Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1917-12-29
THRIFT STAMPS PURPOSE

= In the prosecution Of a great war
such as this in which the United
States is now engaged. to quote Har-
rison B. Riley. director of war saw
iugs. the fixed capital OF the country
cannot be used to furnish supplies for
the armies in the field and the navies
combng the seas Tor pirate subma-
rines.
BY this is meant we cannot turn the
buildings. the reapeTs, the moving ma
chimes and the cream separators Of
the farms. the skysTapers, the street
cars and the factories Of the ci1es,
into ships and shells, into clothing,
rifles and cannon This fixed capital
. is necessary to the ordinary and eX-
traordinary production of foodstuffs
and supplies of the people at home as
well as of the armies in the field The
war must be prosecuted on the nation S
liquid capital This liquid capital is
Of two kinds accumulated savings Of
cash aud securities which represent
cash. and surplus earnings from day
TO day. which may be diverted from
normal channels to the service of the
government
It is obvious that the iiquid capital
represented by stocks. ponds and 9TH
er securities. can be called upon only
toaa certain extent II has been called
dpon heavily and viii be called on
again ana again as the war progresses
and more and more loans are neces-
sary Bat the government cannot well
call upon this class of capital to an
extent which win force throwing over
board ny holders Of all stocks and
bonds. with the resulting demoraliza-
ton Of the stock and money markets
of the nation
But the second class Of liquid cap
ital, that represented by surplus earn
. ings from day to day. can be called
upon indefinitely Ii is this class of
capital that the United States war
savings plan was devised to reach.
When the people of the nation realize
the needs of their country, this capital
will pour in in a steady and ever in
creasing stream, and the people who
are thus aiding the government will
b also be aiding themselves, learning
= habits of economy, and accommodating
for the proverbial rainy day" sur
plus which draws the best rate of in
. terest now offered in the United States
on government securities, aud which
has the same backing as the govern
ment bonds represented by the Liberty
loan
Germany, in the first year Of the
war exhausted IFS liquid capital
Since that time it has been prescott.
ing the war on a mammoth scale sim.
ply by communicating the labor ant
material of the country. It's people art
told where and how they must work
are given just enough to keep them il
physical condition to work, and tht
government takes their product, which
represents the day-by-day surplus pro
duction of the nation In the United
States we may achieve the same re-
suits, without the odious eompulsion
if all OF the people lend their surplus
from day to day. to the government
Germany at war is nation of a few
million fighters, with 70,000000 people
back Of the lines working for then
under oompulsion
The only way for the United State.
20 win the war. says Mr.. Riley. is FOL
the 100000 600 people behind tn,
fighters TO contribute their surplu,
! earnings to the government If Ger
many makes one shell. one rifle, o.
one cannon. we must make two. |
Germany builds one submarine W,
must build two ships to hunt it down
II Germany sinks one ship belougine
to the United States or its allies, W,
must build two TO take its place. w,
must outmatch Germany IN men ane
materials OF every description. 4
hundred million well fed. willin.
workers, must show that they ear
produce more OF the sinews of wa,
than 1o000 900 forced workers,
The people Of the United state
must be prepared 10 make voluntarily
sacrifices equivalent 10 those the pto
PIE OF Germany are forced to make