Golden Age, July 16, 1924
Download: PDF — Golden Age, July 16, 1924

Contents of the Golden Age
Labor and Economics Digest or World News
Social and Educational
International Convention of Truth Lovers
Murders North and South, Divers Academic Items
Lottery In Cuba
Manufactures and Mining A Glance at the Census or Manufactures
. Finance—Commerce—Transportation
High Cost of Living, Golden Rule in Business
Progressive (?) Financiers . .
Suspension Bridge over the Hudson, Etc
Political—Domestic and Foreign Stagnant Government
The Profits of Patriotism........ 7 . . .
Bonus BUI Aftermath, Machinery of Civilization
Alaska, Canada
South America
France, Germany
’ Italy, Glory at the Vatican
Africa, Patenting India.......*.......... . 663
China, Japan
Mask Twain’s Vision [of 1917]
Agriculture and Husbandry Electricity on the Farm
Foot-and-Mouth Disease in California
Science and Intention
Type and Typography
Transmission of Photographs by Wire
Beligion and Philosophy Imitating the Bible Students
The Earth to be Made Glorious
Heard in the Office (No. 13)..................
“Superior” People Getting Peevish................
Studies in “The Harp of God”
Published every other Wednesday st 18 Concord Street, Brooklyn, N. Y., U. S.A, by WOODWORTH, HUDGINGS A MARTIN
Copartner* and Proprietory Addreu: 18 Concord Street, Brooklyn, N. Y., U.S. A. CLAYTON J. WOODWORTH . . . Editor ROBERT J. MARTIN . Business Maxutftt WM. F. HUDGINGS . . Sec*y and Tress.
ym C—wa a Con—>1.00 a Year Marr Rrmittakcbs to THE GOLDEN AG>
FouiaE OFFICES: British.....34 Craven Terrace, Lancaster Gate, London W, 2
Canadian .... ... 38-40 Irwin Avenue. Toronto, Ontario
dMetralarian ....... 49S Coilins Street, Melbourne, Australia. South African......6 Leile Street, Cape Town, South Africa
Entered se seecad-clase matter at Brooklyn, N. Y.» under the Act of March 3» 1879
Golden Age
Volume V Brooklyn, N.Y., Wednesday, July 16, 1924 Number 126
A Glance at the Census of Manufactures
THERE is always something of interest to be learned from the United States Census. We present herewith a table, which took us a considerable amount of time and energy to compile, and which accumulates in concrete form the principal data obtained by the United States Government in its census of manufactures in 1909 and in 1919.
The table shows merely the totals of the sums expended for labor and materials, and in an adjoining column the sums obtained for the product thus manufactured. It affords a partial key to the industries of the country, indicating which are the most profitable^ It cannot show this positively; for there are various ways of hiding profits. For example slaughtering and packing appear at the bottom of the list; but the profits are diverted into switching, icing and other charges, so that they can be ascertained only by great effort. They are actually much greater than they appear. The packers pay their bookkeepers well.
The table tells its own story so well that comments are superfluous. It is easy to see why the liquor interests did not wish to go out of business. Business was not so good for them in 1919 as in 1909. They had to expend more for labor and materials than they did ten years before, and they got less for their product. But even as it was, when they sold their goods they received $2.09 for every dollar expended in their manufacture; or, in other words, they made an increase of 109% on funds actually employed in manufacture. ,
The drug business comes next. It also is a very profitable business, running in the neighborhood of 100%; and, as in the case of liquor, we have The testimony of eminent physicians to the effect that if all the drugs in the world were sunk to the bottom of the sea the human family as a whole would be in better shape than it is with their use.
It is no surprise to find the ice business so profitable. Every winter in the ice lakes on the top of Mount Pocono, along the line of the Lackawanna Railroad, by modern methods of harvesting .a few men gather thousands of tons of purest ice in, a few days, and without any danger or expense worth mentioning. A few months later they sell it at the price which only a brief time ago was considered a good price for coal, obtained at a much greater outlay from every point of view.
Turpentine and rosin are profitable; just why this is we do not know. Paper is in the hands of a few great concerns, virtually a trust. The tobacco profits go to the manufacturers, it will be observed; those who raise it do not get any such profits as those shown.
Salt is profitable. In Western New York, at Retsof, salt is mined at no more than the cost of mining coal, probably much less, and is sold for about $20 a ton. It stands to reason that somebody must make money out of such an arrangement. We do not know the actual selling price per ton, but judge from the prices charged for the pulverized product.
Typewriter manufacture is profitable. The typewriter manufacturers are hooked up in a trust, and are charging for typewriters about twice what they should charge. The big increase in the amount of explosives made and sold is attributable in part to the World War. A glimpse at the profits in gas shows plainly why the financiers that own the big newspapers are very much opposed to public ownership of gas works. The profits would then go to the people, and this the financiers do not wish.
We do not proceed further with the discussion of the table, but prefer to let it tell its own story. As we were finishing it, we chanced to have an interview with a gentleman in the lumber business. To test it out, we said to him: "If you do as others in your line, when you sell your
fill
The
GOLDEN AGE
B100KLTR, N. I.
CENSUS OF 1909.
CENSUS OF 1919.
GROUP OF INDUSTRIES
Sum of Labor &
: Price Obtained
%
Sum of Labor &
Price Obtained
%
Material Costs
for Products
Inc.
Material Costs
for Products
Xnc.
Liquor and Beverages
$239,629,666
$674,311,051
183.1
$288,916,030
$603,895,215
109.0
Drugs
60.273,000
141,941,000
135.4
199,999,000
386,369,000
93.1
Ice
21,096,000
42,953,000
103.6
76,880,000
137,005,000
76.9
Turpentine and Rosin
14.274,000
25,295,000
77.2
30,903,000
53,051,000
71.6
Paper and Printing
693.300.877
1,179,285,247
70.1
. 1,871,227,710
3,012,583,990
66.3
Tobacco Manufacture!
246,540,215
416,695,104
69.0
607,555,838
1,012,933,213
66.7
Salt
7,734,000
11,328,000
46.4
23,381,000
37,514,000
60.4
Typewriters
10,298,000
19,719,000
91.6
33,153,000
52,738,000
59.0
Explosives
27,116,000
40,140,000
48.0
58,416,000
92,475,000
58.3
Gas
73.359^)00
166,814,000
127.3
210,310,000
329,279,000
56.5
Needles and Pins
4,393,000
6,694,000
52.6
19,037,000
29,305,000
53.9
Chemicals
78,242,000
117,741,000
50.4
376,548,000
574,141,000
52.4
Musical Instruments
74,348,074
104,743,648
40.8
213,327,486
320,905,149
50.8
Electrical Machinery
157,947,000
221,309,000
40.0
663,287,000
997,968,000
50.4
Stone, Clay, and Glass Products
373,048,032
531,736,831
42.5
737,130,284
1,085,528,926
47.2
Glass
71,419,000
92,095,000
28.9
178,307,000
261,884,000
46.8
Beet Sugar
32.073,000
48,122,000
50.0
102,937,000
149,156,000
44.9
Rubber Goods .
