The Nezperce herald. (Nezperce, Idaho) 1900-1957, 1917-08-02
A NEEDED LESSON.


With the clouds of war looming
darkly over the country; with
plots and counter plots against the
peace of our people; with food
disturbances IN the large cities ;
and with the price booster stalk
ing abroad in the land, truly it Is
time when the sober sense of the
American people should be called
into use.
But we are unlike any other
people on the globe. There seems
to be something in the very air
we breathe that makes for a diff
ferent outlook ON life from that OF
any other country. No other land
can vie with us in the vastness Of
its resources. The increase in our
national wealth during the last
two decades would make Cr0esus
appear a piker, and besides our
own magnifieenee the glories OF
Solomon are as the moonlight to
the radiant orb of day. Our
strength and our resources are
bOundless and limifless.
But because of these very facts
we find ourselves as a people
standing on the very brink of ma
tional disaster.
We are the most confidential,
careless people on earth, hence
we find ourselves now engaged IN
gigantic conflict and lamentably
unprepared for the task before us.
What boots us that our resources
in men and material are so vast !
Those resources as are the latent
heat of the eOal-undevelOped and
unmobilized- A strenuous cam
paign Of preparation is on, but
one absolutely essential element
time is IN a great measure de
MED us.
Then we are the most magnifi-
Gently wasteful people In the
world Besides our national ex-
travaganee, the prOdigality of
kings is as pinehing economy.
And this trait, too, is threatening
to be our undoing. Having by our
own royal extravaganza consumed
much, and by shipment from the
country consumed much more, we
find ourselves facing a demand
for unlimited supplies and with
practically empty storehouses.
What matters it that other crops
may be raisedi That same ele-
ment-time-may be denied us
e'er the insistent demand is upon
us. II
The remedyf Several.
In the first place, export moth
ing that is urgently needed IN
this country. But perhaps you
say that the European nations I
must be fed Granted, but are we
under obligations to feed them and ]
let our own people suffer for j
foodf And was it by any act Of
ours that the bulk Of their men are c
now fighting when they should be
at peace and producing9 1t is :
well to care for our allies to the t
limit of possibilities, but our own e
interests must take precedence. G
Next, get after the price boost
sr. If there is any particular class v
IF humans-if such they can be s.
salled-to whom prison garb il
would be actually becoming, is a
shese gentry. Without mercy d
themselves, they deserve none
pity, they can expect la
l0ne. Void even Of a sense Of JUS TT
ice, they should have meted out la
% them the justice Of Fan eye for fl
N eye and tooth for tooth. " ii
Then, let America 20 to work
n earnest-work with the SOIL a
Jet us not be satisfied with in 81
'reased crops this season, but let fl
IS plan for even greater increases ei
or years to come, in order that VI
he nations of the earth may be
ed and we still have enough left Il
or our consumption. el
And when we produce it, let US al
it and not waste it. "
If the experience through which OF
'e are passing shall have the eff fl
sct Of teaching us a rational econ
ally Il viii be well worth the III
rice II IL q lesson we need and tn
louId heed. as