Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1917-04-03

lively little as measured by our oppor-
tunities. On the Pacific coast there has
been for the last eighteen months amaz-
ing activity in ship building
Nearly one-third of the total ship
building for merchant ships now under
contract in the United States is being
handled in Pacific coast yards, at an
aggregate cost of $4,000, 900. These
Pacific coast ship yards are compelled
to haul their steel a much greater dis
lance than the southern yards. The
whole South Atlantic and gulf coast
could draw its steel shipbuilding ma
terial from the center of steel making
activity to much better advantage than
yards on the Pacific coast. The capt.
talists of the south and the leaders in
southern development should not wait
upon eastern capitalists and shipbuild-
ers to take the lead in the establishment
of new yards in the south or the en-
largement of existing plants. There is
money enough in this section enormous
ly to increase the active investments in
shipbuilding and kindred enterprises, If
the leaders in the south will go at the
matter as vigorously as have the capt.
talists of tn Pacific coast ShipbuiId-
ing, however, is only one of many in
dustries which should be developed in
ditions.
This section should enormously in
crease its iron and steel development
it's machinery and foundry interests. 1t
should take an active part in the pro-
duction of munitions of all kinds for
war purposes. and it should throw into
every line of business activities the
mobili zed strength of all its brain, phys
ical and financial potentialities coupled
with utilization of its unequalled natural
advantages. Unless the south does these
things it will fall short of it's RESPONSE
bility and its opportunity in this world
crisis.
Regarding the suggestion of loan Of
a billion dollars or more 10 France. it
would be far more generous and prop
er thing for us to offer ii as an out
right gift. Another suggestion has
been made to the effect that while we
are preparing to create an army we
should offer to France to bear the en-
tire financial cost of maintaining 1,000.-
900 French soldiers in the field, pro-
viding the money for every expense Of
equipping, feeding and clothing these
million men so that while France would
be furnishing the men we would be re-
sponsible financially for maintaining
them.
preparedness 1t will be long time be-
fore we can train and equip an army Of
a million people ready for the field in
this country or in Europe. In the mean
time the allies are maintaining the
struggle for civilization and for our de-
Tense at their own cost against the
greatest fighting machine and the most
barbarous power that civilization has
ever known. The least we can do or
that we should do, is to put our finan-
cial strength back of the allies to the
utmost extent that may be needed, and
to do this not as a loan, but as a free
contribution to our own safety and to
humanity.
During the last two and half years
we have enormously increased our
wealth through the billions which
Europe has paid us for food supplies
and war materials. Our national wealth
is increasing at the rate Of over S10.-
900. 100000 a year, and If we contrib
uted $4,000, 0O0, 900 for Europe's necessi-
ties 1t would lie less than one-half of the
gain in national wealth during the last
sixth months. We have about one-third
of the accumulated wealth of the world.
and we are practically free of national
Indebtedness. while the allies have been
pouring into this war tens of billions
of dollars and millions of men, the
very flower OF their civilization, and
their fight is as much a fight for US as
IL Is for themselves.
But we must not delude ourselves with
the thought that we can give money and
nothing else. We must give our whole
strength TO the contest. In this Coun-
try we are too prone to feel that money
viii do anything and that the rich man
or the poor man has done his full duty
when he has given money for religious
and philanthropic work Men must
learn to give themselves to every great
cause. for on the books of heaven as
we'll as on the balance sheet of ma
ton, men count for more than material