The Natchitoches enterprise., 1918-02-28
THE GREAT
QUESTION
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| This is the great question con
fronting every American citizen.
| Here is a common.sense reply:
Before we can settle the matter IN
detail, we must grasp those element
ary principles which govern national
affairs.
This does not involve great learn
ing or research, for economic know
edge is little else than common-sens'
applied to big subjects.
The war viii be won by the Ma
ton which can place the greatest
number of men, the greatest amount
| of material in the field, and produce
the greatest amount of foodstuffs t.
supply its military and civilian
| forces. This fact is so generally
recognized that it is not necessary
to bring forward elaborate argu
ments to prove 1t.
We are a wealthy Nation, and the
question arises as to whether or NOT
we can win the war by throwing oul
surplus wealth into the struggle.
We cannot
Why? Because our savings, as a
Nation, amounted to about 5 Billion
| Dollars annually before we entered
the war, and our war estimates foI
the first years operations call for
an expenditure of about Eighteen
| Billion Dollars, or over 81 times as
| much as we have saved ever before
in one year.
Now, there are three courses open
10 US. We can endeavor to produce
| az times as much wealth this year
Us ever we did before. We can en-
deaVor to save 31k times as. much
money az ever we did before. We
can lie down on the whole PROPOSE
tioR, and let Germany win.
Having described this article
as common-sense reply to great
question, we will eliminate the last
| mentioned possibility.
We cannot produce 31S times as
much wealth this year as ever be-
| fore. II will take several years to
| adjust our affairs so as to produce
such results.
To save 31k times as much as
ever we have before Is quite posi-.
BILE, but would mean actual hard.
ship for millions of our people.
The most sensible solution of the
| problem is to aim at a combination
of production and self-denial which
will find us at the, end of q year
| at least 81 times Weather as
nation, than ever before.
The method indicated has been fol.
lowed by our Allies with results that
| have astonished the world. After
21a years of physical and financial
strain, England raised recently
loan of Billion Dollars, equivalent
to Ten Billion Dollars in this Coun.
| try, owing to the fact that we have
about double the population. Eng
land has speeded UP her production
| Of wealth, denied herself so MUCH,
that despite the fact that millions OF
her finest specimens of human ma.
terial are fighting, despite the fact
that she had raised previously about
| like amount of Billion Dollars in
loans, and is paying 214 Billion Dol
hrs yearly in taxes, she was able
sill to produce this enormous amount
in 80 day campaign.
Germany is speeding up her pro.
duction along the most scientific
lines, and is starving herself. That
is the sole reason Germany exists
today.
Are we super-men that we can do
things differently to others?
Let us forget this talk of Uncle
Sam soon cleaning up the Germans
when he gets there" The Germans
will not be cleaned up" by talk, OF
| even by bravery alone. They must
be fought with their own weapons,
hard work and self-denial-the
things that win wars.
Again, the man who cries, Let
the rich man pay" has not grasped
| the elementary facts of the Situation
The rich man is paying, and WILL
pay, for the Government already is
calling for as much as 500 of his
profits in the shape of Income and
War Profit Taxes.
| 1t is true that the Government ia
not taking away the rich mans cap
ital, but neither is it asking the less
wealthy producer to part with his
capital. All alike must retain their
capital in order to run factories,
farm the land, build ships, equiv
armies, and provide wages
| 1t would be an entirely mistaken
/ policy to attempt to use the capital
wealth of the Country to finance the
war. What you need, what the gov
eminent needs, what the whole worlc
| needs, Is an increase, a very great
increase, In the INCOME of rich and
poor alike.
You farmers must produce more
must work harder; the uncuItivatet
land of this Country is standing
reproach to US. You working-men
must work overtime. Yeu wen7ss
must economize and save IN tho
home You wealthy automobilists
must curtail your extravagances end
Let the Automobile Manufacturer be
free to make trucks and cars for the
Government. You society women
must realize that it is ulgarity and
aimost treason to keep an army Of
| workers making your clothes when
they could be doing useful work for
the Government You children must
| heip with the Homework and free