Imperial Valley press., 1919-10-09
WILSON WARNS
OF ECONOMIC
PERLLS AHEAD
Predicts "National Disaster" If
After-War Problems Not
Solved Correctly

Washington, D. persistent indus
try and steady, conscientious saving
must be depended upon to avert the
national disaster" which turks in the
cost OF living issue, according to Presi-
dent Wilson. Only increased produc-
tion and real thrift, he said, can be
effective in reducing prices and bring
ing conditions back to a point where
wages and the cost Of necessities will
be properly balanced. The President,
outlining the economic policy upon
which the government is basing it's
fight to reduce prices, made it clear
that the principles underlying the cam
paign for thrift conducted by the Say
| ings Division Of the Treasury Depart
ment through the sale of War Savings
Stamps and Treasury Savings Certifi-
Gates are the principles which must
rescue the nation from conditions more
dangerous to the prosperity and life OF
the people than the war itself.
Increasing wages will not meet the
situation, the President said. Wage in
crease in the great industries of the
country under present conditions will
only tend to push prices further and
! further out OF reach and the President
asserted that wage readjustments must
wait upon the outcome of the govern
ment's fight to pull down prices.
Demands unwisely made and pas
sionately insisted upon at this time
menace the peace and prosperity of
the country as nothing else could,' said
! the President. And this contributes
! to bring about the very results which
such demands are intended to remedy"
The President, emphasizing the seri-
business of the conditions which con-
front the country, said;
1--WE are face to face with a stu
alton which is more likely to effect
the happiness and prosperity, and
even the life, of our people than the
war itself. We have now got to do
! nothing less than bring our indus
! tries and our labor back to a normal
! basis after the greatest upheaval
/ known to history, and the winter
! just ahead of US may bring suffer-
ing infinitely greater than the war
/ brought upon US if we blunder or
! fail in the process. An admirable
spirit Of self-saerifice, of patriotic de-
! ves.ol. AID OF community action
/ guided and inspired us while the
4 fighting was on. We shall need all
these now, and need them in O
heightened degree if we are to ac-
complish the first tasks of peace
They are more difficult than the
1 tasks of war-more complex, less
easily understood and require more
|, Intelligence, patience and sobriety.
/ We modified our man power for
the bghting; let US now mobilize our
, brain power and our consciences for
! the reconstruction. If We fail it will
mean national disaster. The pri-
mary first step is to increase pro-
duction and facilitate transportation,
so as 20 make up for the destruction
wrought by the war, the terrible
scareities it created. and so as soon
as possible relieve our people of the
cruel burden of high prices"
Pointing out the thrift remedy for
the situation now before the people,
+, the President said:
"Only by keeping the cost Of pro-
duction on its present level, by in
creasing production and by rigid
economy and saving on the part Of
the people can we hope for large
decreases in the burdensome cost of
living which now weighs us down.
Buy W. s. s.