The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1916-11-11

I,rrona will mean of keen competition
in the markets Of the world The people realze
these facts as we'll, and the intelligent ones nav
already begun govern themselves accoro'hs'
| ly-American Banker
! r. NAV be a new idea to people who give no
| thought to matters Of world hnance put tnei
are financers and bankers IN our country VINO
see clearly and with apprehension that 1t IS
easily possible for us to get into our vaults TOO
great a part Of the world s supply Of gold Sew
oral obvious inconvenience and perils confront
the country if the streams of yellow metal How
mo into Il are not checked One of thesels that
iprices of food and other needs OF lie Will
steadily rise and probably reach lever that
Imust cause widespread distress. Another
very evident danger is that we might build
upon this golden flood mighty business struc-
ture which would certainly go down TO run,
when normal conditions returned. we shouiu
The like a town which built enormous hotels ana
office buildings, factories and countless dwell
ings, in expectation of business boom ana
population which did not come.
The third of the disquietlng posslplntles
which face us if we get much more OF tne
worlds supply of gold than we now possess is
that Europe may demonitize gold, interfere
with the gold standard, or put its finances on
bimetallic basis. The entente powers mlSnt
easily do this and find it greatly to their profit
of that metal and declaring it equal in value to
gold, they might save billions in the payment
| of their national debts; and part OF the value
of our gold boards would disappear. The con-
| certed action of the greatest nations IN the
world would make our gold gold BRICK For
we should have to do as they did. 1t they ac-
cepted silver from South America or CHINA IN
payment for goods, what business could we 90
with those countries unless we followed SUIT!
! IF the belligerents owe sixty or seventy bill
lion dollars at the end of the war, it is safe to
assume that their financing will be in their own
interest, not ours The future holds disconcert-
ing possibilities A condition new In world
history exists. Nations anciently, stopped
fighting when their money gave out. KING
could not bind his successor to pay his debts
as constitutional monarchy or republican
form of government Debts could not
then be saddled on coming generations Kings
were liable to lose their thrones unless they had
vassal cities or personal wealth to pledge. But
now the present is able to bind the future,
which is something which neither Alexander
nor Caesar could do.
| It is suggested that next loan to Great
Britain and France shall be secured by de-
posts of gold locked up in vaults at Ottawa,
! Canada This course may be adopted, for the
Heading financial authorities of our country see
danger in accommodating much more of the|
world g supply Of gold than we now have here.
| The most complicated situation in any
American election found the service of the
United Press, the premier news gathering or
ganzation of the country, lined up to handle
facts, not rumors, and present them to its eli
ents without delay and in impartial manner.
What was accomplished by the United Press
lis known in this territory chiefly through the
circulation of The Gate City, which receives the
report and the quick and accurate work in the
dissemination of the latest news developments
won praise of no small proportions. 1t was a
wonderful showing of efficiency, speed and ac-
curacv in reporting. AS usual the United
Press, like Ben Adem-led all the rest
| Secretary of War Baker won't resign from
the cabinet. He says so. Burleson won't resign
| from the cabinet. He says SO. On the other
| hand Woodrow Wilson has the last say. The
two inefficient feather brains of the administra
! ton may yet 60
| Where there's will there's way for In
creasing prices, and plausible excuses are
never wanting.
| Poland as kingdom would probably con-
tinue to be one Of the favorite battle grounds
of Europe.
J