The Monticellonian., 1918-08-30
AMERICAN PEOPLE
 GREAT SPENDERS
Millions of Dollars Thrown Away for TrifIes That Ought to
 Set Nation Thinking.
SOME WAYS MONEY GOES
Postcard and Cheap Souvenirs Take Big Sum Every Year-Billions Spent for Needless Teiephoee
 Calls and Telegrams.
By EDWARD MOTT WooLLEY.

By EDWARD MOTT WOoLLEY.
 It seems incongruous that in this rich and wonderful land of ours It should be necessary to conduct mighty selling and advertising campaigns iH order to raise money to crush our enc mies-cruel and dangerous enemies who are bent on throttling the very lib- erty on which our country has been built If we really felt the impulse we could raise six or eight billion dol lars spontaneously and without the blare of salesmanship and publicity; and we would do it so easily that Ger many and her allies would stand sghast at our overwhelming resources and purpose.
 The trouble Is that even yet we do not realize the tragedy that is over us The war has not sunk into the American consciousness. With mil lion or,more of our boys In France, and the casualty lists coming home every day, we still lack the pulsating fervor of intrepid courage-the courage that wells within one and stirs the soul.
 Fighting Impulse Needed.
 The one unquestionable evidence of courage is the willingness to sacrifice. A man who sees his child in deadly peril is instantly ready to sacrifice everything, even his life. It takes no argument to "sell" to him the need of courage. He gets 1t from within. The fighting impulse dominates his every instinct. What we most need in America today is fighting impulse. Once we get 1t the doom of Germany, as a menace to ourselves and to tbe world, will be sealed. If we had this yalorous, undaunted determination we could raise, this coming year, not mere ly six or eight billion, but as many bfl- Hon as our country might need. Let us search our hearts. therefore, and discover why it Is that brass-hpnd methods are needed to sell us Liberty bonds. It seems all the more incredi- ble that such should be the case when the money we are asked to contribute is merely money saved for ourselves.
 Indeed, we could put through this fourth Liberty loan without even feel ing 1t directly. I am not talking here about great sacrifices. With merely triv- isl and passing inhibition we can make this fourth loan glorious manifesta- ton of Americanism.
 Never was there such nation of spenders-we literally throw money to b< fnI of cts into hundred channels of extray- agance. Tempted at every turn by something that appeals to our pleaolre- saturated instincts, we hand out the dimes, quarters and dollars. We work hard, most of us, and we play hard. Many of us play with an amazing abandon that scarcely reckons the cost. And we gratify ourselves not only at plays, but we satisfy our luxury-lovlng tendencies and our vanity in many of the things that enter into our daily lives.
 Let us consider here merely the mill lions that go for trivial things that do not count as permanent investments either for utility or luxury.
 Millions Spent for Cards.
 For instance, take our post card mania. This habit. which perhaps we would not criticize in times of peace, Is almost universal. A dealer esti- mates that 50,000,000 people spend an average Of a dollar a year on the cheaper kinds of cards. and an addi- tional sum of hundred million dol lars on postage. But on the fancy cards and more expensive sets, sold largely to tourists, the estimate is S200000.000, in addition to the postage Including tho cards that are kept by the purchasers, 1t is probable that the total is half a billion dollars Many men have made fortunes in this business. know of one former valentine manufacturer who retired with lot of money.
 It Is certainly inconsistent that this great sum should go for such trivial purpose when the nation Is in- volved in this mighty war that calls for cash everlastingly. Here is one expenditure that could be eliminated almost wholly until the war is over. Besides this amount put into Liberty ponds might mean something worth while to the people themselves.
 Then there is another class of sou benirs that masquerade as merchant disc and absorb an astonishing amount of money. Travellers and tourists es- pecially waste their cash upon these things, and immense quantities are sold to the people everywhere. The bulk of this stuff is useless junk-at least in war time, when conservation Is the high need. Why spend our money these days for fancy baskets, card trays, wooden clapteap articles, knick- knacks, trinkets popguns, stuff and whim whams? The souvenir stores in Atlantic City, Asbury Park Coney Is- land. Revere Beach near Boston. Ven Ice near Los Angeles, and similar es- tabiishments take more than a hundred million dollars out of our pockets every summer. One small town con- cern in Atlantic City sells hundred thousand dollars worth. on which the net profit is over fifty thousand There are factories that turn out this sort oI product In vast quantities. and mucb
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