Evening star., 1918-01-13
Congress Considering Plan to
Use Labor Now Bur-
den to Allies.
WOULD AID FOOD SUPPLY
PROBLEM IF IDEA HOLDS
Feasibility of Scheme Only Draw.
back, While Poles Cause
Added Question.

Transportation of German and Aus
TRAN prisoners of war now held bv
Franco, England and Italy to the United
States to work as farm laborers is a
possibility being considered by leaders
IN Congress and high government Of
ficials. The subject has been discussed
in conference between the Legislative
and executive branches of the govern
ment, but the proposal has not yet taken
definite shape.
The scarcity of farm labor to plant
aud harvest this years crops is SO seri.
GUS that any practicable plan would be
welcomed by the government. If the
proposal to bring enemy prisoners here
for the purpose is decided to be feasible,
they will be brought. If not, the projec.
will be dropped.
The plan has two strong points In
commend it. its sponsors say. one ID
that ships which carry troops, muni.
tions and foodstufrs to Europe come
back practically empty The bringing
OF prisoners here would be no added
tax on tonnage. The other is that the
allied countries have not been able to
find profitable employment for all the
prisoners they hold. Many prisoners
are put to work in agriculture in road
building and other works. but many
thousands are idle. These idle Ger
mans and Austrians have to be fed,
and the food for them, in the final
analysis. has to be transported from
America.
Would Reduce Tax.
If they were brought here the tar
on tonnage would be relieved to the
extent of their food requirements and,
in addition. they would help to grow
armies and the civilian populations OF
the countries at war against Germany.
Germany requires labor not only from
war prisoners. but from informed
tritories. and the bringing OF German
prisoners to this country as lahorers
would not be antagonistic to the ac-
cepted laws of nations.
Chairman Lever of the House COM
mittee on agriculture has discussed the
subject with executive officials. but he
has not committed himself to the pro-
posal. Some strong objections to the
plan have been advanced. but the need
for farm labor is SO acute that these
as they would have otherwise.
Another suggestion which meets with
considerable favor in official circles 10
that some of the Poles who were i'm
pressed into the German and AUS
trian armies and captured by the Rus
shall be brought to the United States.
From 100000 to 100000 of these Poles
were held in Siberia when the revolu<
tionary government at Petrograd orr
dered their release. following the
armistice with the central powers.
These Poles do not want to return to
their homes. which are inside the Teu-
tonic lines, and it is understood they
would be glad to come to America.
While they are in a sense enemy sub
jects, they are such unwillingiy, and
their status, in this country would be
different from that of Germans and
Austrians.
Numerous Farm Laborers.
A large proportion of the Poles are
farm laborers, but the bringing of them
here would present transportation DIM
culties which do not exist in the case
of German and Austrian prisoners. In
the first place, some satisfactory ar
rangement would have to be made with
the bolshevik government. and that
might not be easy under existing cir
cumstances. Then they would have to
Vladivostok and brought across the
Pacific. and it is doubtful if Pacific
tonnage could be found to bring ip any
considerable numbers.
One of the most pressing needs for
labor is in the sugar beet belt. Sugar
beets require constant and intensive
cultivation, and nearly all the labor
has been drawn from the sections
where they are grown to employment
in cities at high wages.
Need 100000 Tons
The allies look to the United States
this year for 300, 900 tons of sugar. 1t 4
cannot be spared from the cane sugar
of Cuba, Porto Rico and Louisiana,
and unless there is good crop Of
sugar beets there will be little sugar
to ship overseas. Germany Is a sugar
beet growing country, and 1t is be-
lieved that among the German pris-
oners there would be many skilled beet
farmers.
Labor is going to have to be i'm
ported. also, to harvest the cane crop
in Cuba. Last year several thousand
laborers were brought over from Spain =
for the purpose, but this year the Span
come The Cuban government now Is
planning to bring in Chinese under an
arrangement by which they will be
sent home when the crop is harvested
1t has been suggested that Chinese-2
coolies should be brought to the United
States. but sentiment against oriental
Is so hostile that the idea
aas met with no favor in official circles.