New Iberia enterprise and independent observer., 1918-12-21

4 put together; and twice as much
copper as all the rest Of the world.
4 1t has as much land as all Eu-
rope, and that land is just as good
as. if not better than, that of Eu-
rope. Capital is produced not by
a mass of peasants, however in
dustrious those peasants may be.
The Chinese are Industrious, but
they have no capital. The Rus
slams are sturdy workers. but they
have none either. Capital is pro-
duced by profitable and organized
industries. By this measure we
shall find that the United States
produces as much capital as all
Europe combined.
1t strikes me that the amount
of coal consumed by nation may
be taken as fair, tho perhaps
rough, measure Of the use of ma
chinery, as well as Of the organ
ization of industry This idea has
excited Indignation, | believe,
among some, but it is not unrea-
sonable. A better measure would
be the, sum total Of mechanical
power; but the statistics of that,
except for coal, are not so easily
obtained. The United States uses
It's share Of Water-power. and OF
gls-power too, probably in full
proportion.
Some critics complain that
this mass Of crude force is no
measure of soul, Of intelligence, or
Of grace. Perhaps it isn't; but
our most soulful national COM
petitors would like to have it, just
the same. | do not claim that
machinery produces our intell1-
gcnce. | claim that our intelli-
gence produces the machinery.
Judged by the amount of machm-
cry produced, the United States
may claim considerable intelli-
genee am willing to believe
that moral artistics, and other de-
>irable qualities are somewhere
tucked 4v in that intelligence" I"
What has all this to do with re-
construction? Have not these
facts been measurably true any
time last twenty-five years? Yes,
answers Mr.. Finlay, they have
been true; but it took a war to
make ourselves and the rest Of the
world conscious Of it.. That is the
function Of wars. A war is not
wos by forces that were existence I
before it began. Thus. in making
plans for the future, it is neces- !
sary to pay attention to the pro.
portion of things established by
the war. To quote further:
In former times the United t
States went to forengn countries S
for money; pow they will come {
here. The lender is the banker.
The United States is already a
creditor nation to the extent of a t
good many billions, and l imagine t
hat the part it will play in the c
reconstruction Of Europe will add a
good many billions more. In the t
lays before the war who ever t
leard Of an American buying the t
,onds Of foreign governments {? n
Sow look at the list published ev- t
'ry day in the Stock Exchange re-
'orts! Our banks have begun to n
stablish branch offices in foreign E
Countries, and it is probable that t,
hey will find increasing reason to c
10 so. l suppose Americans will +
Don be trading in the bonds and a
tocks not only Of foreign, nations a
md cities but also of foreign bus "
ness enterprises. c;
Recent events have shown tha. il
he United States is not detached a
rom the rest of the world, and ?
lso that it has giants power. h
here will be a certain temptation n
0 use this power to exploit blat- B
mt conceits and emotional fan Il
les, as well as new social and &C. =
nomic theories. There will be +
1ore need than ever for sound ir
ucation and common sense. - 81
he Literary Digest.
K
Nv. >. S.-- a.