The daily Nome industrial worker., 1917-08-31
COMPATIBILITY.

Every schoolboy has heard and read of the saying by Lincoln as to the impossibility of nation existing half slave and half free. That seemed ail right, an axiom the truth of which was so self evident that it needed no proof How many teachers of American history reeiting this saying will have stopped to ask why not? What's to prevent ito Why cannot slavery for some and freedom for others exist with some degree of perma- nenCe?
 In point of fact such has existed for almost two thousand years-al- most since the dawn of civilization have there been in the same coun- try. the same nation slaves and freemen. lords and serfs and so forth. It Is true that they existed without absolute permanence; they changed; but they changed from one similar state to another so taht those who were free today were en- slaved ~ morrow
 So it is all the more reason why we should inquire why the nation cannot exist half slave and half free and merely because such was de clared by d very great man. to by no means take it for granted.
 Tn the main it is true: there can be no absolute stability in the ma tiol where such a condition en- dures. because of the fact that such a condition places a premium upon agitation and instability.
 Take a look at Germany before the war. Germany had been order ing its civilization along certain definite lines. First of all it had organized an enormous military machine. lt was a gigantic affair that required years and years to perfect and perfected it was only on or about some time in 1914. Prior to that time it had been building up a system of industry and agriculture which went to make that nation self supporting for that gigantic machine. It has built military railroads which were co-ordinated for the industrial needs; it had developed gigantic farms in most scientific manner so that the prodU ,.r..= of a srst class American farm and the pro dUctiyity of a first class German farm were in the ratio of one to 1000. It employed enormous masses of labor in promoting the perfection of it's military machine great supplies in guns, munitions material, and carefully cared for men.
 In 1914 that job was complete The work for the army of eight million men was finished to the smallest detail and as a writer said "came time when Germany was completely modernized indus, trially and in a military sense fol that day, and the work of prepara ton for war was perfected as fal as it can he perfected'.
 The German industrial chiefs were very wealthy and growing very independent. They feared no com petition. Their scientific work was ten years in advance of America They improved American inventions and they had German inventions or a scientific plane even the Amer ican experts could not hope tC reach But there was the othel class: :.n immense working class which as a fighting material hat been carefully protected and fec and clothed by government The! had been utilized on the work! which were to aid in the prosecu ton of a great war and these works were finished. So we ha( greet and wealthy owning clasi and a numerous and up to this wei cared for working class. Hal slave and half free you see.
 There was now the alternative O putting it right up to the workers 10 go without employment and 'ex porience what the American work CTS experience every decade or SC when "panics" strike the conti-