South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1917-03-12
NATION IS
BEHIND PRESIDENT
Senate's Action in Passing
Armed Neutrality Disclosed
This, CIeWS Says.
BN Henry Clews.

some months lOnHeE al lteotr ANA
the more calmly and cOurageously
they are accepted. the better and
the quicker their settlement. World
wide upheaval is at work here as
elsewhere; and important readjust-
ments, international and domestic,
must be anticipated before normal
stability Is restored The war of
course. is the first object of anxiety.
Pres't Wilson is steadfastly pursu-
ing a conservative course in the
hope OF avoiding conflict with Ger
many. At the same time he is de-
termined TO protect American rights
at sea, though still undecided
whether he will arm or convoy
American merchant vessels. Mean
while the government is taking ad-
vantage o. the delay TO prepare Tor
all eventualities.
The disgraceful episode in the
senate at the close of congress had
one excellent result; it demonstrat-
ed that the country was overwhelm-
ingly behind the president and II
also exposed the sources of disahec-
ton. For several days there has
been comparative absence Of ir-
ritating events, especially as the
submarine campaign proved not as
serious as threatened. In conse-
quence there has been a partial sub
sidence o. the warlike feeling so
pronounced at the close of last
month. Growing strength of the al
lies and declining resistance among
e a1-n nnRnT1rq grnn
hopes of an early end of the war.
1t would not be prudent, however,
to indulge such expectations too
freely: the German lighting spirit
being far from exhausted, even If
resources are impaired
Discussion Dangerous.
With public feeling in such an
innammatorv state as now exists,
open discussion of international re-
lations seems highly undesirable
and dangerous. In sucn a situation
the country is in better hands than
Of congress, so long as only the lat
ter body can declare war. UnfOr-
tunately a large amount of neces-
sary legislation was left undOne, and
an extra session will doubtless be
necessary to tide over affairs be-
tween now and next December.
A great deal of discussion is cur
rent, especially among the polite
ians. concerning high prices and the
high costs Of living. Circumstances
considered, this agitation is both
natural and proper. Unhappily the
issue is befogged as usual with mis-
information and prejudice. The
condition must be admitted, but the
remedies offered are confusing and
impractical All sorts of paternal-
istic nostrums are projected. many
of them Of a highly sOcialistic ma
ture. These include government
price fixing. and government own
ership or control in some form or
another This sOciaistic tendency
has received a tremendous push
from the wide extension of govern
ment activities in Europe melted by
war necessities. Great Britain, for
instance. the home of industrial
freedom. assumed control of ship
ping. railroads, distribution of
wheat. sugar. cotton, wool, rubber,
copper. coal and many other aeces-
sites. These movements were dis
tinctIy socialistic. and there has
been considerable fear Of their con-
tinuance after the war; but while
justified as solely a war measure
they are working unsatisfactory
and proving that the government
does not equal private enterprise
in either efficiency or economy.
Making Ventures.
Following foreign examples. our
government is making many ven
lures into the same field: and
should we be drawn into war. gov
eminent control. if not ownership,
will certainly be exercised upon a
much larger scale than now. Thus
far none Of the foreign govern
ments. not even the British, has
succeeded in preventing high prices
by these means: and in spite OF
strenuous. even harsh preventive
methods. food prices and all other
commodity prices have scared TO eX-
traordinary heights. The failures
Of foreign governments in this re-
spect should provide a much need
ed lesson in economies, for they
prove TO the hilt that prices are
still governed by the unalterable
law of supply and demand, and
more that the most powerful gov
ernments in the world are unable
70 prevent though they may modify.
its operation for the time being
only.
The real cause for high prices.
whether OF food or other products
is war some twelve million men
have turned their energies from
production to destruction, and many
millions more are employed in max
destructive munitions instead OF
tiIIing the soil and providing the or
binary necessities of life The re-
sultant scarcity of labor and com
modities inevitably forces higher
prices in every direction In some
instances this scarcity has been in
tensihed by short crops by derange-
ment OF transportation. by specula-
ton and by the huge waste which
war induces. No genuine relief can
4 be expected until the wer ends. or
until industry resumes its normal
state. Partial relief is possible by
several means High prices should
and will stimulate production, es-
Deciallv OF food products. Waste