The Washington herald., 1917-10-11
need OF WORK
At VARS END
Much VIII Be Required to
Rebuild Industry. Hol-
land Writes.

land Writes.
In the ONCE Of one Of the high sx-
,cutives associated With the United
States stsel Corporation u exposed
to view. nicely framed. an apothsgm
consisting OF these words. In Time
OF War. Prepare for PeaesL"
Already this corporation 10 looking
far. ahead 20 that II may Be In a
position to meet some Of the exisen-
eies and the conditions that are with
out precedent which are to follow
the termination Of the world-encom-
passing war.
1t is observed that many of the in
dustrial leaders and almost all OF
those who are leacers In the steel
Industry and In banking are now taxi
ing time to consider what our situa-
ton In TO be after the war 10 ended.
There does not sem to be general
agreement UPON conditions a. We shall
ind them when the war Is over. Many
persons think that the government
and Congress-. havingn learned the
remarkable lesson which has been
taught through the coordination Of
the railroads. the cooperation and CO.
ordination of industries and the vital
necessity for increasing our shipping,
will be prepared so to act as to IA
cilitate the speedy readjustment of
industries. especially the settlement of
the vital railway problem.
Period After the War.
Organizations have already been
perfected whose purpose 10 not only
to maintain but to increase our for
eign trade after the war. There Is
no doubt that the leaders in the steel
industry look confidently to a very
great increase in our export of steel
commodities of all kinds to other
nations.
In speaking of the period of re-
organization. Frank A. Vanderlip re-
Gently wrote that, while the period
Immediately following the war Is
looked forward to with more or less
apprehension. nevertheless In the
realisation of possible danger is to
be discovered the best assurance that
it will be averted.
Some have spoken with concern
about the effect upon industry which
would be occasioned when the war
is over by the return to peaceful
pursuits of millions of men who have
been serving in the armies. That
was an apprehension which was
voiced by many leading men of the
country in the last year of our civil
war. They could not forecast the
effect upon industry of the muster
ing out of 100000 men who had
been for four years occupied in
fighting. These approximations were
Groundless for these honorably dis
charged soldiers, 100000 or more In
all, were swiftly and without ap-
preciable disturbance of industry
absorbed in commerce and industry
end many OF them in railroad con-
struction.
General Dodge's Experience.
II used to occur to Gen. Granville L.
BOJse, who was a major general In
the Union army. that there might be
seine industrial disturbance when the
war was over and the soldiers re-
tur.-ed to their homes. In the last
years of Gen. Dodge's life. when he
VISITED New York, he was accustomed
- say To his friends that the nation
ABSORBED speedily and with very bene-
hcial results all of the soldiers, be-
cause there began the work made nee
e-sary by the reconstruction of our
material forces and especially BY the
building and repairing of railroads.
Gen. Dodge himself, as executive head
CT the Union Pacific Railroad, which
was under construction when the war
closed employed many men who had
been Confederate soldiers and who re-
jciced at the opportunity Of securing
work from the railroad.
Labor Is now 50 scarce as to compel.
as the textile industries Of New Eng
lard have Just done. the granting Of
an increase In wages. Whether the
return OF the American soldiers will
tend to stabilize wages and prevent
further increases or not, neyertheless
they will be of great assistance when
We come to readjust our industries
and commerce to the REORGANIZATION
conditions.
Many have said that labor will not
be furnished In sufficient amounts
Whe the war is ended to make II nos
slble rapidly to build I'D industries
and restore devastated countries and
ruined railroads. There will, there
fore' De a very great demand for
labor. Mr.. Vanderlip Is quoted as
having said that one of the great
questions whose answer involves the
successful readJustment Of our indus
try. agriculture and commerce to the
new conditions that will be estab-
ished after the war refers to capital
and to credit. Many people are fear
full lest capital will be exhausted and
credit reduced to q minimum.
vanderiip's Opinion.
That is not Mr.. vanderlip's opin-
Ion. Great as our war debts may be
and great as may be those Of Eng
land and France. the payment of
them absolutely depends upon the
swift and healthful reconstruction of
industry. In the monthly review
prepared by the National City Bank
under the eye of President Wander
lip IL Is stated that there can be
but one opinion among statesmen.
hnanciers and all classes as to the
necessity for the needed results, of
industry along normal lines after
the war Is ended. The shops, mills,
mines, laboratories and fields will
be waiting, and the goods, when
produced. will pay for themselves in
the exchange. The resumption OF
industry and trade has little need
OF government credit. In. the sense
OF resorting to the taxing power, but
it will need co-ordinating, STABILIZE
ing support through the period of
reorganization.
Not the least remarkable of the
lessons that viii be taught by the
experience of the war is the pro-
found and sound philosophy upon
-
and coordination rests. Many be-
lieve that after the war there Is to
be a very great development of
n vArO- alaCfrin and -