The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1917-04-24
MISS LIBERTY
STEPS into A
! THRIFT BOND
T. 4
J. BY John M. Oskisou.

Dy JOuA OShlSOu |
For thirty years, Miss Liberty en-
tightening the world stood in New
York harbor teaching only one Of the
two great lessons her givers had
learned-that political freedom must
be an always burning torch.
Not until the terrible war in Eu-
derf1l, high-geared machine, however,
rope had caught our nation in its won
was her other great message under
stood. Assthe demands Of the Allies
for our help-our wheat and beef.
our cartridges, rifles and iron, our
credit-became more and more insis-
tent we began to perceive that Free
dom involves something else than sac
rifices Of blood. It calls for Thrift
that Freedoms fight may be waged to
the end.
France has stood waiting to deliver |
that other message to us these many |
years. We caught something of its |
significance back in 1919, when peo-
pie were able to pay. from the savings
of a. ravished land, the tremendous in
demnity of a billion dollars within the
space Of one year.
We have been Indifferent to the real
message, however, in the 80 years and
gate with uplifted torch.
About the time the Statue of Liber-
ty was lighted "a few months ago., a
group of men in New York came to-
gether to formulate a plan for the cre-
alton Of a new form of Thrift security.
They had begun to sense the other
message Miss Liberty had for Ameri-
cans-that If Freedoms banner is to
inv i01o To
the people must stand ready at all
times to pay the price Of the defen-
ders bludgeon.
To-day, that price Is lstupendous-a
defensive organization equipped and
trained according to modern stand
ards costs billions. Agoin, France has
demonstrated to us that she can, and
will. pay that cost Ia money as in men.
These men saw the people Of
France coming forward, time after
time, offering their saved and stored
wealth in exchange for the Govern
!. ment's bonds. AS call succeeded call,
the thrifty millions of our sister re-
pubic piled billions into the Treasury
the bills for saving France were
paid.
Over 5 millions Of people in France
bought her war bonds. Once more,
Miss Liberty's second message was
written big in contemporary history.
So America might learn that Free
dom's cost must be borne by Free
dorn's 1eg1ons, one habit must be fixed
upon our people before the crisis ar
r1ves. They must learn to lend mon
ey to their government. They must
stand ready to buy the bonds which it
is the custom of nations to issue when
money il needed.
n When the men who met to devise a
national thrift plan began to work out
their ideas, there were no United
States Government bonds being Of
fered TO the people. Not one in
Thousand OF us knew the appearance
of bond issued by any government
National. State, county and city.
The education in bond buying fur
nished fts people by the Government
of france would have to be underta-
ken here by individuals. How could
It be done?
There followed. literally, weeks Of
debate over the details OF a Thrift
Bond that might be sold to every
body. Very soon, two requirements
were decided upon-they must be in
denominations small enough for any
body to buy, and they must be safe.
"A tHn-dollAr bond was decided up
x, i. was determined that only
Governmental obligations would be
u~ed as basis for the bonds. This
clinched the point Of safety.
In normal times, the people of
France buy Government bonds that
ray 3 per cent. interest: they buy mil
:, lions OF them every year, in very small
rieces. They cali them rsntss. Upon
them stands Frances wonderful sa-
perstructuxs OF financial power.
So, hayinE in mind that other mes
sage Watch BA<th0idYs great SYM
bo1osAgn4a NJ Eee-1as ia cseAters -