Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1918-09-12


rstions are bought every morning f.,
he day. If there are children in ii:
home, who must be fed between meals
that is provided for, but nothing what
ever for eccentric aI.petites.
I rebelled vigorously and denounced
the French as mean, stingy, econc
nicai race, my opprobrium extending
to the Americans who drifted supineiy
into the national habit.
Little did l think in those days that
the national habit of thrift and severe
economy il France WAS one OF their
greatest sources of strength. The In :
t:onal debt of France before the waE
was subscribed to almost exclusively
BY the peasant class and lower honr-
geoisic, people who periodically dug
irto their stockings and bought new
bond. Nothing can exceed the self
denial of those classes. 1t was for thi.:
reason that lie Bicn-Etre due Blessc,
which was formed 1T the request OF
the French Government to provide de-
licacies for the wounded soldiers III the
hospitals Of the war zone, was a pr!-
vatc organization, the funds to be
raised by subscriptions. The men mus
have the tempting and delicate foods
or die, but if the Government had
taken over the task Itself, that would
have meant another tax, to be fol-
loved Immediately by a popular Out
cry. To the average French mild
dcIicacy rhymes with luxury, and il
would have been impossible to con
vince the millions d"udging at home
that wounded men needed what they
ncvcr had had before, i'll or we'll.
When I lived in Munich had g
Swiss maid in whom I had implicit
land iustifable) faith. She would
come to me periodically and say:
Madame, je mai plus d'argent," and |
would hand out several hundred marks.
That was all | had 20 do with house
keeping during my seven years resi-
dcn:c in Germany. And yet my inco;n-
parable Elsie would never give me any
thing to eat between meals but zwlc-
bach, which in Germany is as hard as
the thrice accursed national heart.
have found it comparatively casy
&c follow most Of the Hoover rules,
for | have always eaten meat n1cret,'
as matter Of duty, and took klndtS
to Graham biscuits with my morn
ipg tea. Moreover, shc bread and bat
Ter habit at lunch and dinner ] have g.
WAYS thought vulgar. But to eliminate
WASTE has been different mater.
Still I have in a measure succecdc,
There is nothing in the bread box o.
anywhere else (cXcant the inevItah!"
boxcs Of Graham biscuit) but the daily
raticn; so that now when ! come home
in the afternoon hungry | either foi
Get it or eat a few more Graham
biscuit which | shall never look {.
again after the war is over.
mention this personal experience
because it is no doubt that OF many
others. In Il short sine it will he tac
n.pcricnsc Of every one in the Unltet
Safes: fer the way this nation has
walked up, denied itself its custonaf!
Inquiries in order to PIT the money into
Tho Liberty Loan ana W. S. 5. is the
most significant thing in its history
And as there is something very las
ciratinr about thrift and cconoMJ
ar,ar II has been ps&c.lccd for tim'
ro doubt the habit vii be lastnS
ona and this nation VIII reach htlght:
or wealth and strength of characte!
.hot IFS most ardent native ADMIRE:
ro,.ar would have vcntured to predict
More than any other single cause does
. national habit, if il is a good oae
knit a nation together, prevent the ol@'
ir+coration which comes from the SOFT
peys OF over indulgence.
And for the formation of this ha7:'
Of thrift. ard the lucid exposition o.
,vt.t thrift means in the Winning OF
ne war, we must thank the y. q"
S. campaign. l doQbt if any ln'IVinu2
Of this country. barring the traitor:
who call themselves Pacilists and
" WIS. has failed Co buy himself 8
Io,st one II. s. SIS. Many have put ~
IA them all their hard-carned savings
Ept even the possession OF enc y
:. s. makes It's posatssor thIn@. An,
whom This nation mas learned to tnins
rs a unit it will hc what 1t no" is''%@
ines II is, the Creates nation III VI
weld.
r>~f. III, r. Y II.