Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1923-02-27
Tuesday, February q, 1923
SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT

SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT
During the war foreign countries
needed our products, our foodstuffs.
our manufactures, They didn't have
money or goods to exchange for that
which they wanted of US, so our
Government sold Liberty bonds to
our people to get the mony to loan
these countries so that they might pay
for the products they We're getting
here. In other words our people
loaned them days works.
Germany, snivelinS that she is
bankrupt and can't pay, is full of
days works but she doesn't intend
that her creditors shall derive any
benefit therefrom. Her days works
and she omits none Of them-are
going into enlarged industrial plants,
perfected transportation system, in
creased shipping tonnage. While
making the nation bankrupt with
worthless paper money. worthless to
ter creditors outside. she is produc-
Ing and boarding for her future en-
Joyment. Yet Germany is ready to
Join the chorus along with France,
Italy, England and the rest of them
in appealing to America to come to
their rescue.
1t would be ridiculous were there
not evidence that this appeal, skill
fully made and adroitly propagan-
died, is making an impression on
the American people. We are being
made to forget, if we ever stopped
to realize. that during the period 1914
to 1922 our contributions to foreign
credit and well-being amounted to
twenty-five billion dollars or a tenth
of what our national wealth was at
the beginning of that period, where
rs England, France and Italy with
a combined wealth greater than thai
are saying they cannot pay back
eleven billion dollars. That we must
loan them more of our days works so
they may return the days works we
already have loaned them.
These important matters to be
considered appear to have escaped
our notice. h it because we have
been thinking as the foreign propa .
eandst would have us think: That
i, the conclusion arrived at by Garet
Garrett in his Illuminating article III
the Saturday Evening Post "On
c 1nynr,t1N IN hp
hoped that the farm bloc, now get
ting panicky over its exports. a nd
all who for any reason may feel in
clined to take up the European
turn to the facts and give them
prayerful consideration. 1t will be
worth the farmers while to reflect
upon the fact that our exports of
food products are twice what they
were before the war and our exports
Of manufactures to Europe are less
than one percent of what we make
and all of this must be less when
ever Europe again returns to normal.
1t is none too soon that England has
given evidence of trying to pay. She
is the first Of them all to manifest
any tangible evidence of even 4 will
inGness to pay.
This move on the part of England
is gratifying, yet it really is not an
occasion to excite gratitude. There
is no reason why England should not
return the equivalent of the day
works we loaned to her, especially as
we have conceded to her favorable
terms on which she may do so. Nor
is there any reason why this country
should assume toward the European
nations any attitude other than that
of a good neiGhbor. We are not un-
der obligation to do for them what
they must do for themselves. To at
tempt to do this because we are de-
luded by the idea that it will be
money in our pockets to empty them
into Europes lap surely will excite
no gratitude on Europe's part. If we
may encourage her to put her faith
in DAYS works and fair play we Will
have rendered her the best service OF
which a good neshbor is capable
under existing conditions.