New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-03-04
South Stafford Conserva-
tive M. P. Forecasts Vast
Industrial Changes.
GOVERNMENT TO HOLD
CONTROL OF RAILWAYS
Trenches Have Effected DemOc.
racy for Aristocrat, Capital
ist and Workman.

An English tarrister, writer on in
.ernational law and member of Parlia
ment for South Stafford, {. A. Mon
iague Barlow, gave an outline yester-
day Of the situation in England and OF
the English attitude toward neutral
trade and 1he blockade.
Nr. Barlow is a member OF the coun-
ell OF the London Chamber OF Com
merce who has held a seat in Psrlia-
ment for six years az a Conservative
though his constituents are laborlnS
men. A. the outbreak Of the war he
organized the Stafford Brigade of the
Lancashire Fusiliers and raised five
battalons for Kitchener's army.
England Aims To BE Fair.
THE entire policy of the British gov
eminent" said M Barlow. in regard
70 trade between the United States and
neutral countries bordering on Ger
many. has been actuated by On effort
70 conduct the blockade IN such a man
ncr that il would be lair TO neutral ma
,ions, in harmony With the established
nrac.ices of international law and AT
the same time with due regard TO the
necessity of cutting of trade with Ger
many. Sir Edward Grey made TINS an
solutely clear in his great speech on
January p ii,
"The 'rationing policy as il is called,
has been worked out In relation 10 the
Netherlands and the Scandinavian
countries. and has been based on the
average annual amount Of imports into
those countries directly before the war
Imports largely III excess OF that nave
been considered Is presumably destlhed
eventually for the enemy, and tngland
has treated its own trade with neuttais
in the same light. Thus, with regard 70
the increased import into iiohsnd OF
Cocoon. OF which much has been heard
in America. allowance has 10 be made
on the ground that the cocoa Holland
received from Germany in times OF
poacc was shut Off, and Holland would
therefore require 10 import an extra
equivalent amount, but this from any
country she pleased, neutral or Ing
lish.
Guarantees America Against Loss.
1T il extremely important that
America should understand that Ing
land is trying 10 conduct the war on
principle that il fair 10 neutrsls. As
Senator Lodge has pointed out, ing
land has even agreed to guarantee the
United States against material loss
ina. is the result of the so-called
blockade. In stopping undue trade TO
neutral nations near the enemy she IS
only using the right that the North
exercised in the Civil War
Mr.. Barlow was enthusiastic IN ad-
miration for the manner in which the
English laborng class has responded
10 the appeal for men 70 I'LL the armies
ard the munition factories.
NO artisan class has ever volun-
teered FOR war az have the vast mass
Of trade unions and organized laborlng
mon In England" he said. about
2 600 900 TO 3 100000 men offered them
selve, for the new armies before con-
scription was adopted. That is about
three.quarters Of the total possible
number
Excluding the navy establishments.
ENGLAND has made arrangements TO
maintain an army Of about 100000, in
accordance with the accepted rule that
a nation can put at the most ~ per
cent of its population into its armies:
Great Britain's popuiatloe, exclusive OF
ireland. is about i2.0OO,OOO.
Sees Industrial Revolution.
"After the war said Mr. Barlow.
there would very likely he great
changes in the management of great in
dustrisl concerns, factories, railways,
etc. Practically all the engineering
factories IN the country now are d.
rectlv controlled by the government.
while all railroads are being managed
BY a Joint executive committee OF di-
rectors under the control OF the gov
eminent. II is doubtful if the rail
ways will go back TO the old conpeti-
tive management. -,
1T is not unlikely that system VIII
eventually be created for the railways
like that in force over the great docks
Of the Port of London for the last ten
years. These have been combined un-
der one body called the Port OF Lon
don Authority. representing three
groups: The ship owners and shippers.
the shareholders and the governments
experts. This amalgamation OF the i've
docks that used 10 compete for trade
among themselves into a single unit
where trade j. distributed according
10 facilities was mainly the work OF
LLOYD George. and is regarded as one
Of his greatest economico successes. II
IS not exactly socialism, and yet Is a
far closer approximation 20 II tnan
would have been thought possible IN
the past.
There is an economic saving IN COM
hned central management. which Is. IN
fact. the method with which ing and
! : conducting great many national en-
terprises during the war. when the
treaty OF peace IL signed, many people
think. though ] am not one OF them.
with a great fall of wages from their
present high standard. But II there IS
such depression. one way 20 meet II
may be by more economic and central
lied management of the railroads, the
shipyards and even the mines.
Equality Found in the Trench.
The war" Mr.. Barlow added. will
unite all members Of the community
into a greater friendliness tran ever
before, for the trench is the most dem
ocratic place in the world. and there
the working man, the aristocrat and
the capitalist have learned as never be-
fore 70 know each other.
With regard 20 the discussion be-
tween America and England in refer
ence 20 the mails. Nj Barlow said that
join, note from the French and the
, English governments would reach this
country in a few days.
Commenting on the Nerdun offence,
he said in conclusion. IL doubt If the
western front can be broken without
loss Of life too appalling 20 be con-
tcmplated willingly by any country