Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1916-01-09

every year. threatened by the predofn;-
nation of the Beers. and fearing the
swapping. of the white population by
blacks. Chinese and Indians; Australia,
an enormous continent set in d distant
sea. fearful of the land-hunger of its
ambitious yellow neighbors: Canada,
capable of supporting q population
many times it's present number, anX-
ious to insure the predomlnance OF the
British yet. in desperate man-hunger,
throwing open its doors to an alien
immigration from all over Europe;
what are these countries to do If they
may not entice the Briton from his
english home and his overcrowded
labor market to the limitless expanses
awaiting only the touch OF human
hand and human ingenuity to yield
riches such as few lands can boast?
Is the Canadian. the South African. the
New Zealander and the Australian 10
sit down with folded hands. or is the
home government to realize Hhaily
that the British empire is an entity.
that when a man moves from Dorset
TO British Columbia to better himself
he is no more lost to England than II
he moves from Dorset to Yorkshire,
and the empire is enriched TO the ex-
tent of his increased opportunities.
Viewing the problem from the Eng
lish angle, the subject presents many
fascinating ramifications. what VIII
happen after the war depends largely
upon the rapidity with which industry,
not only in this country, but abroad,
receivers from the devastation of war.
But if the war lasts much longer a very
considerable part of the whole liGuld
"a itaI of this country. as well as of
othefs, will he exhausted. How soon. n
at all, will the government be able 10
Iiquidate any portion of the huge ma
tionaI debt which it is rapidly accumu--
lating? The withdrawal of billions or
dollars from productive industry is
bound to have a demoraliZin2 influence
upon the labor market for many years
to come.
Quite aside from the important ques-
tion of working capital, how much of
the trade which she has lost viii Eng
land regain? The United States is
Selling and hopes to hold a consider
able portion of it. Japan is taking
much and means to retain it. In the
worldwide competition after the war
English manufacturers will De at a dis
tinct disadvantage as compared with
the American and Japanese manufac-
turers. to name only two OF the most
important competitors for world trade.
With labor disorganized, with large
proportions of her machinery converted
to war work, with selling STAFF and Of
fee staff and management staff killed.
wounded or i'll. the British merchant
will be hard put to it TO keep his pres
ent place. not to speak OF regaining his
pre-war supremacy. This means that
thousands OF working men, principally
the skilled labor upon which Britain
mas for many generations prided her
self and upon which firm foundation
her worldwide commercial supremacy
has been built. VIII be anxious to emf
CRATE.
Before the war was many months old
il began 10 be realized in this country
that life in the trenches, daily and
hourly face TO face with death. was GO
ing TO radically alter the mental out
look of Britain's youth. Boys in their
late teens or their twenties. who, I'M
der normal conditions, would have
settled down TO the humdrum life of
a clerk in some English town, have had
a taste of outdoor life. where risk and