The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1919-08-09
National Life Dlsarranoed.

national Life Disarranaed.
our national life has no doubt been
less radically disturbed and dis
mempered than the national life of
other peoples whom the war more
directly affected, with all its terrible
raVaglng and destructive force; but it
mas been nevertheless profoundly af.
fected and disarranged and our indus.
tries, our credits, our productive ga.
pacity, our economic processes are
inextricably interviewer with those
ol tnose nations and peoples-most in.
tlmateiy OF all with the nations and
people upon whom the chief burden
and confusion Of the war fell and who
are now most dependent upon the CO
operative action of the world.
we are just now shipping more
goods out OF our ports to foreign mar.
kets than we ever shipped before
not foodstuff merely, but stuffs and
materials OF every sort; but this is
no index of what our foreign sales will
continue to be or of the effect the vol.
ume of our exports will have on sup
plies and prices. 1t Is impossible yet
to predict how far or how long for.
elgn purchasers will be able to find
the money or the credit to pay for or
sustain such purchases on such a
scale; how soon or to what extent for.
elgn manufacturers can resume their
former production, foreign farmers
get their accustomed crops from their
own fields, foreign mines resume their
former output; foreign merchants set
up again their old machinery of trade
with the ends of the earth. All these
things must remain uncertain until
peace Is established and the nations
of the world have concerted the
methods by which normal life and in
dustry are to be restored. All that
We shall do, in the meantime to res.
train profiteering and put the life of
our people upon tolerable footing
will be makeshift and Provisional
There can be no settled conditions
here or elsewhere until the treaty Of
peace is out of the way and the work
of liquidating the war has become the
cEief concern Of our government and
of the other governments of the world.
Until then business will inevitably re.
main speculative and sway now this
way and again that with heavy
losses or heavy gain as 1t may chance,
and the consumer must take care of
10th the gains and the losses. There
can be no peace prices so long as our
whole financial and economic system
is on a war basis.
Europe will not, cannot recoup her
capital or put her restless, distracted
peoples to work until she knows ex-
actly where she stands in respect of
peace; and what we will do for her is
the chief question upon which her
quietude of mind and confidence and
purpose stand.
While there is any possibility that
the peace terms may be changed or
not be enforced because OF divisions
of opinion among the powers asso-
ciated against Germany, 1t Is idle to
look for permanent relief.
Do It At Once.
But what we can do we should do.
and should do at once. And there is
a great deal that we can do, provi-
sional though it be. Wheat ship
ments and credits to facilitate the
purchase OF our wheat can and will be
limited and controlled in such a way
as not to raise but rather lower the
price of flour here. The government |
has the power, within certain limits
10 regulate that We cannot deny |
wheat to foreign peoples who are in
dire need of it and we do not wish to
do so; but fortunately though the
wheat crop is not what we hoped it
would be, it is abundant II handled i
with provident care. The price OF
wheat is lower in the United States !
than in Europe and can with proper
be kept so.
Sell Surplus Stocks.
BY way of immediate relief, surplus |
stock of both food and clothing in i
he hands of the government will be !
sold and OF course sold at prices at |
which there is no profit. And by way |
" more permanent correction of !
prices, surplus stocks in phvate hands .
will be drawn out of storage and put |
Ipon the market. Fortunately under ,
he terms of the food control act the |
BOARDING Of food stuffs can be checked
ind prevented; and they will be with
he greatest energy. Foodstuffs can
,e drawn out of storage and sold by
egal action which the department OF
Justice will institute wherever neces-
,ary: but so soon as the situation is
dealt with it is not |
likely that the courts will often have
% be resorted to. Much Of the &C
emulation of stock has no doubt !
,een due to the sort of speculation
which always results from uncer
ainty. Great SURPRISES were accumu
ated because 1t was impossible to
oresee what the market would dis.
lose and dealers were determined to
,e ready for whatever might happen,
IS we'll as eager to reap the full adj !.
-antage of rising prices. They viii
low see the disadvantage as well as
he danger of holding off from the new
process of distribution. !.
Some very interesting and signifi'
ant facts with regard to stocks on
and and the rise of prices in the face
# abundance have been disclosed by
he Inquiries of the department OF !
ericulture, the department of labor /,
nd the federal trade commission.
rhey seem to justify the statement
hat in the case of many necessary
effective means have
cen found to prevent the normal
of the law of supply and de. /
nand. Disregarding the surplus I
~