The Belding banner-news. (Belding, Mich.) 1918-1973, 1918-08-21

mage that should be kept available for
our military operations and Increasing
our difficulties In adjusting our trade
balances with neutral countries.
Hurts Uncle Sam In Many Ways.
To return to our story of the suit
OF clothes: During last year thesUnited
States had to import 421 900 900 pounds
of WOOL. representing a value Of about
$172.O00.000 About half Of this came
from Argentina. Our suits Of clothes
called for substantial portion Of this
wool and therefore to that extent rob
bed Uncle Sam Of the use OF his ships.
Moreover. our factories being busy In
producing the things required for the
prosecution Of the war and our home
consumption still proceeding at almost
top speed. the quantity Of goods avail.
able for shipment to Argentina In pay
ment for the wool Tor for that matter
to Chile for nitrates. to Peru for cop
per. and so on). Is insufficient. As q
consequence the United States had to
pay for more goods In South America
than South America has had to pay
for goods bought In the United States.
thereby causing a decline Of dollar ex-
change In these neutral countries. This
shrinkage In the price of the dollar
means that II has lost corresponding
part Of Its purchasing power In neutral
countries. The scarcity of goods avail
able for our export trade has thus be-
come a serious obstacle In our way In
trying to secure at reasonable prices
or In adequate quantities some Of the
things that we absolutely require from
foreign Countries.
My suit of clothes has hurt Uncle
Sam. therefore. In several ways:
have consumed more wool than neces-
sary and thereby forced the United
States 10 import correspondlngly
large quantity of this>article; have
consumed more cotton goods than nee
essary and to that extent have de-
prived. Uncle Sam of the means with
which to pay for the minimum OF wool
which we may have TO import.
Clothing but One of Many.
have used the illustration of a new
suit OF clothes: Ii would be easy.
though somewhat tedious, to show that
we have been dealing only with one
case In point The country Is short
at this time of hides and skins and
has TO import large quantities from
neutral countries because we are ex-
travagant In our individual purchases
of shoes. Similarly, though we are the
largest producers of copper, we are
forced to import copper from Peru be-
begun sufficiently to curtail Its use.
In like manner we might ask ourselves
is II mt all excusable that at this time
we still manufacture such articles as
silk stockings, when every thread Of
silk must be imported. while we could
use our own cotton?
1t is impossible and unnecessary TO
enumerate the many articles that are
In a similar position. Many billions
OF dollars can easily be saved when
once we are capable of realizing the
cumulative effect of individual "sav-
ing:" take the word saving in its
larger meaning, as involving not only
money, but also goods and services.
If every Individual could be made to
see with Ills own eyes that neglect of
saving OF this sort means decreased
war efficiency. prolongation of the
war, and a larger number of casual
ties; IL every one who has son or
dear relative on the fighting lines
across the water could be made to feel
that millions of small savings directly
affect his boy--there would be no
doubt that we could secure the most
conscientious and enthusiastic coop
Grafton of all the people. Thus far
we must say with regret--of 105, 600.
600 people. 1O0.OO0.O00 do not see the
connection between the suit of clothes
and the life of the boy.
cermany's Enforced Economy.
Germany's military success Is large
| ly predicated upon her ability to cen
ter the entire national effort upon the
business OF war. 1t Is safe to say that
she never would have been able to
bear the burdens Of the fight as well
as she has during these four Ions
years had Ii not been for the enforced
savings in material, money and men
brought about through the British
blockade. III II had not been for the
stern necessities created by that block
ade the German people would not have
been willing to submit to famine ia
lions as to food. clothes. shoes and
other similar articles. Industries ca
tering to the appetites and extravn
gances of the masses would have KEEP
men and material from the government
instead of making everything available
for the war work of the government
and financially she would have ex
hausted herself by buying thing
abroad that she could 60 without o.
for which she had to strain her In
genuIty In finding or creating substi
| tutes.
1t Is difficult to bring about drastic
economy without the compulsion ex
ercised by hard necessity. For Nc thu
problem is whether or not, of our owl
free viii. we shall be able to estab