The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1918-03-10
Secretary McAdoo Tells Why
1t Is Duty of All to Glue In
Financing the Great War

and the allies who are fighting side
by side with US.
AS the people reduce their personal
consumption they will be enabled to
finance the war by lending their savings
to the government while at the same
Tune they help themselves by increasing
their personal resources and income.
Inc economic readJustments necessi-
tated by the Transformation of an un-
armed and peaceful nation into formid-
able armed combatant have caused IN
avoidable losses and hardships. Such
things can no more be avoided in time
Of war than sacrifices of blood If the
rights of the nation are to be vindi-
Gated and made safe for the future and
Just peace is to be secured for the
world.
FACE TRIALS WITH RESOLUTION
We must face these trials with phil
osophy, resolution and calmness. We
must see in them not alone the inspira-
ton but the call to supreme effort. When
these readjustments have been completed
1t will be found that all the brains and
energy Of the nation which have been
released from occupations nonesSential
to the war, will be required in enterprises
and activities which are essential to the
war, and that the welfare and pros
perity of the country as a whole will not
be impaired
Business as usual cannot, of course,
be adopted as the guiding principle in
time of war. 1t is wholly wrong theory
and should find no advocacy or accept
ance by the sensible and patriotic peo-
pie of America Business must be re-
adjusted to the war-making function of
the nation.
What is of superlative Importance in
the readJustment that must take place is
that our people shall be impressed with
the necessity of economizing the con-
sumption of articles of clothing, food and
fuel, and Of every other thing which
constitutes a drain upon the available
supplies, materials, and resources of the
country. Everything wasted now is moth
ing short of criminal. So far as / have
been able to observe the American peo-
pie are not sufficiently aroused to the
this really serious time not only in
the life of America but Of the nations of
the world.
Up to the present there has been a
relatively small denial of pleasures, COM
forts and conveniences on the part Of the
average citizen. He is drawing upon the
general store OF supplies in the country
with almost the same freedom as before
America came into the war. This can
not continue without serious hurt to the
nation and to the world
The great financial operations of the
government cannot be carried forward
successfully unless the people of the
United States economize In every possible
direction, save their money and lend it
to the government. By saving money
they give up some of their needless
pleasures; they reduce their demand upon
the general supply of food clothing and
other materials In the country, releas-
ing thereby that much for the use of our
own armies and the armies and civilian
populations of the nations which are
fighting the common danger with US.
They are at the same time increasing
their own material prosperity by their
savings, and they are directly helping
their government by lending it the
money with which 1t can buy the neces-
sary supplies and command the neces-
sary services to make our fighting forces
stronger and more effective in the field;
and this means an earlier victory for
American arms.
The great difficulty is to impress this