The daily star-mirror. (Moscow, Idaho) 1911-1939, 1919-10-16
WILSON WARNS
OF ECONOMIC
PERIL.S AHEAD
Predicts National Disaster Il
After-War Problems Not
Solved Correctly

L Washington d. C.-Pei sistent indus
try and steady, conscientious savins
must be depended upon to avert the
national disaster" which turks in the
| cost of living issue, according to Presf
| dent Wilson. Only increased produc-
ton 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 VIII
| be properly balanced. The President,
| outlining the economic policy upon
| which the government is basing its
fight to reduce prices, made it clear
that the principles underlying the cam
paign for thrift conducted by the Saw
ings Division of the Treasury Depart
ment through the sale of War Savings
Stamps and Treasury Savings Certifl-
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 Establishments must
wait upon the outcome Of the goyel,.-
ments 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 cond .tions which con
front the country, said:
We are face to face with situ-
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 4
nothing less than bring our indus
tries and our labor back to 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-sacrifice. of patriotic de-
votion, and of community action
guided and inspired us while tire
fighting was on. We shall need all |
these now, and need them in a
heightened degree if we are to ac- |
the first tasks of peace |
They are more difficult than the /
tasks of war-more complex. less |
easily understood and require more |
patience and sobriety.
We modified our man power for
the fighting; 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-
luction and facilitate transportation,
SO as to make up for the destruction
wrought by the war. the terrible
it created, and so as soon
Is possible relieve our people of the
,ruel burden of high prices
Pointing out the thrift remedy for
he situation now before the people,
he President said
~Only by keeping the cost of pro-
luction on its present level, by in
reasing production and by rigid
economy and saving on the part of
he people can we hope for large