The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1918-08-23

tue iOhI us u6 Gun. OniebS Iudt Do
done we must buy additional food In
neutral countries. thereby using tom
mage that should be kept available for
our military operations and increasing
our difficulties In adjusting our trade
balances with neutral countries.
Hurts Uncle Sam In Many Ways.
To return to our story Of the suit
OF clothes: During last year the United
States had to import 421. 00O. 900 pounds
Of wool. representing a value Of about
$172 100000. About half of this came
from Argentina. Our suits Of clothes
called for substantial portion Of this
wool and therefore to that extent rob
bed Uncle Sam Of the use Of his ships.
Moreover. our factories being busy in
producing the things required for the
prosecution Of the war and our home
consumption still proceeding at almost
top speed, the quantity Of goods avail
able for shipment to Argentina In pay
ment for the wool Cor for that matter
to Chile for nitrates, to Peru for cop
per. and so on), is insufficient. As a
consequence the United States had to
pay for more goods In South America
than South America has had to pay
for goods bought In the United States.
thereby causing decline Of dollar ex-
change In these neutral countries. This
shrinkage In the price Of the dollar
means that 1t 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 to secure at reasonable prices
or In adequate quantities some Of the
things that we absolutely require from
foreign countries.
My suit Of clothes has hurt Uncle
Sam, therefore, In several ways:
have consumed more wool than neces-
sary and thereby forced the United
States to import a eorrespondingly
large quantity Of this article; I have
consumed more cotton goods than nee
essary and to that extent have de-
prlved Uncle Sam of the means with
which to pay for the minimum Of wool
which we may have to import.
Clothing but one OF Many.
have used the Illustration Of q new
suit Of clothes; 1t would be easy,
though somewhat tedious, to show that
we have been dealing only with one
case In point. The country Is short
at this time Of hides and skins and
neutral countries because we are ex-
travagant 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 1t at all excusable that Mt this time
we still manufacture such articles as
silk stockings, when every thread OF
silk must be imported, while we could
use our own cotton?
1t Is impossible and unnecessary to
enumerate the many articles that are
In similar position. Many billions
of dollars can easily be saved when
once we are capable Of realizing the
cumulative effect Of individual "sav-
ing;" take the word Saving" In Its
larger meaning, as involving not only
money, but also goods and services.
II every Individual could be made to
see with his own eyes that neglect of
saving of this sort means decreased
war efficiency, prolongation of the
war, and q larger number Of casual
ties; II every one who has son or
dear relative on the fighting lines
across the water could be made to feel
that millions Of small savings directly
affect his boy-there would be no
doubt that we could secure the most
conscientious and enthusiastic coop
Grafton Of all the people. Thus far
900 people, 100,000,000 do not see the
connection between the suit of clothes
and the life Of the boy.
Germany's Enforced Economy.
Germany's military success Is large
ly predicated upon her ability to cen
ter the entire national effort upon the
business Of war. 1t Is safe to say that
she never would have been able to
bear the burdens Of the fight as well
as she has during these four long
years had 1t not been for the enforced
savings In material, money and men
brought about through the British
blockade. If 1t had not been for the
stern, necessities created by that block
ade the German people wouil not have
been willing to submit to famine ra-
lions as to food, clothes, shoes and
other similar articles. Industries ca
tering to the appetites and sxtrava-
gances of the masses would have kept
men and material from the government
instead Of making everything available
for the war work of the government,
and financially she would have ex-
hausted herself by buying things
abroad that she could go without or
for which she had to strain her In
genulty IN finding or creating substi-
| tutes.
1t Is difficult to bring about drastic
economy without the compulsion ex-
ercised by hard necessity. For us the
problem Is whether or not, Of our own
free will, we shall be able to estab-
lish our own voluntary blockade
| against waste and extravaganza. It Is