The Dermott news., 1918-08-29
Millions of Dollars Thrown Away
for Trifles That Ought to
Set Nation Thinking.
SOME WAYS MONEY GOES
Postcard and Cheap Souvenirs Take
sig Sum Every Year-5illionS
Spent for Needless Telephone
Calls and kilograms.
BY EDWARD MOTT wooLLEY.

Il seems iucugEruous that In tbs
rich and wonderful land Of ours Il
should be necessary to conduct mighty
selling and advertising campaigns III
order e raise money to crush ctr enc
mles-efuel and dangerous eaeaie
who are bent en- throttlnE the very ILL
ertv on which our country has been
built. IF W. really felt The impulse
We could raise six or eight billion dol
lars spontaneously and without Tie
bnre Of craftsmanship and publicity;
and We would do IT So easily that Ger
many and her allies would stand
a.hasf TT or overwhelming resources
ant purpose.
The trouble is that even YET We To
not realize the tragedy that Is over
US TIE 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 pulsatias ferser
o. intrepid couraCc-the courage that
wells within one and stirs the soul
Fighting Impulse Needed.
The one ulHueStiouahle evidence Of
courage Is the willingness 10 sacrifice,
A nun WHO secs his child in deadly
peril i instantly ready Ia sacrifice
everything. even his life. Il takes no
argument 10 "-ell' 10 him the need Of
courage He gets II from within. The
fghting Impulse dominates his every
instinct What We most need iii
Ameriea today IS fighting impulse.
Once we get Il the doom of Germany.
ms Il meuaee to ourSely~ and 70 the
world will he scaled If We had this
valereus, undauntrd determination We
could raise. this coming year, not mere
IL SIX or eight hilltop, but rs msnX bill
Ion rs or country might need. Let
US search eur hearts, therefore, and
discover Why II is that Grassland
methods are needed To sell us Liberty
bonds l. seems all the more incredi.
bic that such should he the ease WHEN
the money We are asked 10 contribute
is merely money saved for ourselves
Indeed we could put through this
fourth Liberty lonu without even feel
Ing f directly I am not talking here
,heuf great sacrifices. With merely triXs
IN ana tds>lHs dI'''''.' ion p" : sat' si.tat
TINS teafth loan = glorious Hl.'iiii e>1a=
ton Of Auericaui~m
Never WIS t3''' NN'H haaeh q
'nendefS-"r t'tIa''E 'HFe" t'eaeS 10
the winds cash runs ont of our peck
cts into Il hundred channels e extraN=
eganee Tempted nj every tsrn by
something tHd' aii"nN '' "it peas
saturated ih>tih't>. We "3u' e3t 'ii'
dimes quarters ana d"llArS' we worn
hara. most OF Us. ANA We PiiiN nun.
Many az Us p'"N WI" II" '"''@'nT
abandon that scarcely rtsa"AS 1e' CO.'S
And We gratity ourselves mol only Al
plays, but We N"h>iy cur iANhft-ieNth~
tendencies ana our VANITY III many "'
the things I'LL '-''r INT" our aa4S
lives.
Let Us consider mere merely tis' INIT
lions that e. Tor TRIVIAL lhih-s laa' 90
not count rs permanent investments
either Tor uusiE or luxury.
Millions Spent for Cards
For instance. take our post card
mania Tbs s.hit. which perhaps We
would not criticize TN times 81 peace.
Is almost universal. \ dealer eSti-
mates that 10000 600 people spend an
average Of dollar a ycar on the
cheaper klraS Of cards. aud an add
tlonM sum ~ 81 hundred million dol
lars on postage. But on the fancy cards
and more expensive sets. sold largely
10 tourists The estimate Is 5000 .0eo.p4e
In addition o the postage Including Tie
cards that are kept lay he purchasers,
Il Is probable thar the total IS half "A
billion dollars. Many men have made
fortunes In this business. l know Of
one former valentine manufacturer
who retired with lot Of money.
II Is certainly Inconsistent that this
great sum should go for such n
trivial purpose when the nation is in
volved In this mighty war that calls
for cash everlastinslv Here Is one
expenditure that could be eliminated