The Waxahachie daily light. [volume] (Waxahachie, Tex.) 1894-current, 1917-05-14
the COUNTRY WARNED
AGAINST 0lhG[n Of
nUM0Us ECONOMY

-
disastrous stampede OF misguided
patriotism according to Howard +.
|cosfin, member of the advisory COM
iInissinn of the Council Of National
Defense, who has returned from q
"trip through the West.
III d formal statement issued by
|she committee on Public information,
witch the official censorship boa II,
icoffin said:
After nearly three years Of re-
fusal to take the European war and
Its lessons seriously. we suddenly
LAUNCHED forth In most feverish ac-
tiYity to save the country over night.
Patriotic organizations. almost with
|crr number. are milling around nois-
lily. ind while Intentions are good the
results are often far from practical
because OF an impending and
acsssbIe shortage OF foodstuffs. We
Ihawe hvsterical demands for econ
|ony III every line OF human endeayor.
Waste il bad. but an nndiscriminat-
ling economy is worse.
s-Sosne states and municipalities
are stopping read building and other
pnhric wogK. General business is be
Eing slowed down because OF the emo
|slonal response of the trading public
40 these Eaisgaiding conditions for
economy No savings ere being with
drawn from the banks, bat reports
show that some people have begun
to hcars. food supplies, and thous-
anlis on workers are being thrown
ncealasssy out OF employment. All
this is wrong.
Unemployment ard closed fac
tories. brought about through fitful
and iil-aayised campaigns for public
and private economy. will prove a
yeritabia foundation OF quicksand
for the serious work we have at
hand
at i'd true that the president has
said that this is a time to correct our
habits of wastefulness. Certainly;
but the keynote OF his message to the
people was this paragraph:
SIT is evident to every thinking
man that our industries, on the farm.
in the ship yards. in the mines, in
the factories must be made more
eve need prosperity in war time
even more than when We are at
peace. Business depressions are al
ways bad, but doubly SO when We
have a fight on our hands. The de-
ciaration Of war can have no real
evil effect on business. What bad
effects are apparent are purely psy-
Geological and largely OF cur own
foolish making. For our markets are
the same in April that they were in
March. We need more business, not
less. There is real danger In hys-
terra. Indiscriminate economy would
be ruinous. Now is the time to open
the throttle.
Every day the advisory commits
sion OF the Council Of National De-
Tense receives offers OF service from
business firms and individuals with
requests for immediate information
an TO how this service may best be
rendered. Now and then great dis
satisfaction with the governmental
is expressed because in
slant advantage is not taken OF such
offers. Many firms are hesitating 10
close ordinary business contracts be-
cause OF a desire to hold capacity
open TO meet possible early govern
ment need.
.This spirit and this willingness TO
meet sacrifice and even financial loss
in the government service is most
encouraging tribute TO American pa
trlotisn. But we must remember
that in the great struggle in which
we have now become part. there is
mncn 10 tohhfusf psotaeo htuAte1oHH,
troops and battIeships.
Few of us can serve in any heroic
role. or even in the supply of NUM-
lions to the military arms of the
service.
IN this country Of vast resources
we already have a tremendous equip
mens for munitions making, built up
on foreign orders, and now immea-
lately available through expiration of
these orders Except in limited cases
there is little need for the develop
ment Of new sources Of supply The
diesates of common business sense re-
quire the utilization, as far as pos
sibie. OF existing machinery.