The Washington times., 1916-11-14
Which WAY WILL TIDE
OF EM|GRANTS MOVE?
Department Of Labor Officials
Are Divided on Question Of
AfteriWar Adjustment.

VIII II be immigration or emigration
after the war; That is a question
which is perplexing the minds of the ex'
perts Of the Department Of Labor.
The department Is divided Into two
camps on the matter. One party be-
lieves that after the close of the pres
ent world war, Americans will flock &c
Europe to make the high wages which
q shortage Of men there may cause.
Tho other side OF the argument is
taken by some. however. They hold
that Europeans will come to this coun'
try to escape the economic poverty
caused by the war. They do not be-
lieve. however. that the European i'm.
lions II did before the war, but con.
tend that nevertheless the freedom OF
this country from onarchial restric-
lions will cause those able to do so to
come here.
Skilled Labor May Go.
Skilled artisans will undoubtedly go
to Europe after the war. to get the
high wages there" asserted one Uni-
oial. you see how they went to China
and Japan and other oriental countries
to get the wages paid to them there. 1t
will be the same case with Europe.
would not be surprised to see large
tide OF skilled workmen go over to Eu-
rope after the close of the war.
But I do not believe they will stick
over there. The warning OF the ter
rible war will have sunk in on them.
America, with its free people and
much-especially as they are the bet
ter educated part of the laboring
class-to'le them stay for high wages
under any form of monarchy.
Wages Will Go Up.
But there is no doubt in my mind
that Europes crying need for men
will be as great after the war as Is
her present need of cannon fodder.
And that will force wages up. Wages
will go up all over the world. and
stay up. Take. as a conservative es-
Innate. the number of men who have
been killed and incapacitated at
100000. They come OF the best pro-
ducers OF the nation. In the time OF
Napoleon when one man out OF every
twenty-five was killed. II meant "a
terrible hurt to the country's pro-
ductivity. The loss OF this four mill
lion means the same.to Europe today.
And so the Macedonian cry foR
men will 20 out. 1t is useless to say
that our workmen VIII not heed II.
They will. The salaries paid over
there to workmen of certain classes
may be a good deal higher than sal
aries for similar workmen in this
country. Then the great economic
law of supply and demand will come
in. and workmen from this side OF the
wages. When the level OF wages
there Is forced down, by the coming
on of the next generation and the
readjustment of productive agencies
hA r n
Americans will return. That Is my
view OF It,"
Tide May Move Other Way.
That this reasoning is not accurate
10 the contention of another official
you must think of the terrible lesson
Europe has given its inha bitants. They
win not want TO live in the atmosphere
OF death. desolation. and misery after
the war. believe that the European
nations will have to pass laws to re-
strict emigration, so strong will be the
desire OF the workers to get away. Ar
Eentina and other South American
countries will profit by this by addition
Of a lot of fine citizens: So will the
United States. Our immigration. while
] believe II will never reach the before
the-war level. will jump materially. In
fact. 1t has done so In the past two
years. For the first eight months this
year It was about $50 per cent above
what 1t was a corresponding period last
year
Have Work for All.
And we can put this labor to use
too. Don't let us make a mistake and
try to put up ironclad barriers against
them all. The acute shortage OF labor
today. where the job Is looking for the
man Just as persistently as the man
oh ha oh TAI no.
that very WELL
prosperity may have some war basis
but that war business Is not enough OF
the total to cut a huge figure. We will
have TO supply Europe with many
things, after the war, and that means
employment. Employment means i'm
migration. and we will have quite a
bit Of it,