Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1918-02-13

TBy Frank A. panderiip.l


Hardly day passes but there is some
fresh illustration of the inability on the
part of governments to buy with money
something essential for war preparation.
We are now discovering that there is not
linen enough In the world to cover the
aeroplsnes that the allies are producing.
The English government has iuat decided
that at least 10000 acres of English soil
must be devoted to the production of fax,
instead of food. That government is
making terms with the farmers, which
will lead to the planting of that crop.
The illustrations are endless OF the fact
that there are not labor and materials
enough to produce the things that the
people want and the things that the gov
eminent wants. There are two ways OF
helping solve the problem. One is to
speed up production and industry. The
other is to cut down unnecessary con-
sumption. BY the latter method every
one can put himself in an effective way in
front trench. Every one can make
sacrifices that will be reflected in quick
er and better equipment OF armies.
The progress that can be made by speed
ing up production can be exceeded many
fold by the effect which can be produced
by q whole nation making up its mind
really to help win the war. The difficult
ties OF equipping the army would be
easily cut in half il every individual in
this country would recognize his respon-
sibility in helping to equip the army, his
responsibility 70 get on without demand
ing new things he can get on without,
and by so doing leave greater amount of
labor and material to produce the things
the government must have.
Every yard Of linen that is bought from
to-day on puts the buyer in direct COM
petition with the aeroplane board in
equipping the feet OF aeroplanes which
we hope to put over the German lines.
That should be very plain to every one
" hen it is known that the need CT linen
for seroplsne production exceeds the total
stock there is in the world. But the same
rule applies in almost every direction that
we turn.
There can be only two reasons why men
should not see in their personal expend-
iture their iudivual responsibility for
equipping the army. One is belief that
fuily-equipped American army is not
going to be necessary; that the war either
will be won by our allies, or it has already
been won by the exhaustion OF our en-
emies. There is little in the situation up
on Vs. ich to base such belief
The other reason must be that people
believe that there are labor and materials
enough to produce everything that they
want for their individual uses and every
thing that the government must have.
Absolute blindness to what the total is
when you add two and two is the only
excuse there can be for believing there
are lsbor and material enough for the in
dividusl comforts and military needs OF
the country. The man who is not Ire
pared to economic to-day either believes
there is no necessity for military prepar-
edness or he will not look in the face the
plainest facts in regard to industrial ca
paclty. The government has provided the
easiest possible road for the individual to
turn his personal sacrifice into patriotic
aid-save and buy war savings stamps.