The Irish standard., 1919-08-23
NEEDS OF THE PERIOD OF WORLD
CONVALESCENCE.

NEEDS OF THE PERIOD OF WORLD
CONVALESCENCE.
s Following the horrors of war, pthly con-
densed in the Sherman epigram, the world is now
experiencing the almost equally dstressful stages
8 of recuperaton and readustment. The high fevor
of belligerency has subsidized in the body polite
and the danger point, perhaps, has been passed
\ The major operation the winning of the war, has
been successful but it should not be forgotten that
4 often under such circumstances in medical prac-
tce the patient succumbs The collapse of the physi
\ cal powers after fever or an important surgical
operation is often attended with debility that
q needs just as careful watching and treatment the
original ailment itself Otherwise the patient may
fail to rally, and often becomes victim to the
sequelae of the primary cause Of the disorders of
n the system And the more drastic the fever the
critical the operation experienced the greater
is the probability of lowering of the vitality and
an obsession of the functions of the organs of the
body. Frequently the patient by reason of his own
mpatience or perverseness or because OF the negi-
gence of physician or nurse, leaves his sick bed
prematurely, with the result that he is COM
PEELED to the struggle for life and health
under conditions than those of his first ILL
ness, and with far less hopeful prospect of perma
nent cure
The post-bellum crisis. through which America
and indeed the whole world is now passing is anao-
gous to that of who has passed through the
Is several stages of disease above described. The
dangerous period of general debility is at hand
and the distress and danger scarcely whit
less than those Of the period Of the feversh activ
M ties of the Danger of collapse is imminent
and conspicuously evident in the manifold forms of
Il unrest and turbulence surrounding all sides.
Labor is grooming under the ruthless exactions of
the profteers who are, playing desperate game
to enrich themselves at time when they conceive
4 that the people have no alternative but to submit
to their Shyock procedures. Every day brings out
crop of strikes with demands for greater
wages to meet the climbing costs of the necessares
Enf1i he IF hoc nf1x
took hold of all classes of the COMMUNICATIONS
who have only their services to sell we'll as those
who deal in commercial commodities
There is of course and effect in the situa-
tion But which is the and which the effect !?
On the side of the business interests it is urged
that the high prices largely due to the increased
costs of production of the principle factors of
+ which is wages. AS against this the leaders of
labor contend that the present wage scale is not
sufficient to enable the workers to meet the ex-
penses of living under ordinary decent American
standards. The purchasing power of the dollar has
so far deterorated to overbalance the recently
increased wage rates in all lines of industry This
" process of beating the devil around the stump
has continued for several months, until general
strike of the men engaged in the railroad service
actually begun, thus bringing the whole matter
to critical status.
1t should be said to the credit of the leaders OF
the industrial forces that their primary objective
is to reduction of the prices of necessares
rather than boost of wages the latter being an
u alternative in the event of failure to the
! former. 1t should also be said to the credit Of
President Wilson that he promptly assessed the
seriousness of the situation and Immediately tool
steps looking to the amelioration of conditions
procedure that has been abundantly justified il
the revelations of forestaling and profteering tina
have come to light since the announcement. Drast,
punishment is proposed for the greedy and graspins
sS scoundrels who have been instrumental in forcin1
up prices the point of public evaporation through
the instrumentality of the cold storage warehouse
destruction of loads of food-stufs and by othe
M desperate expedients Jail sentences rather thai
fines, it is hoped, will be allotted to these CONNER
Be- cial vu1tures which have taken advantage of tn
general confusion of the period of adjustment t.
4 feed their ruthless and Unsuitable maws. Enoug
81 evidence has already been adduced to warrant
hi thorough and rigid investigation by the Fedora
M authorities of these foul harpies of business AM
industrial life and there should be no cessation
81 such governmental supervision and regulation O
the traffic in food-stufs until system has bee
sestab1ished that will hereafter efectualy prevent
recurrence Of the activities of the food gamblers
I The world is in state of convalescence What
needed and careful nursing, lest all that ha
been gained by the advent of peace shall now b
gfcrfeited because of lack of patience and sane be
6xxiof Heaven is not reached at single bount
~ lie poet says, and neither can complete an
djustment.b be attained in few shol
s. ~ The world patient requires watchft
lanes diligent minist ton and perhaps littl
peyche1cey, fofs restoration 70 norn,s