147,882,000
197,395,000“
40.3
788,107,000
1,138,216,000
44.4
Clay-Products Industry
112,539,000
168,895,000
50.5
-196,358,000
283,342,000
44.2
Men's and Women's Clothing
629,524,000
870,429,000
38.3
1,679,277,000
2,371,529,000
41.2
Lumber and its Remanufacture
1,142,592,137
1,588,274,035
39.0
2,207,030,137
3,070,072,813
39.1
Silk ‘
146,337,000
196,912,000
34.5
496,695,000
688,470,000
38.6
Motorcycles and Bicycles
7,991,000
10,699,000
33.8
38,749,000
53,106,000
37.0
Natural Dyestuffs and Extracts
10.975,000
15,955,000
45.3
39,328,000
53,744,000
36.6
Textiles and Products -
2,358,510,604
3,086,944,186
30.9
6,864,406,123
9,216,102,814
34.3
Iron and Steel and Products
2/435,265,363
3.164,471,535
29.1
7,009,088;305
9,403,634,265 '
34.1
Fertilizers
76,999,000
103,960,000
35.0
210,404,000
281,144,000
33.6
Laundries
73,720,068
104,680,086
41.9
177,384,532
236,382,369
33.2
Chemicals and Products
1,060,047,327
1,526,598,576
44.0
4,241,419,365
5,610,299,073
32.3
Canning
120,905,000
157,101,000
29.9
479,104,000
628,288,000
31.1
Paper
206,247,000
267,657,000
29.7
603,174,000
788,059,000
30.6
Cordage and Twine, Jute Goods, etc. 48,380,000
59,122,000
22.2
134,376,000
174,807,000
30.0
Knit Goods
154,981,000
200,143,000
29.1
552,296,000
713.140,000
29.1
Leather and Products
824,985,396
992,713,322
23.0
2,077,260,755
2,610,230,727
25.7
Chocolate and Cocoa
16,792,000
22,390,000
33.4
111,024,000
139,258,000
25.4
Shipbuilding
56,482,000
73,360,000
29.9
1,307,970,000
1,622,362,000
24.0
Vehicles for Land Transportation 427,583,914,
561,763,289
31.4
3,187,700,976
4,058,911,515
23.9
Steam and Electric Railway Cars 112,325,000
131,540,000
17.1
450,561,000
556,665,000
23.5
Soap
78,406,000
111,358,000
42.0
259,747,000
316,740,000
21.9
Petroleum
209,103,000
236,998,000
13.3
1,337,658,000
1,632,533,000
21.0
Beans and Coffee
122,905,000
149,989,000
22.0
398,956,000
482,313,000
20.8
Other. Metals Than Iron
1,038,859,355
1,240,409,831
19.4
2,304,662,333
2,760,293,56ft
19.7 _
Coke f
79,479,000
95,697,000
20.4
266,566,000
316,516,000
18.7
Cotton Goods
515,610,737
615,217,702
19.3
1,794,616,880
2,125,272,193
18.4
Buttons
18,167,043
22,708,065
23.4
35,394,043
41,840,459
18.2
Textiles Only
1,340,273,480
1,591,735,706
18.8
4,271,393,656
5,006,639,405
17.2
Ammunition ,
19,960,526
26,053,065
30.5
76,442,130
88,028,223
15.1
Food and Kindred Products
3.396,466,373
3,937,617,891
15.9
10,834,086,667
12,438,890,851
14.9
Motor Vehiojes and Parts
191,852,788
249,202,075
29.9
2,685,938,798
3,080,073,979
14.7
Rice Cleaning and Polishing
20,065,000
22,371,000
1.5
78,566,000
90,038,000
14.6
Cast Iron Pipe
26,440,627
29,153,723
12.6
43,828,212
50,235,101
14.6
Flour Mill Products
789,030,000
883,584,000
11.9
1,850,069,000
2,052,434,000
10.9
Railroad Repair Shops
410,411,616
437,563,288
6.6
1,274,519,160
1,354,446,094
6.2
Slaughtering and Packing
1,241,842,000
1,355,544,000
9.1
3,992,419,000
4,246,291,000
6.1
product you add about 40% to the total cost of your raw materials and labor, and you find your business a more than ordinarily profitable one?' He said substantially: ‘TTou have hit it right; I figure on just about 40%, and I do find the business profitable.”
There are hints here to those who are thinking of going into business. The figures show some businesses naturally more profitable than others. Part way down in the table is a black Une. Below the line the profits are not so large as the average. Above it they are larger. One who has the time and inclination to Study this table closely and ponder its items can hardly fail to take many interesting discoveries.
Taking the items as a whole, the sum of labor and material costs for 1909 was about $22,000,000,000 and the selling price about $28,500,000,000, an advance of about 30%; while for 1919 the sum of labor and material costs was about $70,000,000,000 and the selling price $89,500,000,000, an advance of 27%. In the table some of the items appear separately besides appearing in larger groups, so that the statements of this paragraph can be taken only as of general application. Many lines of unimportant manufactures are not shown.
International Convention of Truth Lovers
THE Golden Age takes pleasure in announcing that a convention of international interest to truth lovers, to Bible Students, to those who love righteousness and peace, wiU be held this year at Columbus, Ohio, July 20 to 27, inclusive, under the auspices of the International Bible Students Association.
That it will be of international interest is evident from the fact that many speakers from all parts of the world will be present, and each nationality shall have the privilege of listening to speakers of its own tongue. Every reader of The Golden Age is especially invited to attend.
The main meeting hall for the conventioners will be the Coliseum, which has a seating capacity of 14,000. Connected with the Coliseum, and all under roof, are seven other halls, which will accommodate meetings for the various languages. All these buildings are located at the Ohio State Exposition Grounds, which are practically in the center of the city of Columbus. The grounds are private, with a grove, lakes, beautiful place for resting; and there those who attend can be entirely isolated from the public.
