The Washington herald., 1916-06-18
Special Gable to The Washington Herald.

Of the great conflict. England, with her
enormous wealth; thrifty France ana
rich Russia, were considered to furnish a
combinatio of financial strength that
the central powers could never compete,
with. For a long, long time allied states
men and strategists counted much on a
war of attrition." But people are be-
ginning to realize that the boast that
the Germans will 'live on rocks and
grass" rather than give in may have
some truth in 1t.
In the meantime, the strain in England
is being felt. 1t costs more than ever to
maintain England's armies. The cost
Of living OF the people at home Is for
ever mounting And now England. de-
spite all her great wealth and her enor-
nous resources, is feeling the financial
strain.
Pennies May Win War.
The government is out to get the peo-
pie's money. II may be that in the end
the war will be won with the pennies
Of the children and the sixpences Of the
working people. There has been begun
nation wide campaign for urging the
wage-earners to invest in war loans, that
Is probably the biggest thing Of its kind
over undertaken It is already a sue
cess. In order to have money for in
vestment in n small way economy is
being asked 10 save and to invest their
savings in war loans on which the gov
eminent offers liberal interest. An Of
cial committee which has been estah-
Iished has undertaken the work. They
have started by advertising.
The country is blazing with posters
Urging the people to hoard their money.
In the streets of London one is never
out Of sight of a poster which declares:
ITO Dress Extravagantlv Is Worse than
Bad Form-It Is Unpatriotc, or Don't
Use a Motor Car for Pleasure" while
equally large placards tell briefly how one
can invest Is shillings and siXpence and
in FIVE years get back a pound, which,
roughly, would be getting s. for S3sI. The
newspapers carry columns Of official ad-
vertisements explaining in detail the
various schemes for saving and invest
ment and pointing to the fact that
Is shillings and siXpence H3.sO invest
ment will buy 124 bullets for use on the
Germans.
The newspa pers cooperate in every
way. They give columns TO telling the
people how to save. Experts on domes-
tic economy write articles. while hun
dreds Of letters from housewives who
have ideas or who have hit upon ways
of making one pound OF meat do the
work Of two are constantly appearing.
Next month there is to be a great ma
tional economy exhibition and confer
ence" in London. Sections OF the exhibit
ton Will show how money can be saved
in coal health. child welfare. home
laundry, gardening, cooking, purchase
OF food poultry, bees etc. We are 60
ing to teach the housewife" says one of
the officials. Ito be independent Of out
side help-how to mend and replace do
mestic utensils how to do carpentry.
plumbing and glazing"
Women are being taught not to dress
extrava gantly Cooperation among
householders is being urged. One sug-
gesuon is that inhabitants OF one side
OF the street should keep chickens. the
people on the other side paying for the
food while the eggs shall be divided.
Generas Saving Is Urged.
A wave OF economy is sweeping over
the land, officially conducted. And all
with one object-to obtain money for the
government for the prosecution Of the
war People are being urged and shown
how to save their money. Many work
men are making high wages these DAYS
and with the influx of women into indus
try the earnings of families have become
vastly augmented. This new-found pros
peSity has not, In many cases, proved
good thing. II has led to individual eX-
travaganCe. The working classes in
ever before. The plano industry in Eng
land is thriving in war time, because the
work people find It possible with their
war earnings to buy pianos. Before the
war ii would have been impossible for
them to do so.
The cheap jewelry manufacturers
furnish another example Of the pros
perity of the working classes. This more
or less ruthless expenditure of money
~ IN, hn int nF
national welfare. The people must save
not only for their own sakes and that
they may have some of the benefits OF
present prosperity during that after the
war depression that is so likely. but also
that the national exechequer may bene-
fit.
With the object OF training the wealthy
lower classes to put their money into
the treasury the economy campaign has
been started. In a word the people are
being educated to save their money and
they are shown how to do it. Hitherto
the small investor, the man who earned
enough to put into war loans only
pound or two enthusiastically, had
no outlet. Under the various schemes
that have now been adopted the
small investor has every chance of profit
able investment. He doesnt's have to go
looking, il is thrust upon him from
pence can buy a stamp at a post office.
When ne gets thirty-one stamps he has
fifteen shilling and he can buy a war
savings certificate. This. with interest
at per cent compounded yearly, will
bring him back a pound in five years. In
the meantime he can cash his war Ger
tifcate any time he likes.
The country has been divided into 235
sections In each section all officialdom
ts engaging in the economy campaign.
Lord leutenants. mayors, sheriffs, men,
bers Of Parliament and prominent citi-
zens are taking the lead. War savings
associations are being formed These
are organizations the object Of which is
the cooperative and joint saving In a
great factory, for instance an associa-
ton is formed. Each member agrees
to contribute a shilling a week It may
be arranged that this is deducted from
his weekly pay. In any case every men,
Der of the association makes his con-
trihution and the associat ton invests the
proceeds in war loans. With thousands
upon thousands of these associations
going the results will be enormous
Loans for Small Investors.
There are two classes of loans for
the small investor. One is the 15s. Cd
was savings certificate bought through
the postoffice by the purchase of stamps
The other form Is in exchenuer hop6s