The Morgan City daily review. (Morgan City, La.) 1916-1920, 1918-02-06
filters AT THE FRONT ARE
BADLY HANDICAPPED
(Hv Frank A. Vanderlip)

tDN rIdIlk "A. bdAOOAAP(
Hardly day passes but there is
some fresh illustration of the ina
biiity on the part of governments to
buy with money something essen
tial for war preparation. We are
now discovering that there is not
linen enough in the world to cover
the aeroplanes that the allies are
producing. The English government
has just decided that at least 10000
acres of English soil must be devot-
ed to the production of flax, instead
of food. That government is max
ing 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 government 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 ev-
cry one can put himself in an effec-
tive way in a front trench. Every
one can make sacrifices that will
be reflected in a quicker and bet
ter equipment of armies. The prog
ress that can be made by speeding
up production can be exceeded many
fold by the effect which can be
produced by a whole nation making
UP its mind really to help win the
war. The difficulties of equipping
the army would be easily cut in half
if every individual in this country
would recognize his responsibility in
hclpin~ to equip the army, his re-
sponsibility TO get on without de-
m,-dinc new things he can pet on
without and by so doing leave a
crater amount Of labor and material
to produce the things the government
must have,
Every yard Of linen that is bought
from today on puts the buve- IN dl-
rec. connection with the Aeroplane
Beard in e1uipping the fleet Of aer-
orranes which we hone to nut over
the German lines. That should be
very plain to every one when 1t IS
known that the need Of line of
~oroplane production exceeds the to-
al there is in the world. But the
~eme rule applies in almost every
direction that we turn.
There can be only two reasons why
zen should not see in their personal
expenditure their individual respon-
~ibility for equipping the army. One
= a belief that a fully equipped Am
e~ican army is not going to be nee
ossarv; that the war either will be
Ion by our allies, or it has already
heen won by the exhaustion of oul
enemies. There il little in the sit.
,tion upon which to base such a be.
'ef. The other reason must be that
-eople believe that there are labor
nd materials enough to produce ev.
7~vthing that thev want for their
'->dividual uses and everything that
.he government must have. Abso.
Ute blindness to what the total is
hen you add two and two is the on.
= excuse there can be for believing
there are labor and material enough
ffrr the individual comforts and mil.
itery needs Of the country. The mar
Who is not prepared to economic to-
drv either believes there is no nee.
evsitv for military preparedness OF
he will not look in the face the plain.
est facts in regard to industrial ca.
r-citv. The government has pro.
vi1ed the easiest possible road for the
individual to turn his personal and
buy War Savings Stamps.