The Greeneville daily sun. (Greeneville, Tenn.) 1918-1920, 1919-02-20
THE WAR A BY.PRopUcT.

THE WAR A BY-PRODUCT.
The delay in settling the war causing inconvenience,
and loss the business interests of the United
States Not only are hundreds of millions of dollars di
rectly affected by doubtful contracts which must be-
validated but business generally is in suspense not know
ing what to do which way to turn The number of in
quries regarding business is greater than ever be-
FORE but the amount of actual business is small This
evidence that industry is anxious to go forward but
dare not do account of the general doubt as to
peace and war, prices, use of products, etc.
There much that be done to relieve the universal
suspense The can help industry TO escerai
fair and reasonable price-no to fix prices but to ascer
tain what prices are and ought to be- The price confer
ence board being created is step in the right drec
ton. The governments published statement of what
prices ought prevail in basic industries will go far
establish such prices The moment the buyer and seller
know that prices are fairly stable they will begin to base
their calculations accordingly and will let contracts for
construction development purchase and general expan-
sion.
Aside from the assistance that the government can rem
der each individual business in the United States can
help wonderfully by taking careful stock of himself and
his country Is he sound solvent and anxious to for
ward? Very WELL There is nothing to stop him. Is the
country sound solvent and able go ahead? Yes What
is there to stop it?
The truth is that Americans were so highly keyed up
their resolve to win this that they exaggerated the
situation and sxaggerating it. The war was tre
mendous but it was not tremendous tax the United
States The country was ready to go to tremendous
lengths and if the war had continued if the emmy had not
crumpled under the first real blows Of the American ham
mer there would have been manifestation of physical
strength and resources combined with spiritual exalta
ton of purpose such as the world has imagined
Two millions of Americans poured into France and
enormous stores of American material poured in with
them The sight was wonderful and the achievement re-
markabe. But was mere by-product of the nexhaust
BILE energy and of this marvellous country When
we pause think that single years harvest in the Unit
ed States would buy all the railroads in the United States
begin to get glimpse of what this nation could do if
it should be really tested in Frances losses in men,
if suffered by the United States in due proportion would
have meant the loss of 100000 Americans, Before
that number of Americans had been put out Of action they
would have dominated all EUROPE W1peo ali Hernahy com
petely off the may and thrown the bOshevk into the Sea
of Okhotask In other words 12OOOoOO Americans could
not have been wthstood any time by all the comnbed
forces of the enemy at any stage of this war.
The losses of the United States have been puny The
money expenditure something that two three years o.
brisk domestic business will overshadow There big
foreign commerce to be developed, but greater STILL is
the immense business at home the weahiest market Of
the best providers that ever existed Let every American
business man push aside all thought of the and
ahead Let the government make peace as quickly as it
Let the question of prices be adjusted by actual
transaction of business and payment of good wages to
active wormen, and the country will recover from
its fit of doubt and suspense--W Washington Past