The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1918-01-01
A BUSY YEAR
IN AMERICA
The War Speeded Up the
Requisite Indus
tries
PRICES
WE'RE THE RESULT
Scarcity of Cars, Labor and
Fuel Had a Serious
Effect

Nineteen hundred and seventeen will
be memorable because the greatest of the
worlds democracies, the United States
of America its foreign commerce for.
hidden, its merchant ships sunk and its
citizens fouly murdered -forsook the
paths of neutrality and went forward to
seek with the sword peace and reparation
from a country which through two years
preceding had broken its plighted word
to us, had treacherously assaiIed us while
protesting friendship, and had drenched
the world in blood
By and through this act and the conse-
quences growing out of Americas abso-
lutely necessary step. the war took on a
new character, the irrepressible conflict
between the worlds two great systems
of government became clearly defined,
and this country, once sneered at as Il
mere collection of traders in the misfor-
tunes of others, stood revealed as one
willing to battle and suffer for ideals to
which its enemies declared it was an alb
solute stranger Naturally, the trade
history of such a year as that Just closed
Is difficult one to write because old
standards of living were perforce aban-
doned, new and strange problems pre-
sented themselves to be solved, and new
rules of action and measures of attain.
ment We're set up. 1t is still, even nine
months after our formal embarkation in
the war, difficult to say what final sue
att lad e ttxf'. aHA "a
adjust itself to war conditions, but it
may at once be said that many OF the
steps taken and the progress made in
transforming it from peaceful neutral
to great military and naval power
have been comforting to those who have
believed not only in the desirability, but
in the efficiency under strain, OF repub-
lican form of government.
Briefly stated, this country has been |
disclosed as capable of raising great |
army and, allowing for natural differ |
ences of conditions, of building up an |
equally great navy, of providing food and |
for its own millions and those |
Of its allies, of taking fairly active |
part in the war, at the same time per
hitting the pursuance of the necessary
peaceful arts, and Of acting as banker Of
The allies and loaning unprecedented
sums to further the war. In doing this
It has had to impose taxes such as were
never dreamed of by its own people, it
las fioated vast loans TO unprecedented
numbers of subscribers, it has requisi
Toned men and materials alike for war
md peace purposes, has set up rules for
,uying and selling, eating and drinking,
nd hoo Il Cd b, nd !
leting of crops and the disposal of their
urpluses among the nations. In word
t has done most of the things thought
necessary for the success of its policies
md, to the amazement alike Of its
riends and foes, has done all this with
minimum of apparent compulsion, and
indeed with apparent anxiety on the part
If its people simply to learn what was
equired and to do it with promptitude
nd completeness unequaled in the
worlds history. In the doing of these
hings, and in preparation for other and
reater undertakings, it has broken as +
many presidents of policy as it has rec
rds of production. Indeed, the big events
occurring and the great basic changes ,
made have been vertically Kaleidoscope =,
n their number and character, and the |
yords record" unprecedented" 'enor- :
nous" and other adiectives have become b
ime worn and hackneyed from their c
onstant iteration. Q
With the great war now moving
trough its fourth year, bird's-eye view $
the big happenings as they have af- h
,cted ourselves might not be amiss. The C
osing months of 1914 found this coun- v
" laboring to adapt itself to the new G
nd strange conditions forced upon it in p
,mmon with the rest of the world. q
losed exchanges, disorganized industries, Il
lndreds of thousands of workers idle u
nd lack of confidence were the salient II
In 1915 liquidation of Amer
an stocks and bonds held abroad and o.
verish activity in supplying munitions r.
I'd foods to our customers stood out as G.
@ features. In 1916 we assumed the W
,sition of creditor nation. loaned free ol
to the entire world, bought heavily of m
lIigerent securities, imported both gold N
ID merchandise in unheard of volume, fe
ID exported food, munitions and manu- OF
etures to similar extent, while ex- "
nding old and establishing new indus W
les as a dollhouse develops plants. Eff be
rts to bring about world peace under be
ker by our president failed u
hundred and seventeen saw pa
assert our right to life as CONNER he
II nation raise two enormous popular en-
ans for the prosecution of the war, tn
Y the foundation for and rear upon 10
tn