Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1916-11-02

more millions Of widows and orphanN
and cripples as every belligerent ma
ton of Europe must do for generations
to come.
But Mr.. Hughes says our prosperity
is based on war orders. This is again
merely reckless assertion.
For three years we have had the
greatest crops in our history. Did the
European war increase the PRODUCTIVE
ity of our soil? Railroad earnings
have exceeded every previous record.
Did the European war increase the vol
ume of traffic except for the relative
ly small tonnage of munitions fur
nished principally by plants near the
Atlantic Seaboard? The Ford Auto
mobile Company never built and sold,
as many automobiles as in the last
year. This company is 100000 cars
behind its orders and it has never
taken war order. Did the European
war bring prosperity to Ford and his.
workmen? Wages throughout the
land in every line of business having
nothing to do with war orders are the
highest ever known. How did the
European war produce that prosperi-
ty? Deposits in our banks increased
during the past three years $6,23S, OO0,~
900, and these increases are not shown
in cities alone where war orders are
taken but but are distributed through
out the length and Breadth of the
land.
RIIf tho o1,1civIn 81
cant facts are shown by the figures
of our domestic and foreign trade.
The New York Annalist says that
our Home Commerce" or domestic
| trade amounts to about SOY billion dol
lars per year. Our total export trade,
including all munitions of war of ev-
cry direct and collateral sort, to all
the belligerent and neutral nations, Of
the world, for the fiscal year ending
June 80, 1916, amounted to $4,272,-
| 600, 000-Or about eight-tenths (8-10)
of one per cent only, of our total do
nestle trade-a percentage SO small
that it is almost negligible. But the
government figures show that the to-
tai amount of exports of war MUM.
tions, including actual munitions such
as explosives, guns, cartridges, etc.,
and also what may be called secondary
| munitions such as horses, mules, auto
mobiles, aeroplanes, boots, shoes, sad
dies, harness, wool clothing and blan-
kets, brass, copper, lead, zinc in pigs
bars and other manufactures, for the
fiscal year ended June 80, 1916,
| amounted to a total of $3.50, 000, 900 in
round figures.
This is less than twotenths (2-10)
of one per cent of our total domestic
trade.
Some economists say that our total
| domestic trade, excluding successive
| turnovers as the Annalist figures indi-
| cate, and basing it upon the total Of
our home production and one turnover,
representing consumption amounts to
| 100 billion dollars per annum.
On this basis our exports of war
munitions Of all kinds for the fiscal
year ended June 80, 1916 ($930,000,-
000) amounts to less than one (1) per
| cent of our domestic trade!
How indefensible it is for any re-
putable man to say that our prosper
| ity rests upon war orders. 1t is de-
| liberate Misrepresentation.
When peace comes and war orders
cease, the process will be gradual. We
shall undoubtedly be called upon for
| other supplies to help restore the de-
struction of war ia Europe that will
more than offset the loss OF war or
ders. We shall also regain our trade
| with the TeutOnic allies, now wholly
| suspended and amounting to All mill
lion dollars per annum.
| What of Europe? How formidable
will she be as a competitor when peace
comes?
1t is a sad picture. There are now
| 25 million men under arms In Europe
slaughtering and crippling each other
by the thousands every day. Back Of
these vast armies and IN order to sup
port them in the field, are the remain
der of the population in each country
engaged in the production of what?
| The munitions and supplies upon
which the very existence of these vast
armies and the lives of these nations
depend. Every industry and every en-
ergy of their people have been re-
organized and re-directed for destruc-
| tive purposes.
The claim that they are accumulate
ing great stores of goods to dump in
our markets or any other markets aft
er the war has no support in truth or
! fact The belligerent nations have
neither time, raw materials, supplies
or surplus labor for such work nor
have they the capital to invest in such
commercial operations. They are
straining their credit to the limit to
carry on the war. On the return or
peace they must re-oTganize and re-
direct their industries for commerce
at great cost and much delay. Mil
lions of their skilled 1aborers have
been killed. 1t takes years TO grow
men and make skilled Workmen out
of them. Many more millions of their
men are invalids for life from wounds