In addition to this is Memorial Hall, with a capacity of 4,000, which will be in use each evening for a public meeting and which maybe used in the daytime if required for other meetings.
It is the intention to have a large, well-advertised public meeting on Sunday, July 27, in the Stadium of the Ohio State University, the seating capacity of which is 72,000.
Columbus, Ohio, is located in the center of a very populous district, including Michigan, Wisconsin, Illinois, Tennessee, Kentucky, North and South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, New York and Ontario. It has the best interurban railway system of any city in the country, and is easy of access. The highways leading into it are of the very best, and great numbers of friends will be expected to come by automobile.
Within five blocks of the meeting place there are rooming accommodations for 60,000 people. There are thirty large hotels and a large number of dormitories. We suggest that all who can arrange for a little vacation from the daily routine of life will find this a most helpful and satisfactory way to find recreation, and to engage in a mental, spiritual and social treat.
Reduced Railroad Rates
ALL the railroads in the United States and
- Canada have granted a special rate for this convention of one and one-half fare for the round trip, tickets to be obtained upon the identification certificate plan. These certificates will be furnished by the Convention Committee. Address: R. A. Johnson, Secretary, 52% North Front Street, Columbus, Ohio.
One identification certificate will do for an entire family. Where one person travels alone one certificate is required. It is better to order more blank certificates than actually are needed; for at the last moment somebody else may wish one.
The date of the convention is July 20 to 27 inclusive. Beginning July 15th and until the 22:id for the going trip,.tirkets will be on sale at all railway stations. No tickets can be obtained for the going trip, on the certificate plan, after July 22nd. When purchasing your ticket, present your identification certificate to the ticket agent and ask for a return ticket. To protect oneself in case of a lost ticket, it will be advantageous at the time of purchasing ticket to make a memorandum of the time bought, amount paid, and the number on the ticket The tickets should read from starting point to Columbus, Ohio, and return.
The highways in Ohio and adjoining places are in fine condition, and many will be expected to come in their automobiles. Thejre is a covered building near the Coliseum that will accommodate five hundred machines. Other garage and parking spaces will be available in the city at reasonable rates^
Accommodations and Reservations '
COLUMBUS has thirty hotels with a rate of’ $1.00 per day and up, all of which are within fifteen minutes street-car ride of the Coliseum. Adjoining the grounds where the convention is to be held are private rooms which will accommodate 10,000 or more, all of which are within walking distance of the Coliseum. The rates for these rooms will be fifty cents, seventy-five cents, and one dollar for each person, according to accommodations; and also a rate will be made for room and breakfast. It is expected that this latter rate will be one dollar a day. It is the purpose now to have a cafeteria on the grounds serving meals at noon and evening at very reasonable rates. A person therefore may figure on an expense of not to exceed two dollars a day for a room and meals. If it is possible to make the rate less it will be done.
Those attending the convention will have access to the Ohio State Fair Grounds. The grounds contain many shade trees, plenty of pure water, comfort stations, emergency hospital, children's playgrounds, barber shop, dairy buildings which supply fresh milk and icecream, all of which will be for the exclusive use of those attending the convention during the dates of the convention. Some one will be put in charge of the children, and thus an opportunity will be afforded for their mothers to attend the meetings when desired.
The Coliseum, where the meetings in English will be held, has a capacity of 14,000 seats. An* electric loud-speaker will be installed so that every person in the auditorium can hear with perfect ease without extra effort being put forth by the speaker.
For the Sunday meeting an electric loudspeaker will be installed in the Stadium so that every person in the Stadium (which has a capacity of 72,000) can hear. Judge Rutherford, President of the International Bible Students Association, will be The speaker at the Stadium.
Stagnant Government By l. d. Barnes
IT IS said that everything improves but government. The great discoveries of fifty years, with increasing light on the Bible, show that progress and improvement is the divine program. The failure of present governments to keep pace in the administration of human rights and proper privileges shows that these institutions are not progressive, not the “last word” by any means. The constant progress referred to, in contrast to the stale and stagnant, milk-and-watery systems, shows that the divine mind is not directing these, but has left them mainly to take their own course, interfering only in the execution of retributive justice, where iniquity comes to the full, and where human activity might encroach somewhat upon the divine plan.
Yet the wisdom that has revealed to mankind the arts and sciences, the printing press, the typewriter, the sewing-machine, the railway and marine engines, the auto and the airplane, the telephone and the radio, and thousands of labor-saving devices, such as electric, steam, gas, compressed air and others, will yet establish that form of government which will apply those blessings for the good of all and for the aggrandizement of none!
“Judgment also will I lay to the line, and righteousness to the plummet.” “And they shall say, This land that was desolate is become like the garden of Eden.”—Isa. 28:17; Ezek. 36:35.
Type and Typography By c. J.Fekei
PRINTING bears about the same relation to writing as a shout does to a whisper. What would the world have been without these two methods of expression? We can hardly imagine the situation. It certainly would have hindered progress in civilization. There could now be no typewriters, typesetting machines, printing industry, stationery stores, or post offices. We would have neither folders, catalogues, time tables, menus, posters, handbills, advertising signs, letters, stationery, books, magazines, or newspapers. The world would be submerged in illiteracy. Writing and printing are almost the only mediums by which we retain valuable and trustworthy records. Without these two means, about all of the knowledge we would possess would be either tradition or rumor and hearsay.
Of what value is tradition ? The various heathen religions trace their origin to legends delivered from one generation to another. But to be merely tradition, whether believed by one or a hundred persons, does not prove the truthfulness of any proposition. Long before Columbus was born it was generally believed that the earth is flat. And credulity was no doubt stimulated by tradition. But added to the fact that such information is likely to be untrue at the start, is the strong probability that it will become distorted and colored before reaching the one considering it
For instance: How many of us could repeat in every detail a simple story that we heard a year or two ago? Very few, I am sure. Certainly further evidence to demonstrate the uncertainty of tradition is not necessary.
Of course, the mere fact that a thing is printed does not prove its truthfulness. Its intrinsic value must be examined; it must be reasoned upon, and compared with other reliable facts before its truth can be established. But it has this advantage, that whereas tradition is often held but by a few, that which is printed is generally accessible to all, and therefore subject to the most widespread criticism.
The great God of the universe, who declares the end from the beginning, foreknew of this condition,'and so caused the message of holy men of old-to be retained by writing in a permanent and reliable form. Thus Moses wrote all the words of the Lord. (Exodus 24:4) But lest any one should think that he wrote them with a hammer and chisel on a block of stone, we note that it is recorded: "And the Lord said unto Moses, Write this for a memorial in a book, and rehearse it in the ears of Joshua." (Exodus 17:14) Joshua also recorded Israel’s covenant with their God (Joshua 24:26); and Samuel told the manner of the kingdom in a book.— 1 Samuel 10:25.
