The Ronan pioneer. [volume] (Ronan, Mont.) 1910-1970, 1916-05-12
Preparedness For Peace
By James j. Hill


that it should be prepared for
the possibility of future war.
The response was instant. What
ever might be necessary the peo-
pie were willing to provide. But
far more imminent is the need of
preparedness for peace. One
issue is doubtful and remote.
The other is certain to come and
possibly near at hand
Physical and financial exhaus-
ton must bring hostilities in Eu-
rope to close. The end, when
it comes, will produce important
changes in the United States. No
man is able to forecast their size,
shape or exact direction. But it
is not only prudent, it is neces-
sary, if we wish to escape conse-
quences great in their disastrous
severity, that we should endeavor
to look ahead to the new indus
trial adjustment of the nations
and set our own house in order.
For the tremendous shock to
business, credit and international
exchange of the first few months
after war was declared were not
more to be feared by us than the
sock of Encouragement to fit the
conditions that will follow it's ces-
sation. Armies and navies are
no more necessary for that new
order than a wise preparation for
the changed conditions of indus
try that we, as we'll as others,
must face.
The most recent and reliable
figures of the Indebtedness of
Great Britain, Germany and
France are those recently given
by President Van Hise. At the
beginning of the war it amounted
to nearly $11, 600, 100000. Up to
the end of 1915, their combined
war loans were above $17, 00O,-
600, 900, making their total nation
al debts in excess of $28, 900, 000,-
600. To this must be added local
debts amounting, in 1914, to
So, 600, 600, 600, and swollen since
by unknown amounts. At only
5 per cent, the annual interest
charge alone on these national
debts would be in excess of
81, 400, 600, 900. For every month
that the war continues beyond
Jan. LIST, 1916, past expenditure
indicates that a billion dollars
must be added to this principal,
and a corresponding amount to
the interest. The human mind
can hardly grasp the meaning of
such figures.
That these countries will prompt
ly meet their foreign or external
obligations is assured. But mere
ly to carry the interest on their
debt will require a greater effort
than they have ever made. They
must at the same time recon-
struct their whole domestic in
dustry and their foreign trade.
They must pay taxes bringing
the rich to the verge of poverty
and the poor are always poor.
To secure income and employ
ment they must sell their pro-
ducts abroad, and to do this
wage sand profits must be re-
duced to the minimum. Only
thus can they hope to avoid fail
ure and distress. But this country
will also feel the effect of the
enormous destruction of property
and the strain on credit. How
it will affect US, and how we
should prepare for the change is
the question that should occuyp
the minds Of our people today.
Our present prosperity is, to a
great extent, the result of abnor-
NAL conditions. This fact is re-
flected in the statistics of our
foreign trade. Our imports in
the calander year 1915 were
$14, 1000, 900, less than 1918, a
decreaee of but four-fifths of one
per cent. With peace they will
naturally increase. But our ex-
ports in 1915 were more than a
billion greater than in 1918, an
increase of 42.2 per cent. Every
one knows that this cannot con-
tinue.
While the demand of Europe
will be large, it must be limited
by Europes purchasing power.
Europe will need to find markets
for what it has to sell. 1t will
buy onlywhat is indispensable to
it's maintenance and industrial
necessities. The figures cannot
be estimated with exactness; but