Free trader-journal. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1916-1920, 1918-08-26

Inc effort to live On "a thin slice Of
the loaf as he can Unless that be
done We must tuy additional food In
neutral countries, thereby using ton
mage thEt should be sept available Tor
orr military operations and increasing
our difficulties In adjusting our trade
balances with neutral countries.
Hurts Uncle Sam in Many Ways.
To return 10 our story OF the suit
of clothes During last year the United
States had 20 import +2l,oNoo1 pounds
NJ wool. representing a value of about
Sl72UOOpN About half of this came
from Argentina. oar suits Of clothes
called FOR Il substantial portion Of this
wool and therefore 20 that extent rob
bed Uncle Sam Of Tie Use Of his ships.
Moreover. our factories being busy IN
producing the things required for the
prosecution Of the war and our home
consumption stirl proceeding AZ almost
top speed. the quantity of goods avail.
able for shipment 10 Argentina in pay
ment FOR the wool Tor for that matter
10 Chile for nItrntes. To Peru for cop
per, and sO on), IS insufficient. As a
consequence the United States had 10
pay for more goods In South America
than South America has had Ia pay
for goods bought In the United States.
thereby causing a decline Of dollar ex.
change In these neutral countries. This
ShrinhHge In the price of the dollar
means that II has lost corresponding
part Of its purchasing power In neutral
countries. The scarcity Of goods avail
able for our export trade has thus be
come serious obstacle in our way In
trying 10 secure at reasonable prices
or Ia adequate quantities some OF the
things that we absolutely require from
foreign countries
My suit Of clothes hns hurt Uncle
Sam. therefore. In several ways; !
have consumed more wool than neces-
sary aud thereby forced the United
States Ia import correspondence
large quantity OF this article; have
consumed more cotton goods than nee
esSary and TO that extent have de
prived Uncle Sam Of the means with
waich TO pay for the minimum Of wool
which we may have TO import
Clothing but One Of Many.
have used the Illustration of u new
| suit Of clothes; II would be easy,
though somewhat tedious, to show that
we have been dealing only with one
case In point The country Is short
ut this time Of hides and skins and
has to import lnrge quantities from
/ neutral countries because we are ex.
/ trnvagant In our individual purchases
/ Of shoes. Similarly. though We are the
largest producers OF copper we are
/ forced to import copper from Peru be-
cause or civilian population has not
begun sufficiently to curtail Its use.
In like manner we might ask ourselves
is il at all excusable that Mt this time
We still manufacture such articles az
silk stockings, when every thread OF
silk must be imported while we could
use our own cotton?
II Is impossible and unnecessary e
enumerate the many articles that are
in q similar position. Many billions
of dollars can easlly be saved wher
once we are capable of realizing thu
cumulative effect of individual "sav
ing," take the word saving" In III
larger meaning, as involving not onl!
money. but also goods and services
If every individual could be made 4
see with his own eyes that neglect o
saving Of this sort means decreased
war efficiency, prolongation OF tn
war, and Il larger number of casual
ties; II every one who has son o
dear relative on the fighting line
across the water could be made to fee
that millions Of small savings direct
affect his hoy-there would he n
doubt that we could secure the mos
conscientious and enthusiastic COOP
GRAFTON OF all the people. Thus far
we must say with regret-Of 10000
600 people. lOO00O.000 do not see IN
connection between the suit OF clothe
and the life Of the boy.
Germanys Enforced Economy.
Germauys military success Is large
Iy predicated upon her ability TO ceT
ter the entire national effort upon IN
business Of war. 1t Is safe TO say the
she never would have been able
bear the burdens Of the fight rs we
as she has during these four Ion
: years had ii not been for the enforce
savings In material, money and me
blockade. If it had not been for Il
stern necessities created by that bloc
:, AIDE the German people would not ha'
= been willing to submit to famine r
V tons as to food, clothes. shoes al
other similar articles. Industries C
tering TO the appetites and extrav
l. gances OF the masses would have ke
,. men and material from the governme
u instead of making everything uvailab
+" for the war work Of the governmeI
r. and financially she would have g
u hausted herself by buying thin
y abroad that she could 90 without
q for which she had to strain her
genulty In finding or creating subs
tutes.
e. II Is difficult to bring about drns
); economy without the c0mpulsion
~ ercsed by hard necessity. For us I
70 problem Is whether or not. Of our OF
/. free will, we shall be able to est,