Mansfield mirror. (Mansfield, Wright County, Mo.) 1908-1957, 1918-11-07
BUSINESS ACUMEh
PROMPTS H0LD|hG
TO LIBERTY BONDS
VALUE As COLLATERAL 10
GREATER THAN ANY KNOWN
TO FINANCE.
WATCH OUT FOR SHARPERS
0sWars Of Men Who Offer "Soms-
thing Setter" In Exchange,
Finanelsr Advises.
WATCH OUT FOR sAARPERs

The value as collateral of United
States Liberty Bonds. according to
the president Of n Of the largest st.
Louis national banks. II greater than
any evidence Of wealth known to II.
nance
Next to gold coin and specie they
represent the most stable medium Of
exchange within the power Of our gov.
eminent - issue. and there Is nothing
on which banks the world over would
rather lend money.
This is pointed out as n OF the
numerous material reasons for hold.
ing tight to the bonds when once they
are purchased. The patriotic and sen.
ttmental reasons for not d~isposing OF
them are quite As strong, but the
Arguments in that field are less con.
crete and more difficult to present In
language than those dealing with the
investment.
Never Good Reason to Sell.
There 10 never a good reason for
selling ones Liberty Bonds. The main
cause for doing so in SO per CEN Of
cases Is to get money. It 10 easily
possible to get the money and still
retain title to your bonds, as any
bank In your city will lend you close
to their market value. and for a long
period Of time at inside interest rates.
Then you are still drawing your bond
interest, so that II you pay the bank
{ per cent your net rate is only IN
per cent with a ~ per cent bond as
collateral.
f. Since the first Liberty Bonds
Feached the hands Of the public they
have been the detectives of an endless
class Of sharpers and INSCRIPTIONS
business men who have schemed IN.
tirinsly to get the holdings Of their
less keen neighbors. These gentlemen
come with propositions "just as safe
and yielding far greater returns"
Against such proposals all holders Of
United States bonds, large and small,
are doubly warned.
There Is nothing nearly as safe and
yielding better returns which anyone
would want to dispose Of. Russell
Sage, than whom no financier has
ever had a better understanding OF
investments. once remarked that
there vas no such thing as a safe 8
per cent investment. He died leaving
. marketable estate Of upward of
SIS. 900. 900, SO that his opinion IL
worth considering.
The I per cent or ~ per cent re.
turn from your Liberty Bonds will
continue to come to you as regularly
- the succession Of dawn and dark.
ness through your life and the dura.
ton Of the bond. and to your descend.
ants after you. And just as sure as
the United States government en-.
dures you will receive the principal In
full at the expiration of the loan pc.
rlod. 1t is impossible to conceive.
therefore, Of a more entirely safe and
OA4A tobi0 ANCStlACul " uOlu I'll
ways than Liberty Bonds.
A Permanent investment.
Thus far no m has been able to
come forward with a logical argument
against Liberty Bonds as a permanent
investment. The only circumstance
presenting the semblance OF sound
ness ia that Of the persons who point
out the small interest return. In view
Of income OF other investments Of a
standard variety. Changing condi.
tons. however. rapidly demolish and
UPSET standards. and with a return to
normal times and plentiful money the
~ per cent rate will be considered
large.
1t takes no effort Of memory to re-
call the time when banks were loaning
vast sums at I per cent, and even Il
shade under that figure. Then mu.
nictpal bonds bearing 4 per cent were
selling al high as 3102 to $lO6, the
premium bringing the interest basis
well under az per cent. On a basis
Of their market price. railroad stocks
and other standard securities were
yielding little II any better than 4 to
s per cent.
Government bonds brought enor.
NOUS premiums. especially those bear.
ing 3 per cent and better. Certainly
the credit Of the United States gov.
eminent. and the values back O It
now. are immeasurably greater than
a any preceding period In our his
tory. 50 that 1t Is safe to predict that
those who hold IN to their Liberty
Bonds will In atter-war years realize
substantial profits on the holdings
should they feel disposed to sell when
peace has been restored.