New-York tribune., 1918-12-09
I ear of Labor
Crisis Holds
Men i'm Camps
Administration Thought to
Dread Effect of Demobili-
zation on Wages and Press
By Carter F ield


WASHINGTON, Dec. Belief here
is growing that the government in
holding men in the army camps in this
country unnecessarily when their old
employers are clamoring for their SER
vices, is laying the foundation for
serious labor situation later on, when
the return Of soldiers TO private life
reaches flood tide.
"The government is not putting out
any shock absorbers Whatever" was
the way one critic summarized the sit
uation.
On Capitol Hill it is firmly believed
that it is not mere red tape which
causes the present attitude of the War
Department, but the fear Of the Admin
istration that the great demand for
labor, holding prices and wages at the
very highest notch attained as result
of war conditions, will weaken, result
ing in q reduction of both wages and
prices and precipitating a labor crisis
tions.
The situation 81 held firmly before
most Senators and Representatives in
their mails. Almost without exception
they are being besieged by employers
their constituents to use their
influence to cut red tape at the War
Department to get Private Jones or
Corporal Smith out of the army and
back into that particular employers
Office, factory or mill.
Two Opinions Held
On the question Of whether prices
and wages will ever be reduced to any
extent, of course, there are two opin
ions here. One is that the dollar will
stay marked down permanently. The
other is that after a reasonable period
of time the readjustment will set in,
no matter what artificial restraints
are put on by government agencies
and this period will lead to a panic.
Those who believe that the dollar
will stay marked down permanently
insist that if wages are to be held
up in this country tariff which
should make the Payne-Aldrich act
look like a path OF roses for the for
eign manufacturer must be enacted,
for they do not believe that the rest
of the world will come to the reduced
price of the dollar-or to put it on
basis, of gold-as speedily
as this country
The situation is viewed by leaders
in Congress and in the Administration
with a great deal of uneasiness. In
Congress there is feeling that the
Administration is straining every nerve
to postpone the evil day. There would
be no criticism of this were it not the
belief of many Democrats, as we'll as
that the Administration
is not taking any step toward what
might be a permanent solution of this
situation, but is providing stop gaps
which will hold up temporarily what
is feared to be inevitable
The appeal Of President Wilson for
an opening up by states and munici-
palities of public improvements is re-
ferred to by critical Senators as "oxy-
gen treatment for Old Man Prosperity"
Think Men Not Needed
Discussion of this problem at pres
ont. however, is mostly prccipitated by
the refusal o. the War Department to
yield 10 he opportunities for the dis
charge Of men from the camps in this
country. Members Of ongress are not
seeking, save in a few instances. to
obtain the discharge of any soldiers
now overseas, especially if there is
any chavez OF their being used for
police work. But inasmuch as the War
Department is 5rlneing men home from
overseas in large numbers it is felt
that no military question whatever is
involved by the request for the dis
charge from the service of men al
ready in this country.
The War Department replies to these
criticisms by Congressman that it is
discharging men very rapidly from the
service in this country, and that the
individual applications for the dis.
charge of men would complicate its or
derly routine.
But on Capitol Hill it is insisted that
the labor situation, involving as it does
the possibility of the difference be
tween prosperity and q panic, is in
tinitely greater in Importance than any
little difficulty that may result to The
War Departments bookkeeping meth
ods.