Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1919-01-05
UNITED STATES SLOW
MAKING PEACE PLANS
Policy of Government Appears to Be to
Let Matters Drift and to Meet
Situations as They Arise.

have been taken among the soldiers
and they have shown that about one
man in every ten would like to go to
farming on his discharge. Out of an
army of 100000 men, If this ratio
was maintained. $500 would go to
the farms If they had the chance
President Wilson has favored the
plan recommended by Secretary Lane.
and 1t has found favor among many
members Of Congress.
Railroad Hearings Begin.
Next on the list of steps taken,
looking to reconstruction, is the be-
road situation by the Senate inter-
state commerce committee last week.
president Wilson warned Congress
that unless something was done look.
ing to legislation dealing with the
railroads he would feel it his duty
| TO restore them to their private own
ers at comparatively early date.
More recently. however, Director GEN.
eral McAdoo has recommended gov
eminent control be retained for five
years.
| The third actual step taken to meet
| reconstruction problems Is the OPEN
ing OF the investigation of the Labor
problem with big l. With Samuel
| Gompers, president Of the American
l. Federation Of Labor. on the stand,
the Senate committee on education
| and labor on Friday began its inves-
tigatfon in accordance with the Ken
! yon resolution, adopted by the Sem
| ate on December II. Under this reso-
luton the committee will Investigate
the following questions:
l. The establishment Of a national
tribunal to adjust differences between
employers and workmen and to inn
| prove industrial conditions.
q The development of the United
States employment service into a ma
tional labor exchange.
3. The Repatriation of employ
| ment.
A.. The prevention of unemployment
works. 80
S. The promotion Of better living
conditions and the administrative
control of the housing projects of the
government started during the war.
.. The extension of the soldiers and
sailors insurance act to cover the CIV
ilian population.
Z. The feasibility of a national in
surance law against unemployment
old age. disability. sickness and accf-
dent.
| s. A national minimum wage law.
3. Vocational education for all per-
sons in the United States disabled by
injury or sickness.
10 Studying Labor Problems.
The Department of Labor is known
to be studying labor problems as at
fected by the advent of peace and is
doing much to aid in placing labor re-
leased from war work. But SO far It
mas come forward with no construc-
tive legislative program to meet the
situation. Also the War Labor Board.
which has dealt with the controver-
sies between labor and capital during
| the war. is about to become extinct.
Taking time by the forelock, POST
| master General Burlescn has reooim-.
mended that Congress pass lsw for
i the permanent government owner.
ship and operations Of the telegraph.
country. Chairman Moon Of the
House post Office and post roads COM
| mfttee has sponsored the bill in that
| body. On the other hand Senator
Kellogg has just introduced a resolu-
| ton in the Senate calling upon the
Interstate commerce committee to In
| Vestfgate and report upon the whole
| question of the wires, with particular
| reference as to their future disposal
| Under the law enacted by Congress
authorizing the taking over Of the
wires as war measure. they are to
be returned to their old owners on
| the proclamation of peace by the
President.
| Senator Henderson Of Nevada,
chairman of the committee on mines,
~
| Chairman Foster of the correspond
| ing committee in the House. has in
! troduced in that body a bill author
izing the government to go to the aid
| in financial way of those persons
who put large sums of money into
the production of manganese, lungs
ten, chrome and other metals needed
for war purposes. and who today
stand to lose millions Of dollars 20
| invested because the market for these
products is gone. -....4 &
The government is engaged in clos
| ing out its contracts for war mate
rails as speedily as possible, and leg
| islation has been proposed validating
informal contracts made with manu-
facturers and contractors by agents
of the government, amounting to
nearly $4,000, 100000 SO as to prevent
financial disasters to the contractors.
This covers in large measure the
steps toward reconstruction which
are being taken.
On the other side Of the shield are
found the following great problems. So
luton of which has not yet been seri-
ously undertaken:
l. The merchant marine. No plan has
yet been devised for this perhaps the
most important of all questions re-
lating to the foreign and domestic
trade.
2. The attitude of this country to-
ward immigration. from friendly
countries as well as 1rom enemy
countries. Are hordes of immigrants
to be permitted to flow into the United
States as they did before the war. and
what will be the effect on the nation
and on the labor market II they do?
3. What Is to be done with strictly
war industries? Are they to be aided
to convert themselves into peace in
dustries and how? Is the government
to advance them money where needed
for this purpose.
Capital Issues Problem.
4. What Is to be done toward regu-
lating capital issues? The capital is
sues committee has gone out Of bus
mess. and 1t is feared that unless
some steps are taken many wildcat
corporations will organize and many
thousands of persons will be vic
timized.
5. Foreign trade. Secretary Red
field of the Department of Commerce.
has a Recommendation that more for
eign trade advisers be appointed and
stationed in foreign countries. and
this is understood to have the ap-
prevail of the President But this
merely scratches the surface OF the
question of further development OF
foreign trade.
6. The natural resources OF the
country? How are they to be con-
served? How Developed