The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1917-05-21
HENRY CLEWS
WEEKLY LETTER
(clews weekly Lottery

pie seem TO Iully IcdA1o WA~s "SAAe
at war means to the United states.
America Is not yet thoroughly awake
as to the importance or the conse-
quences to ourselves OF the struggle
into which we have lately entered.
Very few sesm to realize that the pres
ervatidn of civilization and freedom
the world over is at stake. AS a ma
ton we feel quite comfortable in our
trusted immunity from attack. Prop-
ably IL @. portion Of the German fleet
were to break through the wall OF
steel in the North Sea and succeed in
crossing the Atlantic, shelilng some Oh
our Eastern cities, we should then
stand M and take vigorous notice. But
thus far we have become accustomed
to the unseen protection OF the bri-
tfsla fleet. As a people we certainly
devoutly wish to avoid palnrul reah-
ties. and up to date our shocks from
the war have been limited to the loss
OF few lives and ships from sub
marine warfare. Yet genuine realiza-
tion or the perils now facing us seems
confined to the government, to those
engaged In our defense and to rela-
+,verv few of our leading business men,
In alls probability something Will nap
and bring us to keener sense OF the
l,,ire task before us. France has CIV
an Ms a magnificent example Of pa
trioffc sacrifice. For nearly three years
Great Britain with a population OF
: ro,,t Ak 0oo. 600 has been carrying the
brunt of this battle for freedom Her
n.et has not only insured us from in
vaston. but has kept the seas open and
free for our foreign trade, the loss OF
which would have been an tncaicul-
able injury to our economic Wellare
she has further raised an army OF
src,t 600 600 men, helped finance
her Miles to the extent of about $4,-
Ron 0n0 900 and aided in feeding the
starving millions in Belgium, Armenia
and serbia. She is certainly doing
more than her share, and as we have
|been the principal benefSciaries' Is
hut lust that we should give active
s,,rnnrt III return. e francs 10 weary,
Russia unsettled and Italy checked,
rubiIe uwe are fresh and strong. the
can across the sea has come, and we
must reply by spending our energy
ana RESOURCES to the limit Our young
men are ready and only too anxious
TO defend their ceuntry's honor in do
ing their share for liberty and demo-
cracv against q blind autocracy. Our
industrial leaders are cooperating
with the government every possible
. nav and without regard to personal
sacrifice. Labor leaders are rival1ng
cal ftal In the same directions and
buryfng differences In patriotic de-
sire to serve country and cause Only
= moderate, percentage Of our popu-
laton will go tos the front or reach
Ethe trenches where the issue can only
| be settled; nevertheless, those at home
can "do their bit" and help their
country in ways far too numerous to
mention. whoever puts patriotism be-
fore profit, whoever stops waste and
extravagance; whoever resolves In MS
daily duties that through all OF them
/ he viii do his best for the sake OF his
f! country, will be indirectly affording
nm aid that win be far more efficient
than cheap talk OF effervescent ertnu-
siasm.
! One OF the most effectual ways OF
! helping fone's country will be to aid
as far as practicable In providing the
l3news OF war. In other words, to
| subscribe generously for the wars
faoan. AS Lloyd George said the sill
yer bullet will win. The widows mite
will, be quite as helpful as the mil
| lionaire's strong box. Just now the
country Il chieiby occupied with the
Rotation of the first $2,000.000,000 OF
the q, 900, 00o, 900 loan. This, as we
?have previously stated. is the. largest
4 financial operation on record. the
lnearest previous transaction being the
s5 900, 900, 900 British loan in 1915 II
| Is hardly safe to be over-enthus1ast1c
/, in advance as to the success OF this
! loan. A great deal Of energetic mis-
sionary work will be required to Sc
cure generous public support. Our
business institutions and large corpor.
tfons. including the banks, have al
ready been very liberal subscribers
land NO doubt thye will be the, mair
uarticfpants In the issue. But 1t II
highly important for obvious reason
that the loan should have wide pub
flfc support. The popular purse al.
Sways opens slowly. The experience
of other nations at war shows that e
the start public subscriptions wer'
Iconnparativeay few, hut rose rapidly al
the struggle progressed and public in
tterest became awakened. The frs
british war loan had considerably les
than q million subscribers. The sec
fond, over a million, and the third, II
t1s17, had over five and q, quartz
million subscribers. In Germany will
a population of 100000, the frs
war loan had over 100000 subscrib
crs, the second 2,7oo.o00; the fourtl
over $3.50, 900, and, the fifth or last
Fs, 500, 900 participants. From this ex
pereince 1t will hardly be safe for u
to depend upon too large a popula
subscriptions fon the first Issue. Late
tissues may bring better results. In th4
country subscriptions will have to com
chiefly from the accumulated saving
of large business concerns from mon
led institutions and banks. The PEG
pie cannot be expected to draw YER
largely upon their deposits in saving
banks; nor Is that desirable, since
would compel the marketing of higl
grade securities. It must be remem
bered that We are not in the position
in which Great Britain found hersel
at the beginning of this war, able I
sell large amounts of good securitie
to rich outside buyers. Heavy sellin
of domestic securities TO subscribe TO
these bonds would only reult in sun
necessary and undesirable depression
Congress is moving slowly and con
fusedly in it's discussion of revenu
and other problems raised by the wal
1.-THE. tax bill is still unsettled, but tn
tendency seems to be to -moderat