New-York tribune., 1918-10-27


were fired during the fourth
Liberty Loan drive, when buyers
were urged to take just one
more bond to stuff into .the toe
Of the Christmas stocking. To
the hardened "night- before Christmas"
shopper such thing seemed prema-
turc. But it is only one of the schemes
which the government has devised to
cope with a merchandising problem be-
fore which retail merchants have al
ways gone down in rcfcat.
Early Christmas shopping has been
put by Washington authorities this
year on the same plane as gasless Sun
day. There is nothing compulsory
about it~yct. But if congestion results
around December % in the mails or
the express Office the railroad ad-
ministration will simply refuse to carry
bclated Christmas packages until other
business is cleared out Of the way.
Already Christmas decorations arc
appearing before the last autumn leaf
has fallen, for Santa Clauses, holly
and tnscl trimmings put the public
INTO holiday frame of mind. At
Wanamakcr's the toy department has
taken such head start that it will be
ready on November S. Several Brook
lyn stores have adopted "Buy- Gift
a-Wcek" slogan, which is posted con-
splcuously around the show windows
and inside.
There is another regulation which
may be enforced, if all the aforemen-
toned things do not get the public out
early. Stores may be forced to restrict
delivery systems to such an extent that
only the bulkiest packages will be &C
corded the right of being "sent."
10 those thousands of persons who
have longed for a solution of holiday
shopping the opportunity has arrived.
with the government to help there is
no reason why a precedent should not
be established which might have last
ing result. Early shopping is open to
I all who care to indulge in it.
HECoNOMIC oycotts"-"trade re-
IL strictions" - "prohibitive tar
lhs'-these are terms which grown
ups use to indicate what might be
done to Germany after the war. But a
cargo of German goods which was
shipped into the United States this
week may put the question of trading
with the Hun directly in the hands Of
American children before statesmen
nave an opportunity even to indicate
policy in this regard.
FoH the cargo consisted of TOYS from
Germany, 5000 tons of them, bought
and paid for before the war and lust
getting into this country by virtue of
the raising of a British blockade.
miscellaneous cargo"-the ships
bill reads. Which means that there
are lls-probably, the stare-y. flax
en-haired German kind-and tin SOL
dlers, stiff as any goose-stepping in
1antryman on parade, and MANY me-
chanlcal toys They are still living in
the hold of the vessel, until some nee
essary paper will permit them 10 be
released from a long imprisonment
There is little likelihood of their be.
ing sold,' merchants who deal in TOYS
say, unless they are not stamped with
the mark Made in Germany.' II
would represent loss of 100000. but
at the present time public opinion Is
IN no mood for German goods"
No child could possibly know that
since 1891, when the Mckinley tariff
law was passed, it has been necessary
for foreign goods to bear the mark of
the manufacturing country.
But if some little girl finds "Nade
in Germany stamped on the mink
Dashboard slipper of her Christmas
doll she will have a nice point Of eco.
nomic policy to decide.
N7HAT do you know about tho
w gloves you wear?
Willard NJ. Smith, manager Of the
P. Centemeri Company, SAYS there i,
scarcely any other department of mer-
chandlse with which the public has.so