The sun., 1917-04-20

TRADE IS ON INCREASE
"Makp Better Business
WatchwOrd and Keep Fac
tory Fires Burning"

WASHINGTON. April 1s.--Warning to
the nation against a real danger in
hysterical and III advised economy and
interference with normal pursuits of the
people Is given BY Howard +. Coffn OF
the advisory commission of the Council
of National Defence in a statement
made public tonight as the first step
of the Governments new committee on
public Information. Just returned from
a trip through several central States. Mr..
Coffin depores the fact that conditions
of unemployment and closed factories
should arise as n result of indiscriminate
efforts. public and private. toward war
time economies
After nearly three years OF refusal
to take the European war and its lesson
seriously. Mr.. Coffin says. we suddenly
launched forth in most feverish
activity TO gave the country over night.
Patriotic organizations, almost without
number. are Eoiling around noisily, and
while intentions are good the results are
often far from practical Because of an
impending and possible shortage OF food
stuffs we have hysterical demands for
economy in every line of human en-
deavor. Waste is bad but an undis
eliminating economy is worse.
Much Public Work stopped.
Some States and municipalities are
stopping road building and other public
work. General business is being slowed
down because OF the emotional response
of the trading public to these misguided
campaigns for economy; savings are
being withdrawn from the banks; re-
ports show that some people have begun
to hoard food supplies and thousands OF
workers are being thrown needlessly out
OF employment. All this II wrong. Tn
employment and closed factories brought
about through fttul and i'll advised CAM
paigns for public and private economy
will prove vcritable foundation Of
quicksand for the serious work we have
at hand.
1T is true that the President has said
that this Is a time to correct our habits
of wastefulnees. Certainly. But the
keynote of his message to the people was
this paragraph: II is evident to every
thinking man that our Industries on the
farm. in the shlpyards, in the mines, in
the fac tories must he made more prolific
and moro etfcient
Danger In Hysteria.
We need pros per,v in war time even
/ more than whcn We are at peace. Bus!-
I ness dcpces.!OHs are always bad, but
uDNblN so WLrl We nave NgNt on our
, hauds The declaration OF war can have
T no real evil effect on business What
. bad effects are apparent are purely
psychologist, and largely OF our own fool
iSa moiling. Our markets are the same
, IN April that they were in March We
need more business. not less. There Is
! real danger in hystera. Indscrlmina;e e
! economy will be ruinous Now is the
4 time to open the throttle.
1T seems to mo. therefore, ;hat a
plain statement ~ general policy Is
most desirable. Upon the Industrial
side of the war three great problems or
I perhaps | had better say tasks, con-
front us.
First and foremost we must fac.ll-
b llte the flow of raw materials and fin
ishcd products to our allies and must
B provide the means Of rail and water
1 transportation therefor
Second, We must meet our own great
| military and naval building schedules.
Third. We must plan to do al! this
| with the least possible disarrangcmeni
10 our own vast commercial and indus
| trial machines.
! patriotic service does not of neces-
sity mean the making of shells or the
/ carrying OF n musket over the shoulder
! This would soon become n sorry sort oi
country IL it did. There Is no doubt OF
the willingness of any manufacturing
plant or individual to serve should the
call come. But until the call does come
il Is best to stick to the job. Let u:
make Better Business our watchword
and keep our factory fires burning"