First Results of Printing
RINTING has been called "the mother of progress.” It unquestionably contributed greatly to the Reformation movement. It is doubtful whether the Reformation could have been carried on without printing. From the time of its invention printing has been used to circulate the Word of God. It was as though Jehovah had placed His finger on an electric switch and said: “Let there be light,” and light flooded the earth. It came, not as a brilliant flare, such as would be caused by a skyrocket bursting over your head, or by a flash of lightning suddenly illuminating all of the landscape, but rather like the removal of thick, impenetrable clouds, thereby revealing a brilliantly illuminated, starlit sky. It did not daze those that beheld it, but rather gave them beams of hope and rays of life and joy.
We might compare it to the successor of the old village pump, which is almost altogether out of date now. But possibly in some backward community you may see one standing, kept as a relic for its former service. The well was usually deep, therefore the pump was reliable; and here would gather the little neighborhood to get their daily supply of water. Back and forth .the bucket brigade would go. But suppose, if your imagination will stretch that far, that a change came over this community; and that from the sink in each kitchen of every home, there should spring forth an artesian well. You would not even need a receptacle with which to drink. By lowering your lips you could partake of the refreshing overflow. Water? Streams of it! As clear as crystal! Coming forth endlessly! It was just as the prophet Malachi foretold: “Prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive* it.”—Malachi 3:10.
So, after the Bible was printed, each family could study their Bible at home. No longer was
sir
it necessary to travel long distances to peruse the Sacred Book, chained to a pulpit; for it could be read under one’s own lampshade. The two witnesses which had prophesied under sackcloth came to life. (Revelation 11:11) The power of the great Antichrist was broken, foreshadowing that sooner or later ignorance and superstition would be crushed to earth. Just as in the days of Jesus, the people which sat in darkness saw great light (Matthew 4:16), so now too, priesthood, creeds and religious ceremonies would be exposed by “that which is written.” - - - -
The Origin of Printing
ROM our schoolbooks we learned that printing was invented by Johann Gutenberg, of
Germany, in the year 1440. More correctly speaking, the invention of printing from movable type took place at that time. Printing means to make copies by impression. Typography means to* take impressions from ink-covered type. Whenever we leave our finger impression on any article, we print, - though we may be entirely ignorant of the art of typography. The earliest date of printing in this sense is not known. -
Writing preceded printing; and this was carried on in Egypt, Babylon, and China. From the Bible we learn that over 2,400 years elapsed from Adam’s creation to Moses. As Adam lived 930 years, there remain about 1,500 years between them. This period was spanned by five intermediaries, and to Moses was given the first divine commission to write.
As the art of writing is not mentioned previously, it must have been either gradually developed or revealed by Jehovah to His servant Moses. From an early date some of the patriarchs erected stones to commemorate certain occasions. What would be more natural than for men so to inscribe their monuments that they would bring to mind the event or deed that they commemorated? But it is foolish for men to suppose that similarly man evolved the marvel of speech, and brought the incoherent cries of joy and pain, as expressed by the lower animals, under such control as to make them the servants o£ thought. •
The Bible tells us that there were but seven generations? from the perfect man Adam to Jubal, whose musical talent was so developed as to make him the inventor of the harp and the organ. (Genesis 4:21) It may be that the formerly perfect human voice was losing its charm, and therefore the substitution of a mechanical instrument suggested itself.
' The art of printing and writing is closely associated with the development of paper or other writing material. In Egypt the papyrus plant was converted into papyrus writing material. In China a kind of silk was used. In Babylon inscriptions were stamped into soft clay tablets, and these were baked. As a result, in the ruins of Babylon, nearly every kiln-burnt brick has its inscriptions. These tablets are of various shapes—oblongs, cones, and cylinders. They vary from one inch to a foot or more in length.
There are vast libraries containing legal, mathematical and geographical treatises, historical and mythological documents, poetical compositions, and works on astronomy, astrology and religion. One may find lists of stones, birds and beasts, as well as petitions and royal proclamations.
In a few words, it is a vast amount of useless reading matter compared to the clear, brief record of the children of Israel found in the Bible, God’s Word of Truth.
Shortly thereafter parchment, made of sheep skin polished with pumice stone, was used, as well as the skins of other animals. A fine grade of parchment made from the skins of calves is called vellum. It is upon parchment that the oldest manuscripts of the Bible are written.
The Origin of Typography ’’
FIERCE controversy has raged over who first gave the world a knowledge of typography. This honor is claimed by Italy, Holland, and Germany; but the weight of the evidence is is favor of Johann Gutenberg, a printer of Mainz. He was born about 1397, and is known to have been at work before 1439 in Strassburg, endeavoring to perfect his art. Like that of most inventors, his path was strewn with difficulties. From Strassburg he went to Mainz, where his name appears in a record of legal contract dated 1448. In 1450 he entered a partnership with a wealthy money lender by the name of Johann Fust, or Faust, who furnished the means needed to set up a printing press. In 1455 Fust brought a law suit against Gutenberg to recover the money he had advanced. The verdict was in Fust's favor, nnd the printing press passed out of Gutenberg’s hands.
Although sixty years of age Gutenberg did not despair. He determined to found another office. He had some of his printing material, with which he could again make his movable type; and the town clerk provided him with money. He continued his work for some years; but in 1462 all printing in Mainz was interrupted by the sacking of the town during a quarrel of the archbishops. Such events were not unusual at that time, nor should we be surprised at them today.
It happened in this way: The archbishopric of Mainz was claimed by Adolph II, Count of Nassau, who was supported by Pope Pius H. In 1462 he attacked and captured the town because it took sides with Diether, then archbishop and elector of the place. Many citizens were murdered, and the town was sacked. All of its industry was destroyed fthereby the workmen of the printing offices were compelled to flee to other places, carrying their art with them. For three years after the capture of Mainz, nothing of value was printed there. Gutenberg died about February, 1468.
Two friends of Gutenberg, who probably knew of his invention, erected tablets to his memory. One of these was erected in the church at Mainz shortly after his death, and the other in the year 1508 in a law school in that city. The inscriptions speak of him as the inventor of printing.
