Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1918-05-01
DON'T PUT UP THE SHUTTERS
(By Truman A. DeWeese)

| Business as usual?
No; business not as usual-but
more business!
more Business Than Usual
| that's the war-slogan that should be
emblazoned on the outer walls along
with the "star-spangled banner"
| Some Of the wise ones are telling
us to quit buying things and thus
I"help win the war" We mustn't buy
anything we want or need. We must
save our money for war stamps and
Liberty Bonds. "An old, shabby,
worn-out overcoat is badge of hon.
| or in these times" says one eminent
| fnancier. "If you have planned to
give any of your money to artisans,
mechanics or other wage-earners for
goods made by them in factory or
shop, don't do it." says another
patriot.
/ don't agree with any Of them.
If we stop buying things and ev-
erybody suspends normal business ac-
tivity, how Is the Government. going
to put over these war-saving stamps
or float another Liberty Loan?
1t doesn't require deep knowledge
of finance to understand that Business
will have to finance" the war. If
"finanace" the war? We cannot pay
it out of our savings; that idea is fall
lacious. We can only make money by
spending money. 1t we stop produc-
ing things, and selling things, and
buying things, and merely depend up
on our savings we will soon reach the
bottom of the box, and the next Lib
erty Loan will find us without any
money with which to buy bonds.
/ attended luncheon the other day
in New York City to which number
of manufacturers and advertisers
were invited. 1t was ostensibly given
under the auspices of the United
States Food Administration. Like
most stunts of that kind, imagine
the Food Administrator had nothing
to do with it and did not know any,
thing about it. An amusing and
somewhat astounding feature of the
luncheon was an address by a man
who was introduced as "the greatest
financial writer in this country" His
title to that distinction came from the
fact that he had written sketches of
John ID. Rockefeller and other cele-
brities TO more or less renown. His
speech was q regular business-buster
Ia diatribe of disaster calculated to
make a man put up the, shutters, take
in his sign and tack on the door the
notice, "Out of Business Until After
the War" He urged every one to
stop buying things, both Injuries and
necessities. If you need pair of
shoes, don't buy them; hunt up an old
pair and wear them. Never mind the
shoemaker. He doesn't need to live.
Why bother about him? Let him
make munitions. If you need a new
suit of clothes, don't buy it; wear an
old one. Don't worry your head
about your clothier or tailor. Let
him make uniforms for the soldiers.
And so on down the line from shoes
to furniture and kitchen utensils.
His words of wisdom fell upon the
assemblage of business men like a
wet blanket. Stupefaction followed
amazement; and no one had the te-
merity to challenge the statements of
"the greatest financial writer in this
country" who, dare say, never had
been engaged in productive industry
of any kind Every business man
who heard him inwardly disagreed
with him, but he was hushed into that
discreet silence that seems the better
part Of valor when self-constituted
spokesman for the Government are
handing out silver nuggests of post
prandial wisdom.
As matter Of fact the arguments
Of this greatest financial writer in
the country" are fundamentally falla-