Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-10-13
NOT SUICIDE, BUT LIFE

MG NM Oelnb uolly convinced Dtgohu
w reasonable doubt, that an unheard-of
Mood Of immigrants will pour into Amer.
ica the moment the dam OF war breaks,
and also that there IL going 10 be hardly
any immigration worth speaking Of for
years
The killing OF millions OF workers in
the war will have created n dearth OF
labor when Europe will be In most need
OF II for reconstruction; therefore labor
will stay in Europe. attracted by high
wages. The national debt OF the bel.
llgetents Ia 30 tremendous that life will
be a burden for years; therefore labor
will leave Europe, discouraged by high
taxes. But, after all, the economic man"
has n heart MS well as n pocket nerve. lie
is not a machine. Economically speaking,
there should have been not one man
living In the neutral countries so blind
TO his own interests as TO return TO Eu.
rope 10 enlist IN the army OF his native
land. But tho actual Though romantic)
fact was that many thousands returned
20 die on the battlefield. And most OF
them had thought they had left their
home across the seas forever. How much
more. then, would those who never emf.
grated. and whose devoted spirit kept the
war going and saw II through, stick TO
the old ship when the fight was done2
Patriotism Is the great factor, most inn
portant OF all, which Is left out of the
reckoning by the disputink economists.
1t is such a mystical and variable thing
that IL cannot be reduced TO figures.
What the cold figures do show. how.
ever, is that the war brought an actual
loss OF population to the United States,
leaving out of account the birth rate.
More persons left the country than en-.
tered It In the fiscal year ending June 80,
1915-3s4,174 emigrants to 326,7OO imml.
grants. There has been an Immigration
increase in the first eight months Of 1916
over the same months in 1915-2l7,s74
against t65, ,269--but not enough to assure
a net gain OF alien population during the
war. In the year which ended Just be.
fore the war began the immigrants had
exceeded the emigrants by about 100000.
There may. indeed. be a return to this
condition for a time after the war There
may be a food OF alien workers. But there
| is Just as much reason TO believe that
many Of them will soon go home again.
When Europes industries have gained a
fair start she viii put up the price
of labor until she has enough of II. The
idea that the Industries and best workers
OF the world are going TO be transferred
10 the United States Is phahtasmaL Eu-
| rope Is not fighting 20 commit suicide.
but to live.
| This is indeed a fine dream for the
Democratic prosperity monger, for why
should any one want a protective tariff
II Europe is coming over here to liver
| To prove to you that Americas present
prosperity is permanent he will engage
| to demonstrate that there is TO be an
America industrially dominant over a de.
| pleted Europe and embracing free trade
as naturally as England did when her
factories ruled the Industrial world and
other nations had only infant Industries.
A beautiful dream, but what are the
faots2 First. that even in war time Eu-
rope is doing marvels in industrial ac-
| tivity and development Second, that
groups Of Workers who had never figured
prominently as labor factors are In action,
including many thousands OF women who
have learned how much better It is 10
work at trade than TO spend sixteen
hours a day shaving In other women's
kitchens. Third, that there is every rea.
son to believe that this industry viii take
great leap forward the moment peace
Is made. and that a competition with
American goods OF startling dimenslons
viii arise.
| Europe will not send us her men and
women after the war. She is more likely
TO send us her goods to compete with
goods made here at labor cost higher
than It has ever been. II labor wants its
| profits lowered It can handily accomplish
It's object by continuing the Democratic
/ tarin