The Dutch claim that a Koster, Laurens Jans-zoon, who lived between 1420 and 1440, was the inventor of type. This claim is referred to as the Koster Legend. It did not become public until 1588, or a century and a half after 'Gutenberg began his work. Like all legends, it claims to come from a trustworthy source. According to this account, Koster walked into the woods in 1440, and in the ■ bark of a beech tree cut letters, which he printed on paper for the amusement of some children. Later he printed whole sheets from pictures, later still, from leaden letters, and then from tin type.
In 1441*«ne of Koster’s workmen is supposed to have stolen his type and fled to Mainz, where he opened a workshop, and published two works from Koster’s type in the year 1442. Until 1499 no one seemed to doubt that movable type were first used in Strassburg by Johann Gutenberg, who afterward went to Mainz, as tl*3 Cologne Chronicle, published in 1499, declared. The most severe assault on the claims of Koster was by a Dutchman, Dr. Van der Linde. In a series of articles called the “Koster Legend” he accused as being false the documents that were intended to prove that his countryman was the inventor of typography. So incensed became some of the Dutch that Dr. Van der Linde deemed it advisable to leave his native land. Today the Koster theory has been abandoned everywhere except in Holland.
Early Specimens of Printing
THE earliest specimen of printing from type existing today is the famous Letter of Indulgence of Pope Nicholas V to such persons as should contribute money to help the King of Cyprus against the Turks. A copy of this Indulgence is now preserved in the Meerznan-Wes-treenen Museum at the Hague. It bears the earliest authentic date of a document printed from type—November 15,1454. It declares that a plenary indulgence of three years is granted by Pope Nicholas V on the twelfth of April, 1451, to all persons who from May 1, 1455, should contribute money to aid the King of Cyprus, then threatened by the Turks. (Pope Nicholas proclaimed a Jubilee in 1450; and while it was in progress at Rome, a plague broke out. (Will there be a final and more effective plague at the coming Jubilee in 19251) The Turks took Constantinople during his reign, and his effort to unite Christendom against the Moslems was of no avail.
Other early works are Gutenberg’s Bibles. On these his fame as a great printer rests. There are two editions of the Holy Bible in Latin. They are referred to as the Bible of forty-two and thirty-six lines respectively. These figures refer to the number of lines to the page, in a column. The forty-two line is supposed to be the earlier. It was discovered in 1760, in the library of Cardinal Mazarin at Paris, and is therefore called the Mazarin Bible, or Gutenberg’s first Bible. The Earl of Ashburnham's copy of the Mazarin Bible on vellum was sold in 1897 for about $20,000. It was probably not begun before 1450, and was finished in 1455. The Paris copy contains'the rubricator's inscription, which shows that the work was completed before August 15, 1456.
The thirty-six-line Bible is called the Pfister's or Bamberg Bible, because the type used in it was once owned by Albrecht Pfister of Bamberg. A copy of this Bible was discovered in 1728 in the library of a monastery near Mainz. A note found in the manuscript catalogue of the library states that the Bible was given to the monastery by Johann Gutenberg and his associates. The date 1461 is written on a copy of the last leaf of this book. These4w<> editions of the Bible, like all of Gutenberg’s works, are without the name and place of the printer, due probably to his fear of lawsuits, which had already caused him great expense.
Other works ascribed to Gutenberg are the Calendar of 1457, the Catholicon of 1460, and a Letter of Indulgence of 1461. Indulgences are hot popular in the United States today because intelligent people will not believe that God has reposed the sole and complete power of designating punishment and forgiveness of sins, in the hands of priests. The favor of God cannot be purchased with money. * The Bible tells us that if we confess our sins to God in the name of Jesus Christ, then He is faithful and just to 1 forgive us our sins, and that the blood of Jesus Christ will cleanse us from all unrighteousness. —1 John 1:9; 2:1,2.
Our Lord taught us to pray, saying, "And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.” (Matthew 6:12) There is abundant further evidence on this point. (Ephesians 4:32; Colossians 2:13; Matthew 18:35; Acts 13:38) There is no need for a priest or father on earth to forgive us our sins, when we have a Father and ever faithful High Priest in heaven. The confessional still prospers, but thank God the day is near when the knowledge of God will cover the earth as the waters cover the deep.
The Progress of Printing
IT IS said that William the Conqueror could not write his name; and that therefore he had "William” engraved on a bit of wood, and approved documents by pressing his stamp first on an ink pad and then on his paper. But when once printing on paper in a commercial way started, it progressed rapidly. The art carried on at Mainz soon spread to other cities and countries, as traveler* were constantly passing through this town to the Netherlands, France, Italy, and Switzerland. Just as by divine providence, the persecution of the early Christians in Palestine scattered them over Europe and disseminated their doctrine, so the quarrel of the archbishops in 1462 dispersed the printers.
Presses were soon set up in other cities; by the end of the fifteenth century more than one hundred and fifty towns were practising the art. Three printers from Germany established a press in Paris in 1470, and in 1477 England took up the art In France, Germany, and Italy typography was practised most extensively, and here the greatest improvements were made. Before the year 1500, over two hundred printers practised the art in Venice, and it is to Italy that we are indebted for the Italic and the Roman type. The latter is the most extensively used today. -
Among the printers of Venice was Aldus Ma-nutius, who began his work in 1494. He was . a man of great learning and industry, and exercised extreme care in his work. His press became celebrated for its Greek and Latin classics, He introduced the Italic type and probably devised the present system of punctuation; for before his time but few marks were used, and their use was not well regulated. This knowledge should lead us to understand that the translators of the so-called “Authorized Version” were not infallible in the punctuation of their translation of the Holy Scriptures. As a matter of fact the work on this version was not begun until between 1604 and 1607, or over a hundred years after the origin of punctuation.
The translators were unfortunate enough to misplace a comma in Luke 23:43, and thereby changed a simple,' reasonable text of Scripture into a puzzle that for a long time no one could solve. Properly punctuated the passage reads, "And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee today, Thou shalt be with me in paradise.” In due time the thief will be with Jesus in the kingdom, which we see now in process of establishment in the earth.
Contrast, for a moment, printing as it was after its invention with what it is today. With painstaking care the printer would set up every letter of his type, place it in a form, and by a slow and laborious method repeatedly ink his type and take impressions on his sheets. The wealthy looked at the new art as an inartistic trade, and so compelled the printer to copy the characters of contemporary manuscripts in order to sell his work. Today typesetting machines rapidly assemble the letters, and many speedy presses turn out a printed sheet every second. In addition we have typewriters. There are over 500,000 Corona typewriters in use, beside greater numbers of Remington, Underwood, Oliver, Royal, and machines of other manufacture.
