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Show ;, THE COMING OF CHRISTMAS BJ'( f Iletatl buying Is a good Index of general business B !' ' conditions. The singular prosperity of tho great H j - -stores or London, and of their beautiful holiday busl- Btj nogs, has been told; the tale showed an unbroken BJ record of higher profits as the war advanced. BJ' I .Let us now take a glimpse at Germany, fighting, H ' f -us It were, with Its back to tho wall. Ambassador m' Gerard cites tho fact that In May, 1916, Werthelm, BF '' - lead or tho great department store In Berlin, told Bfe-v '-him they were having moro business than In peace BF times. BJ Tho force of this statement is realized when it i3 BJ ) considered that tho German war activities seem to BL -have absorbed practically all of the man power of BR the nation. BR In this country our war measures leave us with BE a preponderlng civilian population. If this were not BBl so we could hardly opun our markets to the largo BE buyers like our nllies, or to the neutral nations witb- BJ. in our rcuch. Just now we are not alone helping to BJ feed and finance several nations, but wo aro provld- BJ ' ing with our products now fields In less familiar Bl lands. Wo could do more exporting If we .lad tho BJ :ships; doubtless soon we shall have them. Our prob- BB loin Is likely to be not how we can coax business Into BB -.our lanes of commerce, but how wo can handle It. BB It seems evident that Christmas Is coming in BB vthc direction of Business with a beckoning finger. BB' -The Chicago Tribune. |