The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1919-03-18
Bond OWnerS Listed
As Suckers By Men
Living By Wits
10y Federal Trade cOmmlsslOn)

ARE Nuu vi llle SuChtE llSls
If you are 1t Is probably because you
are not a sucker, but a patriotic citizen
who has known the Liberty bond to be
a good thing. Get-rich-quick sNindles
have been the great American sport
for years, The sharpers who sell fake
stocks saw their game endangered
when Uncle Sam started his great Lib
erty loan campaigns. But they are
smart-these gentlemen who live by
their wits, Instead Of complaining
they jumped in and put themselves
and all their employees TO work trading
their fake stuff for Liberty bonds, II
you have q Liberty bond or a book of
war savings stamps you are a pros
pect',, for fake stock. Your name Is
probably on the sucker list Of the oily
tongued sharper because over 0,00O,-
900 patriots bought Liberty bonds, You
are not to blame for being or the
sucker list, but 1t is up to you to get
off-away off-that list at your first
opportunity.
The American people are paying out
| some half a billion dollars a year to
the support of worthless stock schemes.
The people reap therefrom $500, 000, 900
worth of-thin air. That is not a wild
guess, 1t is the estimate given by the
capital issues committee Of the L. S,
treasury, And. the committee assures
us that it is conservative. Moreover,
lIlo ldll DllllOu represents just Tie tOlu
cash that Is turned in every year by
otherwise level-headed Americans seek
ing a milk-and- honey path to quick
wealth by the fake stock certificate
route. 1t does not TAKE into account
the vast economic loss incident to bro
ken fortunes, impaired effort Of dis
c%ouraged investors and to the diver
sion from legitimate business enter
prise Of new productive capital.
The capital issues committee
charged with keeping the nations in
vestment dollars on a work-or-fight
basis during the war, has made
searching inquiry into the devious by
ways of fraudulent stock promotion. it,
conclusion Is that never perhaps In thu
history Of the country has wildcat pro,
motion been so flagrant-from coast tc
Coast-as today. AS a result of tht
governments great war loan campaigns
there are now hundreds Of thousands
of Americans converted to the Idea o
saving and investing. with a very
great proportion, their Investment eX'
perience is limited to the good, rock
bottom government war bond. The
faliir Is after them. Thousands o
statesmen" carefully drilled in the gen,
tie art of Selling OH the first call,
and getting out of town, are abroad.
They will tell you you were a patriot
a real citizen, to have bought Libert!
bOlihas lioNVNCIi Sud We lldut gOul
sacrifice, the wars over now-ant
really Az per cent Is no return at al
in peace times-let us exchange you
bonds for this exceptional offering posi-
lively guaranteed to bring in anywhere
from 10 to 500 per cent in dividendt
before the years out-as soon as tn,
oil well is sunk, or the mine shat
completed, or the property developed
or the like. That is thte brand Of thu
stock swindler today: that he Is will
ing'-as an accommodation to you, yol
understandable accept your good Lib
orty bonds in exchange for his worth
less stuff Happily there is a govern
$ ment agency today on the trail Of tn,
stock sharp. 1t Is the federal trade com
mission, empowered by congress to pre-
vent unfair methods or competition Ii
Interstate mmerce The commission
may well be expected to look upon tn
Fleeing Of Americans of their Libert,
bonds as decidedly unfair"
If you W a Liberty bond you
doubtless have an early call from on
of the pleasant representatives Of tn,
sharper outfit. When you do, just dro]
a postal to the federal trade commits
sion at Washington and tell them abou
that visit and send them the attractiv,
literature hat is handed you, togethe
with the name and home address o
the salesman" or, send 1t in to thi
paper and we will forward 1t to Uncl
Sans men. 1t would be interesting
to know how much of the $500, 900, 00
a veal filters out of Memphis to tn,
detriment of our banks, our merchant
and our legitimate business develop
ment. Also, how many of US are OF
the sucker list. Let's keep our loost
change at homei