Within the last forty years the printing industry in America has jumped from practically nowhere to the rank of sixth in size among our industries. Toward the close of the last century, there were but four newspapers in India, all printed in the English language; whereas today there are two hundred thirty-two printed in the native tongue of Hindustani, besides others in English and the various vernaculars.
Pamphlets, Magazines, Newspapers, Etc.
WITH the invention of the printing press, the tract and pamphlet came into existence. With the possibility of indefinitely multiplying copies, it became true as never before that “the pen is mightier than the sword.” In 1915 Great Britain made one of its ablest men, Lord Northcliffe, a Minister of State, with the assigned duty of Minister of Propaganda. So Lord Northciffe began scattering pamphlets over the nations of earth. Further propaganda through newspapers and books was carried on by all of the nations in the great World War.
In the early days, when Rome was still in power, heralds were stent forth who read to the people what the government wished them to believe. After the invention of printing, Venice endeavored to tell the people certain facts; and so a sheet was published called the “Gazetta,” out of which has grown the modern magazine. In writing for a magazine one may take ample time to express his real belief rather than merely a passing thought, as in a newspaper. A magazine should be worth keeping, a newspaper only worth reading.
While the “Gazetta” flourished in Italy, the “News Letter” was being printed in Germany, France, and England. This developed into the daily newspaper. Napoleon III said that he received all his knowledge from the two sources: His mother, who taught him to read; and his newspaper, which supplied the rest. Some one has said: “If we can get truth and cleanness of soul, ideals that are honest and worth while, before the eyes of all men in books, and let this vaccine seep into their natures, then we have saved mankind.”
But anyone who looks inside of our big metropolitan dailies knows how impossible such a task really is. These papers are of the sensational type. They devote a large percentage of their space to playing up what is abnormal and unusual in daily city and country life. They deal with the famous and the infamous, with that which is deserving of public admiration or public scorn. The average reader briefly reviews the fires, collisions, murders, suicides, and other similar abnormalties, hoping to derive a thrill from the recital of some gruesome incident, but finds that it always leaves a feeling of disappointment. Practically all modern newspapers and magazines could be very well dispensed with. They have deteriorated from news organs to propaganda mediums.
But the strangest thing of all is that people will actually pay to have their minds swayed, prejudiced and blinded by this means. I am glad that The Golden Age is not of this character. Nearly everybody knows that it is next to impossible for the average editor to tell the truth, to publish the facts in every case, or to express his own convictions. Yet you will find a newspaper in every nook and cranny of the civilized earth.
Take a stroll on a lonely lane, or a crosscountry hike through the woods, and see if you can get very far without a piece of newspaper catching your eye. This organ of worldly wisdom appealing to the simple reminds one by contrast with true wisdom's call: “Doth not wisdom cry? and understanding put forth her voice? She standeth in the top of high places, by the way in the places of the paths. She crieth at the gates, at the entry of the city, at the coming in at the doors. Unto you, O men, I call; and my voice is to the sons of man.—Prov. 8:1-4.
What do we find in our daily sheets? Some papers dare to assume the motto, “All the news that's fit to print.” Others, “The truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.”. But one is more inclined to believe the saying,
"Here’s to the news that lies in daily sheets, That lies, and lies, and lie#.”
How newspapers grope for the sensational, the scandalous, the malicious, the filth of families and society! How they laud the spectacular, the daring plots and intrigues of men! How faithfully they promote foolishness and evil sur-misings! Through the funny sheet they inculcate the spirit of laughter at another's misfortune, and the practice of daily deception. Where is the community that is elevated by their influence! What beneficial reform have they instituted! There is none. “For a dog to bite a man is nothing, but for a man to bite a dog is news. It is new, it is startling." So says Mr. Brisbane, of the New York American.
From start to finish, the metropolitan papers of today are sensual, devilish. One is almost prone to ask, “Have the honest, the noble, the pure, the good, the just, the virtuous, the lovers of truth, the merciful, and the holy perished from the earth 7” They have, as far as the newspaper is concerned. It is just as prophecy foretold. “This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves; covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, . . . truce breakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, traitors, heady, highminded, . lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God; having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.”—2 Timothy 3:1-5; Romans 1: 21-32.
But, thank God, the end is near! Very soon the hail shall sweep away the refuge of lies, and the waters shall overflow the hiding places. (Isaiah 28:17; 11: 9) Then it will be true that this evil influence heretofore exerted will compare to drops of water dancing on top of a red-hot stove. The activity of these drops is great for a short time, but all their liveliness and sputtering finally end in evaporation.
Occasionally singular things are said in type. 'A Chinese editor, on returning a contribution, enclosed a rejection slip that read as follows: “We have read your manuscript with infinite delight. Never before have we reveled in such a masterpiece. If we printed it, the authorities would take jt for a model, and henceforth would never permit anything inferior to it. As it would be impossible to find its equal within ten thousand years, we are compelled, though shaken with sorrow, to return your divine manuscript; and for so doing we beg ten thousand pardons."
The Individuality of Type
WHAT inanimate thing fulfils the following description! “Each object has a face, shatdder, body and feet. Some have beards, and under certain conditions a widow is produced. In addition some may get off their feet, even though none are addicted to the liquor habit. They may at this time be locked up in a form. As in every family there is an occasional black sheep, so here too, once in a while, one needs bringing up. Sometimes they are engaged in a chase, and if well dressed will remain quite composed. They exist in families, always leave an impression, and eventually reach a box called Hell." Of course there is no fire in it. It would be easy enough- to name the animate being that fulfils this description, but the more difficult inanimate thing is type. This shows that there is something human about type; for the above terms are just a few of everyday occurrence in the printing office.
While type has been used for an evil purpose, it has also done untold good. What Robert H. Davis said of the printing press is even more true of type:
“I sing the songs of the world, the oratories of history, the symphonies of all time. I am the voice of today, the herald of tomorrow. I weave into the warp of the past the woof of the future. I tell the stories of peace and war alike. I make the human heart beat with passion and tenderness. I stir the pulse of nations and make them do braver deeds, and soldiers die. I inspire the midnight toiler, weary at his loom, to lift his head again and gaze with fearlessness into the vast beyond, seeking the consolation of a hope eternal. When I speak, a million people listen to my voice. The Saxon, the Latin; the Celt, the Hun, the Slav, the Hindu, all comprehend me. I'cry the joys and sorrows of every hour. I fill the dullard's mind with thoughts uplifting. I am Light, Knowledge, Power. I epitomize the conquests of mind over matter. I am the recorder of all things that mankind has achieved. My offspring comes to you in the candle’s glow, amid the dim lamps of poverty, the splendor of riches; at sunrise, at high noon, and in the waning evening. I am the laughter and the tears of the world, and I shall never die until all things return to the immutable dust.”
