The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1918-09-13
AMERICANS LEARNING LESSON
OF THRIFT FROM THE FRENCH
(By C. NJ. Morrison)

or II was Lne savings OF Lne fTen-
chmen and Frenchwomen, tucked away
under hearthstones, buried in garden
spots and hidden away in stockings
that kept the Prussians from linger-
ing in Paris for years after they had
taken the French capitol in the War
of 1901. The thriftiness Of the FIR
ench people enabled France, to pay off
the huge indemnity, and the Prussians
who had hoped to hold Paris through
years of French financial struggle
went back across the Rhine.
And when the Huns came back
again forty years later it was the
thriftiness of the French people that
has enabled France to hold on through
four years of war. No wonder the
thriftiness of the French peasant has
become a proverb.
And we are learning the same les
sons here in America that the Euro
pean learned generations ago. We are
getting the thrift idea" here in the
United States. Every day, Ameri-
cans are more willing to make sacri-
fees, save money, deny themselves
luxuries and hold themselves in read
mess to do their part in raising the
Liberty Loans that will keep America
free for themselves and their children
and their children's children.
The war is teaching US what thrift
means, what it will do for US and what
it will do toward winning the war and
bringing back to their homes the lads
who have gone, or are going, "over
there"
The American is beginning to feel
like a Stacker, almost like a traitor,
when he finds himself spending money
foolishly. The thrift idea" has got
him.
Maybe his conscience hurts him
when he thinks of what wasted money
would do for Americans fighting over
there in France. Maybe il is because
he has son, or brother or friend
who has gone across and must be
backed up by the money OF the man at
home. Whatever the. reason may be
every American worthy OF the name
has reason and he is dong his best
to live up to It, We have learned the
lesson that dollars and rifles are both
needed in the war game
For a generation Americans had
been told that they were a wasteful
people. Extravaganza was a national
sin. Men who believed that we would
never be really great nation until we
began to save generally and system
atically tried to organize us into thrift
societies. Bankers tried to get us to
put our money into savings funds anC
savings accounts. Congress realized
the need of doing something to en-.
courage US to save and passed an ACT
establishing the Postal Savings Banks
But somehow or another the pennies
and the dimes and the dollars contin.
ned to run through our fingers and We
ate more candy, drank more soda wa
ter, smoked more tobacco per heac
and generally INDUCED ourselves mort
than any other people in the world.
Then came Americas entrance int.
the war and Americans wore cnllet
upon to Inv billions of dollars wortl
of Liberty Bonds and helm the Gov
eminent in other WAYS Money hell
was what counted, The war had Il
be kept going with the money tina
came from what men were making an,
saving. II would have becn foolish II
have gone into the banks and take,
what money was there bushes,
would have STONED and the war would
have STONED but the Kaiser and hi,
Hun horde would not have stopned
So out of the nav envelope of tn,
mill worker. out Of the butter and epp
money of the farm woman. the week.
Nv wage of the girl clerk and the LOAD
of whect broueht NV the farmer
Americans began to save to take care
of their obligations to their Govern.
ment.
And most of us have picture in
our minds of someone in France as
we save for tie next loan. Most of ne
have a settled determination that wf
don't want to sec the Kaiser's lillian:
gallon down under the elms of thf
old county seat. hear the Kaiser's em
carriages rafting over our navements
or see our green fields turned into an.
other No Mans Land IN this side NJ
the Atlantic.
We are getting the idea. the "thr;ft
idea. and getting il good. We are
keeping in mind The fact that the
United States Goyernment will in 8
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