WAR SAVING.
WE are at the end of the " War Savings Week," and we believe that, thanks to the energy and ingenuity of the National War Savings Committee, many most valuable lessons have been taught and learned. No change of import- ance, however, will have been effected if it is not understood by the nation that a week of saving, or of self-denial in accus- tomed comforts, can do hardly anything in itself towards 'victory. The saving must go on and must increase ; the putting. by of money towards Post Office Exchequer Bonds 'victory. The saving must go on and must increase ; the putting. by of money towards Post Office Exchequer Bonds and War Savings Certificates must be kept up. A week of convulsive self-denial in personal or domestic expenditure can nekke of itself no more than a scratch on the surface of things. The effect of the week's campaign, encouraging though it has been so far, must be judged from sub- sequent practice throughout the land. One of the first points to understand is that the financial effort of which the nation is undoubtedly capable will never be put forth if saving is not practised among those who at first sight seem to have little to save, or who at least are accustomed to act as though saving were quite impossible for people of their income. We do not of course mean that the well-to-do can be acquitted as having performed their part already, and that the appeal must now be only to those who are called poor. What we do mean is that national saving which does not extend into every class and every household will not be the sort of national saving which will win us the war. The obvious fact about incomes everywhere is that while those of persons who depend upon the interest on capital or upon the practice of some profession have nearly all greatly depreciated, the earnings of the wage-earning class have risen. It is true that the rise in the cost of living has in many cases counteracted, or even more than counteracted, the rise in wages, but the fact remains that in the industrial districts such wages are being earned now as have never been earned before. The wealth of the wage-earning class in those districts has very considerably grown, even after every allowance has been made for the greater cost of living. It is known that an appreciable part of this wealth is being spent on such things as have been long desired for personal possession—unnecessary things such as jewellery and gramophones—and also of course, and above all, on drink. By " drink " we do not mean drunkenness, but only a disproportionate outlay on alcohol Here is one vein which has not yet been " worked " to anything like its full value. Much has been done during the past few weeks to make the means of saving clear and accessible to those who have not troubled to think the matter out for themselves, but much has still to be done.
It is not merely that saving will put the saver in a better position, and that saving therefore is a policy of discretion. A good deal may be said on those lines, particularly as it can be pointed out that every luxury is bought now at a high price and that after the war things will be cheaper. But in our opinion the appeal should be made on exceptional grounds even as the occasion is exceptional Three • ' et strands of national effort are being employed and put to the test in our conduct of the war. First, the soldiers and sailors are giving their services and their lives, and their contribution to the cause is utterly beyond criticism. Secondly, there are the people who produce the munitions and the equipment for the Army and the Navy. Thirdly, there are the people who make, and can save enough money to pay for, the monitions. The munition-makers, we understand, are working at a pressure and in a devoted spirit which a year ago seemed almost too much to hope for. There is nothing wrong there. It is the people who pay for the munitions who can make a further sacrifice. Let the case be stated as a matter of sacrifice, not, for the present at all events, as a matter of self-interest. The national expenditure has quite unex- pectedly risen by a million a day. The bill to be footed is terrific, and may yet break us if we are not wise and careful. The sacrifice of saving is the incomplete part of the united nation's effort. Of course millions of those who are now called upon to save as a patriotic duty, in order that we may be able to pay for the munitions, are already doing a " bit," if not the whole of their " bit," in running the essential services of the country ; there is necessarily overlapping in the classes which are working for victory. But to labour in an essential service, such as in a profession, in a colliery, or on a railway, or in agriculture, is not to discharge the whole duty of man. If every civilian at home could smite his breast and say that he had not wasted a single farthing since the war began, he would still have made no sacrifice comparable with that of the gallant men who lay down their lives or come home permanently maimed or ruined in health. Saving is the only sacrifice of which the ordinary civilian is capable, whatever occupation he may be employed in. Let it not be said that when the soldiers and sailors had fought to the last point of bravery which the imagination can conceive, and when the human and mechanical material in the munition- shops had borne to the uttermost every strain imposed upon them, Britain still failed to win because the civilians at home had been guilty of a great refusal—had withheld the sacrifice which alone was wanting to ensure a triumph. That would surely be the last word in irony and tragedy.
The need to remind people that though they are civilians they are part of the threefold national Atmy which is fighting the German powers of evil cannot be emphasized too much.
Every man whose heart is not stone, and whose blood is not water, will respond to the appeal to play his part in the national Army if it is made plain to him that Germany cannot be beaten without his own sacrifice, be it great or small. The country was never so determined, never so dogged, as now. The appeal could be made with perfect confidence of success. Men dignify their cause, and ennoble themselves, by sacrifice, and when they are in the temper to which the war has brought the nation they will do what is required of them earnestly and gladly. One is tempted to say that in the war-saving campaign the powers of the revivalist are needed. A passion, an emotion—a frenzy, if you like— should be made to rim from one end of the country to the other impelling men to deny themselves in order that they may come to the rescue. Dry and bare explanations of the Government schemes for personal saving are not enough. The soul must bo fired. Personal workers could do wonders in towns and villages everywhere if they would appeal to those who know and trust them, and save the people the trouble of mastering by their own thought the machinery for helping the Government. The present writer heard a preacher lately in a village church who fulfilled in the letter, though not in the spirit, the Archbishop's instructions to preach on the duty of war saving. A section of the sermon, which closely followed a syllabus of points supplied, dealt with the necessity of reducing the number of servants employed, though the preacher was the only man in the church who employed any. The congregation were exhorted to wash more things at home, though these agricultural labourers had never had anything washed anywhere else. That is not the way to stir the nation. We hope that workers who have some sense, and tact, and imagination will rally to the assist- ance of the National War Savings Committee. The move- ment ought to be pressed into every nook and cranny. Here are some figures taken from the Times which show what had already been accomplished three weeks ago :- " The return of the National War Savings Committee for the week ended June 24th shows that the number of War Saiings Certificates sold was 965,762, an increase of 298,546 on the number sold during the preceding week. The aggregate sales to date were thus raised to 5,847,880. The certificates issued up to June 24th were divided between the three Kingdoms as follows :—England and Wales, 5,366,216 ; Scotland, 340,722 ; Ireland, 140,942. This is the first week in which the sales each day have been over 100,000, and each of the last four days shows a considerable increase over the highest figure previously reached. The highest figure was 186,157 on Thursday, June 22nd. These results are largely due to the efforts of the 1,600 War Savings Associations which have been formed throughout the country, and to the fact that any ono, no matter what his income, may now hold as many as 500 certificates. During the week ended June 24th there were 20,000 applications for £5, £20, and £50 Post Office Exchequer Bonds for a total value of £550,000, making the aggregate sale of Post Office Exchequer Bonds to June 24th 753,000, representing £24,500,000."
The number of War Savings Associations is now, we believe, approaching three thousand. Every minister of religion should feel himself a faithless steward if he has not an Associa- tion in his parish. The example has been set by hundreds of employers of labour and school teachers. The War Savings Certificate of 15s. 6d. should be familiar in every household. It can be subscribed for through the Associations by small instalments. Nothing is simpler or easier. Only the will to subscribe has to be evoked.
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