before we can make the
most of our agriculture and com
merce-and will the millions of out
side capital necessary TO the construc
| ton of these additional facilities be
forth coming if the people of Kansas
do. not treat fairly the millions al
ready invested within their midst'
In short have not the people of Kan
sas splendid opportunity to set thu
pace for the rest of the country Owe
these troubled corporate problems b.
saying TO investors every where thai
Kansas-first convinced of a squar,
deal for herself demands that from