Evening Republican, Volume 22, Number 72, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 27 March 1919 — War Boosted Our Wealth [ARTICLE]

War Boosted Our Wealth

America’s Greatest Danger Now Is Pride, a Writer Says

Uncle Sam has become the world’s greatest captain of industry. Here are the figures, according to a writer in Omaha News: We have 6 per cent of the world’s population. We own 7 per cent of the world’s land. But we produce 70 per cent of the world’s copper.. We produce 66 per cent of the world’s oil. We raise 60 per cent of all cotton raised. We produce 33 per cent of the world’s silver. We dig 52 per cent of all coal used. We mine 40 per cent of iron ores and 20 per cent of the world’s gold. We manufacture 85 per cent of all motorcars manufactured, and operate 40 per cent of the world’s railroads. We grow 25 per cent of the world’s wheat. Before the war England was, on the surface, the richest nation in the world. At that time the United States owed $4,000,000,000 to Europe. Now Europe owes the United States $10,000,000,000. In two years we shall have passed England as a shipbuilder. All we have to do to go to the wall is to become a junker nation, with no other than material ambitions. He whom the gods would destroy they first make .mad. But let’s not do that. Let’s be sensible and decent and thankful that we are so fortunately situated. And let’s try to make the best use of our combined wealth so that everybody will be prosperous and educated and comfortable and happy.