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WM
THE
VOL. LXV. No. 2
Published Every Saturday by Edward Lyman BUI, Inc., at 373 4th Ave., New York. July 14, 1917
Single Copies 10 Cents
93.00 Per Year
Mobilization
T
HERK is a word that we shall all hear very often during the next few months. It is well for us to
hasten our acquaintance with it. That word is Mobilization.
To mobilize is to set in motion. All the great military powers possessed, for years prior to
the outbreak of the Great War, a system of "mobilizing" rapidly and effectively their armed forces.
But this war is not a war of armies, it is a war of nations. It is estimated by the British Chief of Staff,
General Sir William Robertson, that something- like 24,000,000 men are engaged in this war; in the trenches,
behind the lines and in branches of activity directly subserving the needs of the fighting forces. Think of it!
More men than constituted the entire population of the United States in the year 1X50!
A War of Nations is naturally a war in which the entire wealth, as well as the entire population, of a
belligerent is involved. Mobilization for war, in a case like this, means mobilization of industry, of trade, of
finances, of transportation; of every branch of national activity. For victory rests to-day not primarily on
numbers, not primarily on resources, not primarily on potential power, no matter how enormous; but primarily
upon the resources, the numbers, the power, actually at the moment available and ready for immediate and
efficient use.
We shall all, therefore, have to learn the meaning of this word Mobilization.
Those of us who are not serving in the army or the navy will, whether we wish it or not, be contributing
in some way to the support of the fighting men.
We shall be manufacturing munitions, or clothing or food products, and if none of these, we shall be pay-
ing taxes on our products and on our purchases: in order that the Government may buy the munitions, the
clothes and the food products.
Jf we are going to pay taxes, we must be doing business; and good business at that. ,
Therefore we, in this musical instrument business, must continue to do a good business; even a better
business than usual.
For if we don't, we shall reciprocally affect other lines of business from which we habitually purchase.
Every slightest set-back to the piano business is, in parallel, a set-back to every other business.
Our duty is to contribute our share to the national mobilization of American wealth and power. Let
there be no mistake about it. Xo man has the right now to talk about his sympathies lying here or there.
Those sympathies must lie right here; in America.
To contribute that share to the intelligent mobilization of national wealth and power, the Music Industries
Chamber of Commerce should be able to tell its members and all others of the piano trade, as well as the
national Government, what this industry best may do.
I kit pending that, we set forth the following formulas which may be adopted as a basis at least of right
thinking and right subsequent action:
Those who cannot fight in person may and must make possible the fighters' work, by supplying the
money to carry it on.
To do this, taxation is necessary; but taxation that cannot be paid is not going to help us very much.
To make ourselves able to contribute our share to the expenses we must keep our business going; even
better than usual.
First of all, to do this, the Government must be made to understand that the taxation of industry is merely
the forcible murder of the golden-egg-laying goose.
Second, the Government must be made to understand that the taxation of appetite is wholly admirable;
thai a heavv tax on unessentials is better than a nickel taxation on a work of industrial art like a piano.
{Continued on page 5)