The Washington times., 1920-12-11

tune OF billions, will not be moved
until Europe buys them. Until
they are moved, business will re-
main at a standstill. II crops are
held back into next year, piling
one crop on the other, there will be
worse calamity.
Protection, tariff intelligently
adjusted, may be part of the COM
ing program. The immediate task
is to help Europe buy what we
want to sell.
Here arc four items of news.
The price of crackers drops two
to five cents pound (fancy
brands).
Harding and Hughes were at
Marion yesterday talking about
the League Of Nations.
Martial law declared in four
Irish counties, Cork, Limerick. Tip
perary, and Kerry. Any person
found possessing arms in those
counties may be shot dead. The
same with anybody wearing a mill
tary uniform Of the Irish republic.
Five men, in rapid succession,
one after the other, were put to
death in Sing Sing prisons elec-
trio chair Thursday.
OF the news items of the day,
which is tho most interesting
You would get as many answers
as there are items to that cues
ton from any dozen men now. A
thousand years from now none OF
the items will seem interesting, cx-
cept the electric killing of five men
with deformcd minds. All died
calmly, two smiled, and one. Cas-
sidy, sang, "Oh, What Pal Was
Mary" as he passed through
"thc little door"
The future will say that the bru-
tality of this age was proved and
illustrated in that small room
where Civilization" murders it's
nlurdercrs and sets the example in
killing.
If you arc thinking of buying
anything, and you OUGHT to be,
it may encourage you to know that
merchants, practically without ex-
ception, are now selling goods for
less than the me iants paid when
thew bought thin. Goods were
bought while y. ices were high,
and merchants are compelled to
sell below cost. This is your op-
portunity. To hold back for the
last cent of economy is not wisdom
and is not patriotic. Everybody
would suffer if that habit spread.
Two public enemies are the man
that cancels orders, with deliberate
bad faith, his conscience accepting
a flimsy excuse, and the man that
holds back business by refusing to
spend what he might spend legiti-
mately without extravaganza.
The pound sterling that was
worth $4.S8 was worth $3.45 yes
tcrday. The franc, normally worth
more than 10 cents, was worth less
than 6 cents. The lire, nominal
value over 10 cents, was worth less
than a cents. The German mark,
normally worth "a cents, was
worth in our money yesterday
less than A CENT AND A HALF.
In Austria and some other coun-
tries conditions arc worse,
THAT is what is the matter with
the world and business. If you.
went into store where prices were
bikh as ever and found your dol
lars worth 25 cents or only 10
cents apiece, you couldn't do much
Prices will improve in America
when the price of money improves
in Europe. American wheat at a
dollar and fifty cents bushel
seems cheap to us. Not so to
Frenchmen. 1t costs six dollars
in their money, and in German
money IT costs fifteen dollars a
bushel, so they don't buy, and
wheat goes lower. The same
with cotton.
The world is all ono business
family. The problem Of this ma
ton Is TO help Europe, not by
sending millions in loans or gifts,
but by establishing credits on a
business basis. Help thcm in a
/, business way 10 resume business.
Don't lend them money to build
battlcships or buy guns.