Norwich bulletin., 1918-02-27

must be put on a practical active war l basis now if we may hope to win the l war for democracy and humanity. The chamber of commerce and similar or ganizationsa can and will do wonders 1 for 'The Land of the Free'' in this | great patriotic work of organization of America's forces in our battles fHs American progress and liberty.
 Countless Serious Questions.
 Realize that the world war presents countless serious questions that de- mand immediate and serious consider atton of all the wisest business men of our country. Realize that there are now 45 million men under arms and that over million of our best young Americans are either on the firing lines or on the way to the battlefields where over F million have already given their lives. These warriors have been suddenly changed from a producing to consuming class and present the economic question of readjusting busi-
 ness and national life and progress to new conditions. Realize that the war is estimated to cost the nations over I5 million dollars a day. Realize that i the war costs America 45 millions a day and that it puts a. daily burden of
 
 pense every day on our own state of Connecticut Realize that if this wat i lasts two years it will pile g. debt on 1 Connecticut that will amount to more than our states entire government
 machinery cost in the last 75 years. l Realize that the national congress congress voted over 19 billion dollars
 to be spent this year on war work
 while in over 126 years of our history Swe spent a total of only 26 billion dol
 lars for government administration. Compare these figures with some of
 our present national assets and you
 have some idea of the economic ques-'
 tions that American business men. must solve now. The entire output of. .our factories just before Uncle sam ientered the war was estimated at g billions of dollars-our farms pro- duced last year a crop estimated at a value of 20 billions-our railroads with Ia1 their properties and equipments fare valued. at about 19 billions and Jour total national wealth at about z5d billions With our man power de- pleted and our factories and other in dustries already running at top speed to turn out enough to meet present demands how are we to produce this new supply of an extra 19@ billions? l How are we to turn out more goods lwith less help? Here are two questions that you men of business are to help to solve. With our great army of pro- ducers suddenly converted into an ar Emy of consumers how are we to read Ljust our business to meet the new and unprecedented demands? Evidently the lsolution of these and thousands of T other big questions are to test the liability and patriotism of every Amer lican. Evidently these are times when active work must be done by all. sac
 riffces and cooperation of the most practical sort must be made to put
 every industry on a firm active war basis. We must distinguish between the essentials and non -essentials-be- tween pleasure and patrictism-be- Etween helping to win the war and leaving. all the work to others. Vic i tory for II. $. A. must be the fore
 most desire of everyone who claims , II the, honor of American citizenship II Don't Play Cheap Politics. Holding meetings to arouse patriotism , 1 and arrange for patriotic activities is ' ffine but agitating questions to promote r dissention in communities or indus itries is like financing and aiding the
 submarines that are destroying the
 cargoes of food on their way to otrl 5 soldiers in France. Singing The Sta1 ? Spangled Banner is excellent, bu f shouting against Garfield and McAdoc 7 land Hoover1 is as unpatriotic as join
 ing the Kaiser's Saengerbund. Justly l criticising the president and his sec t retaries is all right when we know g what we are talking about and meal D to help promote American efficiency but playing cheap politics to hampe e and retard government military ant . naval activities while our boys ar c fighting and dying on the battle line t is treason. Eegitimately adjustint l lcontracts and prices to protect agains : unfair losses is necessary and proper a but holding up the food ships an - hoarding food and imposing unfai,
 lprices while millions are starving i the work of Judas Iscariot Let tn man who grumbles over his little in
 convenience back home spent a fe, II days in muddy trench where rat
 and vermin and filth surround bette linen who face poison gas and shrap J lnel and murderouS bombs for his pro I lection. Put the man who srowIs owe
 lsugar shortage and railroad difficul q ties into the devastated towns C d France now ruined in his defence Pu e the niserly American who refuses t g. give generously to every appeal in be r. half of Americas defenders into tn e homes of thousands of poor America $ mothers who have given sons to figh e for him with food and ammunition e and supplies that Garfield is trying e Ehelp Hoover and McAdoo and Bake IS to send to the horrible scenes of sac n rifice. Let us not forget that the arm s and navy are the cutting edge of tn
 machine but every part. of that ma