U.S. Treasury War Bond Advertisement
December 1944 Radio News

December 1944 Radio News

[Table of Contents] Wax nostalgic about and learn from the history of early electronics. See articles from Radio & Television News, published 1919-1959. All copyrights hereby acknowledged.

War Bonds were used by countries, including the United States, Canada, Germany, and the United Kingdom, to help finance the expense of war without causing massive inflation caused by printing more money. Particularly during war times, governments were concerned with any amount of inflation since it would raise the cost of procuring necessary materials. A meme popularized (by the government) during World War II was, "Use it up. Wear it out. Make it do, or do without." Similar to how modern day Savings Bonds work, citizens bought the bonds at some fraction of the face value (typically 1/2 or 3/4) with a maturity date of 10, 20, or more years. On or after the maturity date, the bonds could/can be redeemed for the face value plus and amount of interest which might have accumulated during the period. I remember while in elementary school in the early--to-mid 1960s taking a dime to class each week to buy a stamp for a $25 savings bond. Those bonds matured in the mid 1980s and sat in a box until sometime in the early 2000s when I found them and cashed them (3 or 4 Series E - not the newer EE - bonds) in for around $100 each. They stop accumulating interest after 30 or 40 years.

U.S. Treasury War Bond Ad

These people buy a battleship - every week!

Meet John S --- and Mary D ---

John works at an electronics plant on Long Island, and makes $85 a week. Almost 16% of it goes into War Bonds.

Mary has been driving rivets into the hide of one bomber after another out at an airplane plant on the West Coast. She makes $55 a week, and puts 14% of it into War Bonds.

John and Mary are typical of more than 27 million Americans on the Payroll Savings Plan who, every single month, put a half a billion dollars into War Bonds. That's enough to buy one of those hundred-million-dollar battleships every week, with enough money for an aircraft carrier and three or four cruisers left over.

In addition, John and Mary and the other people on the Payroll Plan have been among the biggest buyers of extra Bonds in every War Loan Drive.

When you come to figure out the total job that John and Mary have done, it's a little staggering.

They've made the Payroll Savings Plan the backbone of the whole War Bond-selling program. They've helped keep prices down and lick inflation.

They've financed a good share of our war effort all by themselves, and they've tucked away billions of dollars in savings that are going to come in mighty handy for both them and their country later on. When this war is finally won, and we start giving credit where credit is due, don't forget John and Mary. After the fighting men, they deserve a place right at the top of the list. They've earned it.

You've backed the attack - now speed the Victory!

Ziff-Davis Publishing company

This is an official U.S. Treasury advertisement - prepared under auspices of Treasury Department and War Advertising Council

Posted December 23, 2019