New-York tribune., 1919-01-08
Few Organized Efforts to
Meet Conditions Re-
Dorted From Centre S
Government Aids
I'm Placing Men
Michigan Has Forty Thou
sandldle; Eleven Other
Districts Need Labor

An UNPRECEDENTED war has come to
an end It was war in which Amer
ica played an unprecedented part, both
industrially and in military sense.
1t has come to an end in winter
when outdoor work-building and
farming largely-is at a standstill. Fur
Their. it throws millions of soldiers
upon a labor market swelled by work
men discharged from factories that
have been making war supplies.
What has America to face in the
pcrioe, of rcadjustment now beginning? :?
Is there already unemployment?
Will it grow to dangerous proper
tons!
Are we facing an industrial crisis,
with unemployment, soup kitchens,
bread lines and suffering, such as we
have almost forgotten in four years
Of "war prosperity" and plentiful
: work.
Three months ago there was q short
age of a million men in the unskilled
labor market.
To-day industry and the army are
both demobilizing.
War Work at an End
Peace has brought natural end to
war work. The government has can
celed 10000 war contracts in New
York State alone Factories making
only munitions must be closed either
permanently or until this machinery
can be converted to other work rae
tories with huge government orders
for their normal product must take
stock and readjust their output to
peace demands.
So far we have had only a taste of
army rehabilitation. On November l 1 ,
1918, there were, according to the state
ment of Secretary Baker 1865 900
Americans under arms. Of these 2,OOO,-
900 were in France.
Last week Secretary Baker told the
House Military Committee that 700,-
900 men had been discharged in the
eight weeks since November Ii, and
that 10000 900 mor- would be demobil-
lied in the coming i've weeks.
Thus, whatever effect has been
caused so far by the release of less
than 100000 men a week will be IN
creased in January by the discharge
Of twice as many week during the i'm
mediate future. And this is the period
cancelled war contracts!
When these 100000 men are demo-
bilized there will remain about 2,000,-
900 in Europe.
Are There Jobs For All?
There are, therefore. two problems:
Are there jobs enough for the men
who have done war work?
Are there jobs enough for the men in
the army?
Jobs for the men in the army depend
to some extent on patriotism, on the
readiness of the employer to take back
the old men into their old positions.
: Jobs for war workers depend on op-
tmsm as we'll as patriotism. Will
. there be spirit of enterprise and
courage to offset the natural hesitancy
and caution which follow a profound
change like the end of war, the natural
inclination to wait for wages to go
down as unemployment threatens?
Whatever jobs there are, the great
problem will remain of getting the men
United States Employment Service,
many long tried private agencies and
the aid Of innumerable voluntary bod
les TO solve this physical problem.
They will be faced, however, with
psychological problems as well-the
problem of the employe who has
learned new work a step above his old
and who will be very critical Oh what
nav be offered him; the problem of the
man who has made big wages at night
work Of special character and who
VIII look twice at ordinary peace time
pay, and the problem of the soldier
VINO has lived life Of rigor and ex-
element and who will be loath to set
tie down to the old humdrum exist
ence
Reports From Eighteen Industries
What will all these industrial and
human factors bring America in the
next few months? What are they al
ready bringing?
10 answer this The, Tribune has
sought the views of wide variety of
authorities the country over. To-day
IL prints reports from eighteen typical
industrial centres.
vi the eighteen, seven report unem-
p'oyment already in existence.
W the eighteen, eleven report a
shortage Of labor as in war time.
oaiy four report active and official
esnorts, aside from those of the Federal
employment Service, to meet the stu