Evening star., 1916-04-30
SELF-DENIAL A LARGE FACTOR
IN PROLONGING EUROPEAN WAR
Given Consideration by Prof ], Laurence
Laughlin of University of Chicago in Dis
cussion of Duration of Present Conflict.
BY ]. LAURENCE LAuaHL1N.

BY ]. LAURENCE LAuaHLIN.
Head Of the Department Of Political Economy in
the University of Chicago.
(This is the frst Of series Of three articles by
frof. Laughlin on The Duration of the Euro
pean WARY
Extraordinary situations sometimes
bring into high relief the workings of
a principle long accepted and more or
less humdrum during normal times.
We have become so accustomed to-
the use of luxuries and to the un-
necessary things grown habitual to us
that the withdrawal of any of them in
times of great stress is apt to be re-
garded as a disaster. And yet how
much of our daily consumption Is
really essential to health? Is 1t not
rather true that we usually overeat.
overdrink and often need to be sent
away to enforced simplicity of diet? In
deed, the larger part of our consump
tion is superfluous-all that which is
not needed for the actual maintenance
Of the body in full health. Only the
full food. clothing and shelter-are
really essential to physical develop
ment. Men leave the fat and stuffed
living of the city to spend some sum-
mer months camping in the woods.
where they have the simplest cuisine.
the slightest shelter and the roughest
clothing, and yet they return restored
in strength and animal spirits.
If we stop to think, 1t Is obvious
that, il we SO wished, We could give
up the largest part of our habitual
consumption and yet keep. or even
improve. our physical condition.
No Limit to Human Wants. =.
The whole history of a growing and
diversified consumption is a story of
the development of human wants. Not
content with the satisfaction of the
primary needs of simple food, cloth
ing and shelter. men have enlarged and
differentiated their wants without limit
as civilization has spread and brought
new desires. Not being mere animals.
and not content with mere physical re-
quirements. they have developed end
less wants of an esthetic, Intellectual
and spiritual character.
There being no limit to human wants,
their satisfaction is limited only by the
power of society to produce the con-
crete articles and yield the services
which meet these wants. The produc-
tive power of society Is dependent upon
division of labor. natural resources. in
telligent management, racial adapt
ability to industry, invention, the
spread of mechanical methods and an
about" productive operations. Never
theless, it remains true that for
considerable period of time we could,
in a great emergency. go without all
but the primary needs of life. while
it remains equally true that today the
tive forces are normally engaged in CIV
ing forth satisfactions beyond those
for our primary needs.
War Upset Trade.
The accumulated capital of the race.
together with it's laboring force, is oc-
cupied in producing objects of desire
the largest part of which enter into
the minimum as thus described. II,
therefore. labor and capital formerly
in producing unnecessaries
cease to work, society will have no
stocks of this kind which it can buy;
or. II the owners of wealth withdraw
their demand for unnecessaries, either
because of alarm for the future or of
c. y d
of income. this labor and capital will
not be employed in producing them.
when the European war broke
out, there was. of course. alarm and
not only among belliger-
ents. but among neutrals; consequent
ly there was a lessened expenditure,
and lessened production: but the great
of industry was caused by
the new and phenomenal demand for
war supplies.
Ri p1a
of labor and capital from the produc-
tion of peaceful buildings, machinery,
vessels. clothes and the like
to the making of naval and military
which, when destroyed on a
scale hitherto unparalleled in the his
tory of the world, vanished in thin air.
The products of labor and capital on
this scale and for war purposes ceased
to add to the wealth exchanged for
other wealth at home and abroad.
come of the nation was based was re-
duced. and in the case of Germany and
Austria goods could not in large meas
ure be produced for export by which
imports could be bought as before.
How LongP
In view of this unparalleled destruc-
ton of wealth. it was argued that the
war could not long continue; that the |
would soon become ex-
hausted and make peace. Now, after !
more than a year and a half of war |
in whcn the expenditures and the |
losses of men have exceeded all expec- /
we are seeminly no nearer to |
peace than at the beginning. Thus. we |
face the ultimate question: How long |
.an the war continue before economic |
Or financial exhaustion forces one or |
The other side to yield?
First of all, we must keep in mind |
what has been said already. Forced |
giving up of unnecessary consumption |
in spite of loud grumbling at the loss |
If customary satisfaction-will' not in !
tself directly reduce the ability of |
nation to continue the war. The ha bit |
lal coffee drinker may not be able to |
lave coffee for breakfast; many may |
lave to giYeNup butter or jam on their |
bread; habitual meat eaters may be |
'ery largely cut off from meat, the |
woman of society may not only fail to |
get the same color effects in her dress, |
,ut may even be cut off from buying |
many new clothes: the heavy income \
ak may cut off wine and force a large |
eduction in servants; but the war will |
Tot thereby be stopped. So far as nom /
are concerned, the war can
90 on as long as they. and the labor
ng classes in particular, can satisfy
'nly their primary wants.
But would that extreme state of af-
airs ever be reached? What must take
)lace before every one has been re-
luced to the barest necessaries of life? |
Here we are sure to have a test of the
of a nation and of the will
ngness of all to sacrifice for the COM
vnI I