The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1919-04-14
The Victory Loan

Wayne county is preparing to subscribe its
allotment of the Victory loan. The war has not
impaired our resources nor destroyed our wealth.
In fact we are richer today collectively and indi-
vidualy that we were four years ago.
When we entered this war, the government
was instructed by the American people to spare
no money to attain victory. For that reason gil
gantic preparations were made entailing the ex-
pendture of gigantic sums of money. Some
criticism has been passed ON the government be-
cause of alleged extravagant expenditures, but
we must not forget that the federal officials went
on the theory that the war would continue three
or four years and made their plans accordingly.
One of the state Liberty loan officials in this
city recently used this illustration: If you were
to erect house with no menacng factor to COM
pei haste, you would object to unnecessary eX-
penditures for overtime and materials obtained
on rush orders. But suppose an enemy was pre-
pairing to destroy you, and your house was to be
a fortress against his attacks, would you spare
money rushing it to completion?
This was identically the situation that con-
fronted the United States. Our allies told us
that unless we completed the job in double quick
time. Germany would cross the Atlantic and des-
troy us. In order to offer protection to our own
country and to meet pressing emergency, the
government spent billions of dollars to rush de-
liveries of war materials and appliances. 1t is
unfair to criticize the government now and to
withhold the financial support which is needs to
wind up the expenditures of the war.
The Chicago Journal adduces the following
statistics which will be of interest in this con-
nection:
According to some statistical gentlemen who
have genius for reducing facts to form easily
grasped, the United States has seven per cent of
the worlds area and six per cent of the worlds
population This makes us look like rather small
potatoes. But the same statisticians go to
make plain that these same United States have:
Thirty per cent of the worlds wealth.
Thirty-five per cent of the worlds banking
power.
Forty per cent of the worlds railways.
That puts rather different face on things.
But it is only when one looks at the matter in
terms of income or production, rather than of &C
emulation, that he gets something like the full
measure of this country's latent power. America
produces:
Twenty-Five per cent of the worlds wheat
Thirty per cent of the worlds manufactures.
Forty per cent of the worlds coal.
Forty per cent of the worlds iron.
Half the worlds copper.
Two-thirds of the worlds petroleum
Two-thirds of the worlds cotton.
Three-quarters of the worlds corn.
Will a country with that kind of industrial!
standing have any trouble in subscribing the vic
tory loan?
No!
Will it WEIGH on the task? Will it hesitate
to put up the money to bring the boys home and
set them to work Will it balk on paying the bills
for the materials that helped and saved our SOL
diers while they were crushing the HUMP.
Not in a million years!
Get ready for your share of the victory loan.
It's going over the top, and you'll never forgive
yourself if you don't go with it.
E,rn,arc RI E;obt Radicals