But what is it that makes a piece of printed matter appeal to a person, while another will be given but passing attention! It is not always the curiosity or the question aroused, nor the fact that the subject matter is the hobby of the one concerned. It may be the quality of the work and the workmanship. In America, where there is so much competitive printing, this matter should not be overlooked. The paper on which the message is printed should create respect for the message. It has been wisely said that printed matter for public distribution should not be smaller than 10 point To violate this rule, makes it more difficult to read; and some people will be prevented from reading it altogether.
But it is not enough that printing be legible. There is an elusive thing called grace, which comes from using well that apparel of words called type. As a person's demeanor may leave the opposite impression from his words, so also with that which is printed. Either it may suggest dignity, character, strength, and delicacy, or it may show weakness or lack of personality. The printed salesman may be well dressed and courteous, or slovenly attired and inconsiderate.
There are many families of type, each having its peculiar characteristics. Many readers would be able to recognize Script, Old English, Gothic, Roman, or Italic. Type is also classified as condensed, extra condensed, expanded, bold, bold condensed, bold Italic, etc. '
Methods of Printing
SO FAR, printing from an elevated surface (letterpress printing) alone has been considered. But there are two other principal .ways: First, from an indented surface; and second, from a plane surface. In the first method from an indented surface, called copperplate printing, the whole surface is first inked. The flat surface is then cleaned, leaving ink only in the incision or trenches cut by the engraver, so that when dampened paper is laid over the plate and pressure is applied, the paper sinks into the incision, and takes up the ink, making impressions in lines on the paper. This method is also called the Intaglio, or Gravure, etc., and is the exact reverse of the letterpress or half-tone process.
The other method is the Planographic, or plane surface. Here the design is in the same plane as the surrounding surface (neither above nor below, as in the previous methods). By chemical treatment, the design is made to attract ink while the surrounding surface repels it. In this case when the irfk roller passes over the plate, the ink will adhere only to the design., This inked plate will either print directly on the paper, aa in Lithography, or first transfer the design to a rubber blanket and from this to the paper, as in the Offset Process. Experiments have been made along other Enes of printing, such as by Photography, etc.,with some commercial results.
These varied methods have had a marvelous effect on human history. By scattering knowledge printing causes people to think. Barbarian tribes became civilized under its influence, and narrow, winding paths through dense' forests gave way to paved highways. It broke the barriers of isolation and distance. It raised the standard of Eving. PracticaUy all inventions date after the birth of printing.
The prophecy of Daniel declares: “Many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased.” (Daniel 12:4) Printing stimulated manufacturing, buying and selling. At first it was considered a luxury, just as electric Eghts, gas stoves, rocking chairs, washing machines, and automobiles were considered. Today it is a present need. It has the power of making people realize vividly the comforts we enjoy from the luxuries of today. Whenever the cravings of natural men so appealed to cannot be satisfied, discontent and dissatisfaction are sure to follow. It is thus preparing for the Great Day.
The effect of printing is weE iUustrated by the foUowing chart:
Bate of
1870 1023 Increase
Population (TT. S.) 38,558,371 107,438,615 3
Value of Manufacturing 3| billion 62 billion 18
No. of Grocery Stores 74,000 335,212 4%
No. of Drug Stores 17,000 50,715 3
While from 1870 to 1923 the population of the United States increased almost threefold, the people’s wants and needs as expressed in manufactured articles increased over eighteen times.
What a blessing printing will be in the age to come! It will breathe holy thoughts, convey sweet messages, and keep on record permanent friendships. As long as reliable records will be treasured, it will hold its own, always attesting God's wisdom, justice, love, and power. It will please the eye with scenes from lands afar off, and fill the mind with wisdom from above.
Digest of World News
(Broadcast from WATCHTOWER WBBR
THE United States Treasury Department has arrived at a new successful method of guaging the prosperity of the country. By means of the war tax on theater receipts it knows how much is spent annually for amusements. This discloses that the average family had its greatest degree of prosperity in 1920. Thus far, 1924 comes next, and then in order 1921, 1923, 1922, 1919 and 1918. The theatrical expenditure in 1918 was $38,000,000 per month; while in 1920 it was $72,000,000 per month, nearly double. The expenditure in 1924 is at only a slightly less rate than in 1920.
The National Industrial Conference Board of New York city has been making a study of the cost of clothing, and has discovered that while in other lines the cost of living has remained stationary or has decreased within the past two years, yet the cost of clothing to the ultimate consumer has increased more than fourteen percent during that time. It seems hard for many persons to unlearn the lessons in profiteering taught them during the war.
As a consequence of conducting his business on the basis of the Golden Rule, Arthur Nash, President of the Nash Clothing Company of Cincinnati, reports that he is about to make $1,000,000 in a new issue of capital stock which will virtually be forced upon him. He wishes to know how he can utilize these million dollars so as to give the greatest benefit to mankind. Our advice is to erect a broadcasting station at Cincinnati, and to broadcast the truth on all subjects, making sure that it is the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. [He has since given this stock to his employes.]
Hard Times at the Dear ' '
UNEMPLOYMENT throughout the country is becoming more pronounced and widespread. .Many industries are laying off their men, the demand for coal is slumping, shipments of freight are falling off, clerk hire is being dispensed with, traveling men are grumbling, restaurants and hotels are feeling the crimp that Is fast getting into business.
Thousands of farms are lying idle, and the farmers with their sons and daughters who recently invaded the ranks of city labor only augment the likelihood of deeper distress q a wave length of 273 meters, by the Editor) amongst the unemployed. Many places are showing less activity in the construction of new residences, and city property is lagging. There is a slight increase in dealing in farm lands in a few communities. But, withal, it seems that we are on the verge of a let-up in business which spells hard times.
Printing conditions in New York city have gotten so bad from the publishers' point of view that during the past eighteen months nine magazines have moved to other points. “Collier's/' with a weekly circulation of 1,250,000 copies, was.the latest to move. “Hearst's," “Harper's," “McCall's," and others have moved away. It is thought that the MacFadden publications, twelve magazines with a combined circulation in excess of four millions monthly, may be the next to seek the way of least resistance. Everything, practically, in New York is operated on the “closed shop” plan, with wages high. Most of the printing concerns which move away resume publication on the “open shop” plan.
