New-York tribune., 1918-05-12

press III OuIWaHo Sono"Se 'A1'P"A0S'
which vibrate close to the soul.
RECOGNITION Of this basic principle
helped Liberty Loan workers to make
tho third campaign an experience 'of
the whole people.
In primitive tribes, this trait Is
least represscd. Witness their spring
time festivalsi At the time of the
year when their crops were beginning
to sprout in the fields the bountiful-
ness Of the acreage was the consid-
Grafton nearest to their hearts. Perhaps
above all things they desired in the
spring was that their vegetation grow
taller. taller, taller. And they would
express this irrcpressible yearning by
leaping wildly into the air at the sea-
sonal celebrations.
This same racial characteristic in
all its nakedness is revealed in civil
lied man. when he is at the race track,
for example. He hopes that a certain
horse will win; he has placed money on
him. For the moment. his foremost
aim In life Is to have his favorite
horse outdistance his rivals. He ex-
presses his nervous desire while the
race is on by running few feet along
the edge of the track or possibly mere
ly by moving his body along his seat
in the general direction the horse is
dashing. e;
. In the spring Of 1918 the
Germans made their most menacing
thrust on the plains Of Picardy. For
the first time Americans visualized the
possibility of defeat. II the Teutons
tore through the Allied lines the whole
atmosphere Of freedom might be poi
soned. A dark shadow Of reaction, re-
preston and serfdom seemed to threat
en- the world. Above all things for the
time being, the American people wanted
with fierce intensity to have the armies
of the foe repulsed. The desire for
German failure-the will for Allied VIC
tory-became overpowering. The peo-
49,. A.. q ro% ~~sc ~io1os TAo;r
desire needed an outlet In the form Of
action.
Along came the third Liberty Loan.
Virtually the whole people itched for
self-expression. Every one wanted to
do something. And nearly every fam
lily throughout the forty-eight States
of America did something. They in
vested In Liberty bonds.
Hurting the Enemy
By Buying Bonds
Collectively, the American people
wanted to get together and shove the
Germans back. That was impossible.
The fate of the oTensive-or rather
Of tho Allied defensive-scemed be-
yond their control. All they could do
was piously wish for the success Of
the present and prepare for the fut-
ure. Though for practical purposes
fairly helpless as far as the accom-
plishment Of their outstanding desire
was concerned, II was natural for the
people to express their wish in out
ward conduct.
That tho American, people would ex-
press themselves in some manner in
response 20 tho Teuton drive was per-
haps prsdestined by tho nature Of their
being. But only the most skilful cam
paigning Of Liberty Loan committees
throughout tho country was RESPONSE
BILE for diverting the patriotic energy
set free by events abroad into the
channels Of the Liberty Loan.>
Intensive organization by loan work.
ers and unprecedented publicity used
the feeling Of tho people effectively.
Tho loan attracted moro subscribers
than any other In the history Of the
world because Of . combination Of ex-
tremely favorable external conditions
with superbly well managed financial
drive.
Ono can explain the sale Of 1,00o, 900
shares Of securities on the Stock Ex-
change in q single day exclusively in
economic terms But moro than eco
Monies is needed TO interpret why
perhaps-2o. 100000 persons bought
bonds. The mere number of partici-
pants In the third Liberty Loan tended
to lift tho campaign into the field Of
sociology.
A knowledge Of the working of the
human heart sold Liberty bonds. Exact
information about group psychology
sold Liberty bonds. The financiers and
the aconnnief. d{A x,.o,