Great Falls tribune., 1921-06-21

be turned into celebrations, ex
pressing the popular appreciation
of the promptness and intelligence
with which congressman and sena
tors have met great .nationa
menace.
II venture to suggest that not II
all history has there been a time
when as simple device could have
unloosed so many pent-up energies
and brought about so widespread
business revival. Such a ster
would tend gradually to relieve the
strain on the little banks and that
in turn would relieve the strain
they are placing on the large cen
trail banks.
"By restoring to the farmer .
part of his lost purchasing power
the goods would begin to move of
the shelves Of the retailers. and
warehouses of the wholesalers and
jobbers would begin to be emptied
again and the wheels OF a myriad
mills and factories gradually
would be set in motion. The en-
ployment given to labor by gradu-
ally restoring its normal purchas-
| ing power would react to add mo-
mentum to the upward movement
started in the markets Of the coun-
| try.
America, that amazed the world
by its intelligence and driving pow
er during the war, has stupefied
and sickened the world since the
signing of the armistice, by its
pathological and suicidal unwill-
ingness to extend long time credits
to nations having ample security to
offer in exchange for our swollen
and rotting surpluses. But ! am
an optimist. / realize that Amer
ica's troubles are purely mental and
spiritual. While Europe has giant
material difficulties such as short
age of food, fuel. clothing. raw
materials, money and credits, the
only obstacle between US and un-
limited prosperity is fatal inabil-
ity to see straight, think straight,
and act decisevely. This weakness
is born of greed, partisanship and
an unworthy fear lest by doing the
obviously desirable thing to help
ourselves. we may at the same time
do something to help some one else.
"Afetr spending billions upon
billions of dollars to help in war,
and with approximately fifteen bill
lion dollars Of credit extended to
Europe during and Immediately af-
ter the war, our sudden decision OF
a few months ago to do nothing
more for Europe-not even to sell
out our worse than useless sur
pluses on we'll secured long time
credits, can only be explained by
experts in post war mental path
oiogy.
'We have put ourselves in the
position of the boy who had blown
his girl to an expensive dinner, TAX
en- her to the theater, dropped in at
cabaret for midnight feed and
whirled her home in a taxi-but
who resolutely refrained from kiss
ing her good night on the ground
that he had already done enough
for her. What the girl thought
Of that boob is practically what
the rest of the world thinks of us
and what will be the final and
hilarious verdict Of history unless
we brace. up promptly and act like
a nation of 'he-men.'
"It is not our intention to de-
tract from or depreciate the ef-
forts Of the war finance corpora
tion or the proposed national for
eign trade corporation as we are
in accord with their basic princi-
pie, but herein is sought an imme-
diate relief from a more and more
menacing, acute condition which
they are not in position to meet
"We are supposed to be busi-
ness nation and this is supposed
to be a business administration.
The question that congress and our
people have to decide is, are we
or are we not, willing to invest
$50, 100000 in order to forestall
losses and realize profits amount
ing to billions of dollars in the
added impetus given to industry
and agriculture by the opening of
our clogged and dam(n)ed chan
nels of foreign commerce"
Mr. .Vrooman says nothing of the
import side Of foreign trade as in
f1uencing farm prices and all other
prices, but it ought not be hard to