The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1917-12-29

tragic. For the best things, in addition to food
stuffs, that we can supply to aid the Allies and
the great cause to which we are all pledged are
the products of our industrial productivity
guns, powder, clothing, shoes, aeroplanes, motor
ships in which to carry all these things overseas.
Of money we have plenty; already we are Civ
ing generously of it to our Allies. Men we can
supply and shall-but am afraid never in more
than comparatively limited number. But mu-
nitions we can and should supply-n almost un-
limited quantities.
Yet these we cannot give plentifully unless
we have plentiful man-power And our man.
power, like that of England's has been depleted
by the drafts for our army. And even if we
have learned from her mistakes and showed more
judgment in picking men for the trenches and
leaving the right types for essential indus
tries, the fact remains that our fighting service
already has made great drains upon our indus
trial army These drains we cannot now pre-
vent. But we prevent the drain of non-es-
sential industries upon our work-men, to say
nothing Of our materials and our very limited
supply of fuel. And this is the very thing that
we must stop. England stopped tin large
measure at least-by forbidding the employment
of men between the ages of eighteen and sixty
one years in sixty eight industries which she
classified as non-essental. And when one Of the
barred, or practically barred, from
making his product protested, saying that he
must keep his plant and organization together un-
til the return of peace, she found other work for
him. Thus factory given ordinarily to the out
put let us say of candy, suddenly might find it.
self manufacturing canned tomatoes for the
Army, at price which not only enabled the can
dymaker to keep his business together but to
gain a small profit from it. And if he was at all
puzzled at the details of canning tomatoes the
government smoothed out his problems. In
Great Britain more than 10000 plants large and
small, in other days turning out tremendously
diversified list Of products are today under gov
eminent direction making the supplies essential
for England's part in the winning of the war
Here is lesson by which the United States
may proft--if only she will heed it in time. It
has not yet sunk far. When it does sink and
we begin to take heed, there will be little less
gayety in the hotels they and the theatres will
oegln to take on more of the complexion OF Lon
Ion playhouses and hotels,-where there is light
md laughter-and supreme confdence-but re-
strant as WELL There will be less pressure of
passenger automobiles upon Fifth Avenue, New
7 ork, or Michigan Avenue, Chicago, or any other
II the great pleasure streets in the land. The
hing noticed most on recent trip to Montreal,
after an absence Of two years, was the trenlend-
JUS reduction in the number of motor cars upon
he streets, the fact that most of those within
sight were driven by men and women, obviously
heir owners Canada has had to learn her les |
'on. And so must we. Only it is within our pow-
,r to make that lesson reasonably easv-or faar
uy hard. And if we do not practice self-denal
low we undoubtedly shall be compelled to prac-
ice it at later time anad in far greater meas
Ire.