Jasper County Democrat, Volume 20, Number 98, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 9 March 1918 — WAR HYSTERIA [ARTICLE]

WAR HYSTERIA

Nothing can be more harmful to the business life of the country than for the people to give way to hysteria over the war. There are enough disturbing factors in the business situation, growing out of the war problems, without our adding to them unnecessarily. But this we do whenever we permit thoughts of the war to obtrude into business or cause us to vacillate or hesitate over ordinary business problems. Business conditions are now more than ever subject to sudden change, hence there is all the more reason that the people keep cool and steady. But these changes are more in method than anything else, and a consistent application to business will enable us to grasp them* as they occur and continue to conduct

business in safe channels. Another thing. There are men at Washington and elsewhere who are drawing salaries for developing our war policies. Our help in this matter is not needed. We ( can render the greatest aid to our country in this crisis by making of our busi-ness-—it matters not what it may be—the greatest success possible. If we are farming, the greatest aid we can render will be measured by the size of our crops. The same in all lines. We can render absolutely no aid if we discuss the situation from now till next spring. We cam, however, help to make confusion worse confounded by abandoning ourselves to hysterical discussions and speculations. Another phase of the situation in which we should keep cool and preserve an even tenor, is in the matter of giving credence to the thousands of sensational reports circulated. Many of these are the product of idle brains and the outgrowth of the very useless discussions we have sought to discourage. The people will be informed from an authortative soureg of all matters that affect the public welfare. Sensational reports that have not the sanction of the Washington authorities should be frowned upon and discouraged. You are always safe in disbelieving and contradicting all such. Taken by and large, while conditions are not normal, still there is really no good reason for hysterical worry. Coolness and common sense, added to increased application and energy, will carry us safely through and enable our government to win out in the mam j moth —undertaking before it. - -