The daily banner. (Cambridge, Md.) 1897-2008, 1916-11-14
AMERICANS COULD
LEAD THE WORLD
What Bankers, Brokers And CorpO-
ratiOnsaCan DO To Stimulate And
Cultivate This Spirit of Thrift.


Cultivate This Spirit of Thrift.
(By Rudolph Guenther, President of
the Rudolph Guenther Advertis-
ing Agency, New York City,
We all want the United States to
take first place among the Worlds
Nations.
Each OF us can help-and greatly
profit in the helping.
Two things essential to America S
domesticElpbuilding and conquest of
foreign eanmercial fields are:
Intelligent stimulation and culti-
vation ok] thrift.
The pT9vfding of opportunities for
safe and profitable employment of
the fruit of thrift-savings.
Wages3are higher and business
profits greater in the United States
than in any other country.
Americans could and should be
easily firsugin the matter of annual
How can they be induced to be-
come savers-that is, capitalists?
By a wise, systematic, persistent,
judicioa0 use of publicity.
SAVING and Investing have been
discouraged cruelty in this country
Try the unhappy experiences of so
many thousands of investors. :"
calculate that INSCRIPTIONS
promoters, dishonest brokers, .
and such like schemers swindle the
American public, to the tune OF mil
lions of dollars every year.
Why can such enormous sums be
extracted from the pockets of gull
BILE people{
Largelya because legitimate finan-
cial institutions and brokers have
failed, through too-sparing use of
printers ink, TO make known the ad-
vantages oil doing business with
them; alsd because honest, honor
ably-manaSed corporations have fail
ed to BRING home to the public, thru
advertising their financial reports,
their progfess and their soundness,
or the worth and attractiveness OF
their securities.
Let reputable concerns boldly
come to thu front and, by presenting
solid factsi convince the public OF
the value II dealing with them and
of eschewiig fraudulent, fiy-by-night
schemes ana SclemerS.
And eveB dollar filched dishonest
ly from q Bmall investor is as a
wound infseted upon the body poll
tic, for not only are others discour-
aged from saving and investing, but
weapon s forged to be turned
against capital and all that capital
stands for, so keen is the resent,
ment engefaered.
In Europk leading corporations ad-
vertise not their financial con-
dition, but Hull reports of their an
nual meetifxs, at which the chair
man always delivers comprehen-
sive speech describing achievements
and prospS{S&
~eEven AlSafiean railroads spend
mare ii M y lisfns their annual re-
s5zks q. -
By spreading before the growing
army Of investors in this country
statements showing their inspiring
condition, American corporations oil
merit could do much to draw new
bondholders and stockholders to
themselves, and to divert hundreds
of millions of dollars from UNSAFE
to safe investment channels.
And, as Industrial and financial
statesmen we'll know, such clean
cut, above-board campaign of pub
licity, though costing money, would
have priceless effect upon public
and, later political sentiment, in
surinx fair, equitable, helpful treat
ment for business at the hands OF
Legislatures. commissions, courts
and other regulatory bodies.
Banks do not enjoy half the busl-
ness they should and could, they
should takef the lead in educating
the public regarding the many-sided
advantages of thrift, the value or
saving, depositing, and investing
savings, the conveniences OF check
account, the availability OF expert n
nancial advice to customers, etc:
Unless Americans can be induced
to save money and invest it wisely,
we cannot hope to become the great
est. most pOwerful, most influential
nation in the world.
Enterprise and expansion at home
call for capital.
So does the conquest of foreign
markets.
So. too, the exploitation and de-
yelopment of newer countries of un-
told potentialities. So, also, the
creation of a much-needed merchant
fleet.
In short, all Industrial and rail-
road, and maripe progress is depen-
dent upon adequate supplies of capt.
tai.
Bankers, it is your duty to put
YOUR shoulder to the wheel and help
in raising this capital by inspiring
the people to cultivate thrift and be-
come bank depOsitors.
Trustworthy, high-grade brokers
should not allow those less worthy
to monopolize the publicity stage.
Advertise legitimate securities
more freely than the illegitimate
ones are advertised.
AZ Ii