Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1916-1918, 1916-11-07

WAR PROSPERITY ONLY.

JJp, until the last few weeks When
even with money plentiful prices have
become so high that many people are
experiencing all the miseries of hard
times. the democrats have been claim
ing that they produced prosperity in
the United States, and furthermore,
they have bitterly resented the charge
that the war orders are responsible
for the present industrial activity.
They insist our export trade Is per.
manent
They have claimed and reiterated
that the war munitions business Is on
ly one ner cent of the export trade. AS
is generally true. half truth is more
deceiving than direct lie. BY muni-
tions OF war the democrats mean ar
tilIery. explosives. firearms and the
actual death dealing weapons of war.
It is possibly true that those things
make up only one per cent Of our ex-
port trade, but it is certainly true-as
the figures show-that the war orders
from Europe, orders that would not
have come to the manufacturers Of
this country were il not for the war in
Europe. are in truth the bulk of the
export business.
Consider the following table of fig
ures showing the shipments of all
goods to England, France. Italy and
Russia during the same corresponding
week lending Oct. 2s) In the last four
years:
Year value OF exports
1915 $4,000, 900
1eI5 2S,000,000
1o,a IA 600 600
1914 4SOO, 900
The rer cent Of gain for the week in
1916 over the week in 1915 was 1870,
over 1914 It was $50 and over 1913 it
was 1880.
II is just as certain that this export
trade will fall back to or below normal
when the war in Europe ends. as it is
that the sun will come up in the morn
ing. Europe cannot continue to buy
here. because Europe is buying now
on war credit and when the war is
over the nations there will be forced
for self preservation 10 begin selling
instead of buying, in order to get back
the money with which to pay the costs
of the war.
Europe is approaching bankruptcy
because of the huge expenditures of
this war and If the present exports
continue much longer the American
manufacturers will be unable to get
any money for their products. A huge
trade with bankrupt nations is liza
bility. not an asset.
Therefore. Il our present rate OF
trade with Europe continues any con-
siderable length of time, ii will pIac-
tically mean that we have sold great
quantities of goods, to people who will
be unable to pay for them. That would
be ruinous for American manufactur-
ers and workmen.
But in the very nature Of things.
Europe cannot continue to buy from
us. Europe is buying on credit now,
and she is destroying wealth at
much greater rate than il is being pro-
duced. So the minute the war ends
she must turn her attention again to
producing wealth.
That means she must cease to be
buyer and become producer. And
Europe will begin producing. once the
war Is over. at a rate never dreamed
of before. Under the spur OF neces-
sity, Europe has been making herself
Aefficient and her men and women and
children are being trained to turn out
work at wonderful rate. That eff
cheney is going to stand Europe in
good stead when the war ends.
Europes big men are already making
after-the.war plans and these consist
chiefly of getting back lost markets
and cornerins new ones.
The governments are already in alb
aolute charge Of the factories there