The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1918-07-07

What will the nations of the earth
do when the armies are finally de-
modified? When the shock of peace
comes---for the outbreak OF peace will
almost certainly be- as great shock
to The Industrial order as was the out
break of war L. IL taken for granted
That thf. millions of soldiers will be
suddenly rcabsorbcd into the social
fabric from which they were drawn?
WIN the end OF the war mean only
one grand super utilization OF VIC
tory. six-day parade of the millions
under their triumphant battle flags.
and then a return to the homes and
the girls and tho jobs they left be-
hind?
one big quiet, thoughtful man,
living away over on the other side Of
the earth. got to pondering these
questions. And the more he pondered
them he more he became convinced
that there could be no such outcome,
The man is Herbert f. Easton. AT
the outbreak Of the war he was hon
orarr secretary Of the British I'm
migration League Of Australia, q sort
OF business mems organization. com
btning patriotic desire TO give Eng
lishmen new opportunities in life, with
the Australian business mans natural
try with the beginning OF the war.
however, Easton perceived a far
greater mission for his organization,
In the first place he thought Of the
untold thousands OF British working
men who. with the changed life
brought ahout.hy years of war would
under no consideration return 10 the
positions in life which they had left
The army Of men for instance hold
ing little, incorsequenria jobs. physi-
cally weak. spiritually without am
btttpns. living because they were ex-
pected to live and working through
the dull routine OF the years because
their undernourished bodies had 10
have AT least this minimum nonrish-
ment. These men had been trans
formed by the war, Their bodies had
been rebuilt and their souls had ex-
banded They had become adventur-
ers. heroes. They would take UP life,
not where they had dropped 1t. but
as big men ready for nlan-sized work.
Where would they he placed?
Again. whole industries had been
put out OF existence by the war. The
emf loyers may have meant TO hold
the jobs for the outgoing men. but
they couldn't even hold the. factories
or mills In the meantime. the en-
ploycrs had become absorbed in new
I Industrial regime where would their
former employees be placed?
Women by the millions had also
entered Industry. They went In be
cause there was no one else to do
the work and il was discovered IN
many cases that they were more eff
Accent than the men Whatever al
/ individual may expect to do, indus
trial progress. like time and tide
rS~--yrheY, q a Y
can do the work more efficiently
Where would these supplapted en-
ployes GO?
And suppose the men did take bach
the Obs which the women had tenn
porariiy Allied? Where would the wo
men go? Millions OF former bread
winners will have been Killed or in
capacitated. WIN women who have
learned skilled trades voluntarily con
sent TO cease living entirely?
The morc that MIR. Easton pondcrcd
the problem the more he realized tina
il was far greater one than mcrcls
making provision for the incapacitat
cd. Willy -niiiy. II new world has beer
created while the man power of tht
empire has been of to the wars. Whcr
they come back they will have to come
back to that new world. not tn ths
one which they loft behind.
Then MIR EAston decided that he
had the key TO the problem In his
migration league On his initiative
| 1t was reorganized as the land settle
uent league, with the one purpose Of
/ repatriation of the heroes who hac
| been fighting the worlds war agaius
autocracy
| couldn't see Mr., Easton. He was
! in London. ! learned. but 7 had the
| good fortune TO run across one of his
associates. now in America. This was
! Mir, Henry G. Armstrong hustlins
! young business man of sydney. Mr.
| Armstrong. too, was thinking ahou
| peace. No. he wasn't expecting
soon. and any suggestion that peace
could come without the utter an.
! nihilation OF f-russianism was foreigi
| to his mind.
! MIR. Easton has been emphasizing.
| he explained. the necessity of pre-
pairing for peace in time of war
| Otherwise. We might find victory q
+, defeat. America. for instance. now
/ has half a million boys in France
! II is certain that they are not there
! as an advertisement. They are there
I to win the war: and America will not
surrender to the autocracy of Ger
many even If she has to back up tina
/ half million with ten millions more
That. by the way, is not Uncomfortable
! as Australia has sent 400 600 volun.
teers out of population of 5000. 600
a similar percentage for America
would mean 100000 men in service
/ America, / understand, has had seri-
GUS immigration problems arising
! from the attempt to absorb million
or sa immigrants In the course OF Il
year. Can you imagine the problen
that would arise il you were suddenly
4 required to take back 100000 mer
who had been estranged for years
from your industrial lifep
/ THAT is jus: about the problen1
which Great Britain would face If the
! war We're to end today Each passins
month makes the problem greater
but 1t must be handled at once wher
1t suddenly comes up The return.
ing soldiers must eat The whole pop.
ulation must eat We cannot wait in