New Era in Industry '
IN THE Baltimore and Ohio Railroad shops the lamb and the lion seem at present to be lying down together, and for once the lamb is not inside the lion. The so-called Glenwood Plan of railroad shop cooperation was designed by the president of the International Association of Machinists, and is now in force throughout the shops of the Baltimore and Ohio system with the result that 3,500 more shopmen are at work on the B. & O. than during previous years.
At a recent convention of the shopmen mention was made of 4,000 items of improvement in working, safety, and sanitary conditions around shops, yards and roundhouses. The statement is made that things which it used to take months or years to accomplish are now accomplished almost instantaneously; such as improvements in the heating, lighting and ventilation of shops, the drainage of engine pits, the repair of shop flooring, etc. The President of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad is reported as being as enthusiastic about the plan as are the shopmen themselves.
Mr. Herbert Hoover, Secretary of Commerce, believes that the nation is moving toward some sort of industrial democracy. He said:
"I believe we are in the presence of a new era in the organization of industry and commerce in which, if properly directed, lie forces pregnant with infinite possibilities of moral progress. I believe that we are, almost unnoticed, in the midst of a great revolution or—perhaps a better word—a transformation in the whole super-organization of our economic life. We are passing from a period of extremely individualistic action into a period of associational activities."
Our thought is that we are passing through the birthpangs not only of a new industrial arrangement, but also of a new financial, social, religious and political one. The old system is passing away in its entirety, and it is dying hard. The new era into which the world will soon find itself is the Golden Age of prophecy. This momentous change not only is taking place in America, but is world-wide. It is for all to take hope, to be encouraged, to trust in the Lord, and to await the full inauguration of the new day; for surely it is dawning.
The enormous rents in.Washington, D. C., and some other cities, are- said to be caused by real estate owners mortgaging their properties in excess of the sale prices. In Washington thirty-two of the larger apartment houses are mortgaged nine million dollars more than the amount paid for them. Mortgage investment companies are doing a thriving business. It often occurs that these money sharks are sharper than the bankers; for some banks have been stung by being overloaded with these inflated mortgages.
Murders, North and South
INSURANCE statistics have been published showing that in the years 1922-1923 there were twenty-nine times as many chances' of being murdered in Memphis as in Rochester; thirteen times as mapy chances of being murdered in Nashville as in Reading; and eight times as many chances of being murdered in New Orleans as in Milwaukee. The most dangerous cities in the United States from the standpoint of murder were, in the order named: Memphis, Nashville, New Orleans, Louisville, St. Louis, Cincinnati, Washington, D. C., Los Angeles, Chicago, and Pittsburgh; while the safest cities in the United States, in the reverse order, were: Rochester, Reading, Milwaukee, Hartford, Boston, Spokane, Providence, Buffalo, New York, Seattle, and Minneapolis. '
Treason in Los Angeles
THE city of Los Angeles is stirred because a teacher, Professor Willis T. Nt-wton, instructor in history and economics at one of the high schools, made the statement in an address before the teachers that “we cannot get rid of war unless we teach peace?’ In the eyes of some 100-percent-profiteer Americans, this was a terrible thing for a teacher to say; and Professor Newton should be hanged immediately, while the subject is being discussed over his remains.
One of the physicians of the city, defending Professor Newton, sent a letter to the Los Angeles Record in which he said:
“The object of teaching is to provoke thought in the pupiL It has been the devotion of a benighted clergy during the dark ages to prevent thought. Bruno and Galileo thought, and were sternly forbidden. Copernicus thought The school trustees of that day forbade thinking. His books and bones were burned. Socrates and Seneca thought. Suicide was suggested, and forced upon them by contemporary officials.”
Other Academic Items
AS IS well known, the southeastern part of • Pennsylvania has a population of German descent, two-thirds of whom speak a language commonly called “Pennsylvania Dutch,” a mixture of German and English. The territory in which this language is spoken is an unbroken area of 195,000 square miles. A dictionary of the dialect comprising 16,380 words has just been compiled.
The boys of the country have lost a good friend. Samuel C. Dyke, the first American manufacturer of boys’ marbles, is dead. One thing that interests us is as to why every boy begins to play marbles in the spring as soon as the frost is out of the ground; but the girls never play marbles, although they do play jacks. Perhaps they do not like to get down into the mud; or perhaps they cannot shoot straight!
Progressive (?) Figures
THE United States Chamber of Commerce has been holding its annual convention in Cleveland. As might be expected from those who covet all the revenues of the country, it is opposed to lower freight rates, is opposed to making income tax returns public, is opposed to the soldiers’ bonus, is opposed to governmental aid in the marketing of agricultural products, is opposed to limiting the Supreme Court in its encroachments upon the powers of the people, is opposed to government regulation of business, is opposed to the government's going into any kind of business, is opposed to interfering with the packers, is opposed to oil investigations ; and- it warns against the activities of radicals, that is, of people who think. The United States Chamber of Commerce is a great institution, but it is covered with moss a foot thick. It needs to punch itself and to awake to a realization that we are not living in the year 1492.
Senator Henrik Shipstead of Minnesota, referring to the Federal Reserve Banks’ discounting of $5,000,000 of European" paper, declared that the man who is responsible for this new adventure into Europe is the same man, Paul M. Warburg, who is responsible for the Federal Reserve system. Senator Shipstead is reported as sayingt
the international bankers in complete control of the money and credit of the country, they can do to the people precisely what the bankers of Germany did to the people there. It is said that the reason for this new policy is the desire to stimulate exports financed by American credit. We have had experiences along these lines, but we seem to have forgotten the terrible price we paid for financing European purchases in America. We had a perfectly jolly time doing it during the.war. We extended credit to Europe, and Europe bought goods of all kinds in our markets and paid any price we asked. We did a tremendous business on our own money and credit. The American bankers are gambling with trust funds belonging to other people. They did it before, and lost; and the American people are now paying the price. The first result of this new scheme will be artificial stimulation of exports and business. It may start an artificial business boom that will carry us until after election. It is also evident that it is going to be used as a club to force the acceptance by Europe of the Dawes Plan, and to compel the American producer to carry more of the European debt than he is already carrying. We have ’already sent too much credit to Europe. The continued squandering of bank credits as is now proposed by the Federal Reserve Board controlled by the international banking group, will inevitably pauperize the people of this nation just as the bankers have done in Germany ind other countries where credit and money have been manipulated in the interest of the few at the expense of the many.”
…