The Pleasantville press. (Pleasantville, N.J.) 1912-1929, 1918-09-21
People Have Learned How
SenSeIGSs and Unnecessary
Common Practices Are
RETURR TO SIMPLE LIFE
Those Not Willing TO Deprive Them
selves of Some Comf7rtc migrate.
full For What Boys "over There"
Are Doing For Us.
BY JAMES W. GERARD,
Former Ambassador to Germany.

In the days before the wal it often
seemed to me that the immigrant who
came here with practically nothing
and who left an education and often a
competence to his children lived as
all men should live. He worked har1
and well and saved his money. Then
as his circumstances permitted he
placed his family in comfortable sur
roundings. Often he got hold of a
little piece of ground and raised a part
of his food supply. Such men as these
told me often that American life pre-
sented very few difficulties to a man
who wanted to become wealthy
through his own efforts.
OF course, these people did not have
the things that many of their neigh
bors thought vitality necessary. There
was no show, nc ostentation, nothing
merely to impress their associates and
%neighbors. And after all man is a
simple being. His wants are few, once
he gets out of an artificial point Of
view.
Return to Simple Living.
Since the wal has come with It's ne
cessity of curtailed expenditure many
persons and families are approaching
the state of simple living. They are
being vastly benefited. A mental and
spiritual betterment comes with sim
pie living and thinking. There is also
a great gain in resource. No man
need ever fear that he will become mi
serly through the practice of thrift.
Thrift simply means using the right
things for the right purpose and put
ting aside the surplus.
If the war has dor1 nothing else it
has at least taught to many persons
the value of thrift. The humun mind
is prone to attach labels to things.
Because a thing is done it is done
more and more. Once the individual
gives thought to life and living he
sees how senseless and unnecessary
are some of the practices to which he
thought he was committed for the rest
of his life. Too many people in Amer
lea are living beyond their means in
order to vie with some richer neigh
Dor. Why risk your children's future
and education through a silly imita-
ton induced by false pride?
To do anything well is a fine train
ing for any man or woman. The prac-
tice of thrift is only the utilizing in
the most scientific and exact ways of
an individuals resources. 1t is charac-
ter building and makes of man almost
the master OF his destiny.
Prove Superiority to Hun.
The situation of the world at the
present time says to civilized man:
Prove that you are fitted to survive
the Hun prove that you are superior
to the Hun prove that you are worthy
of being preserved. For a wasteful
use Of materials at the present time
is a crime against civilization. The
war cannot be won unless the nation
and the individual practice the most
exact thrift. If we as a race cannot
do this we are not fit to be the domi-
nant factors in the world. We can
and we will. The Hun and the state,
of affairs brought about by him are a
challenge to our civilization. We ac-
cept the challenge and we will win the
victory.
We could not do less. Our own
c%Ountrymen and our brothers in arms
are living in the midst of the greatest
danger abroad. They are subsisting
only on the vitality necessary foods and
their general situation is lacking in
comforts. We will deprive ourselves
of ~, 80 D,rr Ovyr, 1I,.lo~A .-.-r
that they may have the necessities of
life. We must not prove ungrateful
for what they are doing for us. We
do not wish to live in an e%nervating
comfort while they are suffering and
giving their lives that we may survive.
There is for those who are rich or
semirich or who merely have money
and ~extravagant tastes another and a
practical side.
Money Must Be Had.
We must have the money to carry
on the war. If money does not come
to the government from the countrv's
present stock of money, then it must
be created, for the war tlnnot stop.
Additional money means imitation
and that means a fall in the worth. in
the purchasing power of the collar.
So that every one who has an in
come, a salary or invested capital of
any kind, bonds, mortgages or other
obligations of state or city or railway.
should be vitality interested in practic-
ing thrift, and thereby maintaining
the value of this purchasing power of
his own property.
But greatest argument of all-the
spending of money now unnecessarily
is shameless, ever criminal.
Are we to feast while our sons and
brothers die over there and by our
very feasting put their success in
jeopardy?