New Britain herald., 1917-05-19
Henry CLeus ,
 Weekly Letter
Especial to the Herald.)

Especial to the Herald.)
 New York. May 19.-A very small
 proportion of our people seem to fully 1 realize what being at war means to
 the United States. America is not yet thoroughly awake as to the im- portance or the consequences to our
 selves of the struggle into which we
 have lately entered. Very few seem to realize that the preservation of
 civilization and freedom the world over is at stake. As a nation we feel
 quite comfortable in our trusted im- mun1ty from attack. Probably if a
 portion of the German fleet were to
 break through the wall of steel in the North Sea and succeed in crossing the Atlantic, smelling some of our East ern cities. we should then stand up ana take vigorous notice. But thus far We have become accustomed to the unseen protection of the Brftish neet, and our sons are not yet giving up their lives in the trenches or com ing home maimed and dishgured for life. As people we certainly de- voutly wish to avoid these painful re- alities, and up to date our shocks from the war have been limited to the loss or few lives and ships rom subma- rine warfare. Yet genuine realization or the perils now facing us seems con- nned to the government, to those en- gagged Tn our defense and to relatively lew or our leading business men. Tn all probability something will happen ere long to dissipate this apathy and bring us to keener sense of the huge task before us. France has given us magnificent example of pa triottc sacrifice. For nearly three years Great Britain with a population of about 45:000,OOO has been carrying the brunt of this battle for freedom. Her fleet has not only insured us from invasion, but has kept the seas open and free for our foreign trade, the loss of which would have been an incalcul- able injury to our economic welfare. She has further raised an army of about 5,000;000 men. helped finance her Allies to the extent of about $4,- 50O,0OO.OOO and aided in feeding the starving millions in Belgium. Armenia and Serbia. She is certainly doing more than her share, and as we have been the principal beneficiaries, it is but just that we should give active support in return. France is weary, Russia unsettled and Italy checked, while we are fresh and strong. The call across the sea has come, and we must reply by spending our energy and resources to the limit. Our young men are ready and only too anxious to defend their country's honor in doing their share for liberty and democracy against a blind autoc- racy. Our industrial leaders are CO., operating with the government in every possible way and without regard to personal sacrifice. Labor leaders are rivaling capital in the same di- rections and burying differences in ? patriotic desire to serve country and cause. Only a moderate percentage, of our population will go to the front or reach the trenches where the is- sue can only be settled; nevertheless, those at home can "do their bit" and help their country in ways far too numerous to mention. Whoever puts patriotism before profit, whoever stops waste and extravagance; who ever resolves in his daily duties that through all of them he will do his best for the sake of his country, will be Indirectly affording an aid that will be far more efficient than cheap talk or effervescent enthusiasm.
 One of the most effectua1 ways of helping ones country will be to aid as far as practicable in providing the, sinews of war. Tn other words, to subscribe generously for the wars loan. As Lloyd George said the silver bullet will win. The widows mite will be quite as helpful as the mill lionaire's strong box. Just now the country is chiefly occupied with the Notation of the first $2,00o, ,000, 900 of the $7,O0O, ,0OO, 900 loan. This as we previously stated. is the largest finan- cial operation on record, the nearest previous transaction being the $6,0Oo.- OOO,OOO British loan in 1915. It Is hardly safe to be over-enthusiastic in advance as to the success of this loan. A great deal of energetic missionary work will be required to secure gen. erous public support. Our business institutions and large corporations, including the banks, have already been very liberal subscribers, and no doubt they will be the main partici- pants in the issue. But it is highly important for obvious reasons that the loan should have wide public SUD- port The popular purse always opens slowly. The experience of other na- tions at war shows that at the start public subscriptions were compara- lively few, but rose rapidly as the struggle progressed and public tn- terest became awakened. The first British war loan had considerably less than a million subscribers. The second. over million ,and the third, in 1917, had over five and a quarter million subscribers. Tn Germany with !. ,op,,1a+inn of 67 900 OOO the flrSt