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Show LAY YOUR COURSE, AMERICA! Like spring thunderheads the evidence towers blackly, formidably, over the county, plainly spelling out a fact that can no longer be ignored: inflation cannot be controlled by decree. The issue of wheher to sacrifice a continually larger lar-ger measure of representative government in the hope of putting the lid on inflation, is rapidly becoming academic. We have both inflation and dangerously autocratic government. The only real question is how to get rid of the frustrated decree system before it becomes a "way of life." Total war brought about unavoidable public debt increases. in-creases. This debt is beginning to bear down upon the home front in rising prices and depreciating money, with all of the accompanying evils. The people should begin to think clearly on these problemstheir freedom hangs in the balance. As disillusionment spreads, they will have a tendency to look for somebody to blame. The danger is that they will blame our form of government itself, because ,so many irresponsible public officials have been making foolish promises. It is a short step from blaming government, govern-ment, to changing government, and if we change our government gov-ernment in this country it can be changed in but one directionaway direc-tionaway from "by the people and for the people." Unless Un-less the American people think clearly during this critical period, they may let inflation sow seeds of bitterness that will sweep away the great American experiment in human freedom which has given this nation so rich a life for over a century and a half. We should realize now as never before that America had a war to win. Wars are won by blood and treasure." w e gave our blood and we are now giving our treasure it is being exacted from us through inflation. Inasmuch as modern wars are total wars, the material price may prove to be high. And yet we have no reason to kick, much less expect our government to float the nation painlessly over the abyss. In the days ahead we must weigh our values carefully. We must draw a mental line. On one side we must put our money, our material possessions on the other oth-er we must put the things of the spirit, our form of government, govern-ment, the santity of the individual, principles for which this country stands, and for which human beings have struggled strug-gled through the centuries to attain. This spiritual side of the "ledger" must be held inviolate It is our capital, inherited inher-ited from the ages. It is our only means of building a new and better world. |