The copper era and Morenci leader., 1917-11-23
THE GREAT QUESTION
 2
PART I.


 | ance of the war?
 This is the great question con fronting every American citizen. Here is a common-sense reply: Before we can settle the matter in detail, we must grasp those element ary principles which govern national affairs
 This does not involve great learn | ing or research, for economic knowl edge is little e, Q thcn common-sense applied to big subjects.
 The war will be won by the Ma ton which can place the greatest number of men, the greatest amount of material in the field, and produce the greatest amount of foodstuffs te supply its military and civdlian forces. This fact is so generally recognized that it is not necessary 1 to bring forward elaborate argu nents to prove it.
 We are wealthy Nation, and the question arises as to whether or not we can win the war by throwing our surplus wealth into the struggle. | We cannot
 Nation, amounted to about Billion Dollars annually before we entered the war, and our war estimates for the first years operations call for an expenditure of about Eighteen Billion Dollars, or over 31k times as much as we have saved ever before in one year.
 Now, there are three courses open to us. We can endeavOr to produce 31R times as much wealth this year as ever we did before We can en- deavor to save 31k times as much money as ever we did before We can lie down on the whole proposi ton, and let Germany win. l Having described this article as common-sense reply to . great 1 question, we will eliminate the last mentioned possibility.
 We cannot produce 3A times as much wealth this year as ever be- fore. It will take several years to adjust our affairs so as to produce such results.
 To save 3h times as mash as ever we have before is quite poss- bls, but would mean actual hard ship for millions of our people. ] The most sensible solution of the problem is to aim at . combination ; of production and seH-denial which will find us at the end of . year ] at least 3lS times wealthier as nation, than ever before. The method indicated has been fol lowed by our Allies with results that have astonished the world After 212 years of physical and financial strain, England raised recently loan of 5 Billion Dollars, equivalent to Ten Billion Dollars in this Coun- ] fry, owing to the fact that we have about double the population Eng, land has speeded us her prcductiop sf wealth denied herself SO much. 1 that desl, te the fact that millions of her hnests specimens Of human ma l terial are fighting, despite the fact that she had raised previously about . like amount of Billion Dollars in loans, and Is paying 21a Billion Dol lars yearly in taxes, she was able still to produce this enormous amount in 30 day campaign. Germany is speeding up her pro suction along the most scientific lines and is starving herssk. Tbs. fs ths s0is reason Germany exists today.
 Are we super-men that we can aO hings differently to others? Let us forget this talk of Uncle sam soon cleaning up the Germans when he gets there.'' The Germans will not be cleaned up' by talk, or sVep hy bravery alsne. They must Dc fought with their own weapons, tard work and sssf-denial-the things that wth WAIT.
 ] Again. the nan who cries. Let the rich man psy," has not grasped the elementary facts of the situation. The rich man IS paying, and WILL say. for the Gorern,nast already is calling for as much az te2S of his profits in the shape of Income and { War Profit Taxes.
 It is true that the Government is not taking away the rich mans cap ital, but neither is it asldns the less wealthy producer to part with his capital. All alike must retain their capital in order to ran factories, farm the land, bni1d ships, equip ! armies, and provide wages. It would he an entirely mistaken policy to attempt to use the capital weakh of the Country to finance tbe war. What you need, what the gov ernsnent needs, what the whole world needs, is an increase. a very great increase. in the INCOME of rich and