New-York tribune., 1919-08-11
Europe Cannot Understand
Why There Should Be
Difficulties in Labor Field
in So Rich a Country
After Profiteers There
Heavy Penalties To Be I'm
posed in Effort to Cut
the High Cost of Living
NeM York Tribune
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Copyright. 1919. New York Tribune Inc)
LONDON, Aug. TO- Europeans have
env4cd Americans. America, in the
eyes of Europe, stood for everything
iuNuNlous and eXtravaagant 1t was the
oasis Of worldwide desert-the one
place where every one was wealthy,
"here food was bountiful, where so
clety was on a stable basis and the
factors which make for unrest, social
and industrial. were missing.
Consequently, dispatches from Amer
lca during the last few days have sur
prlsed and mystihed Europeans That
the richest country in the world should
suffer from the same disorders as her
debtors IS a fact not easily compre-
hended. On the day that Chancellor of
the ENchcquer Chamberlain was warn
ing Brltons that a continuation of eX-
travagance and ruthless waste would
lead to national bankrutcy the British h
press was publishing long accounts of
the industrial crisis in America.
Europeans have watched with alarm
the decline of exchange in favor of
America. They read with uneasiness
reports of the steady growth of the
United States as a shipbuildinr nation.
and were troubled by accounts of Amer
lcan activities in markets where hither-
to they enjoyed supremacy. Compari-
sons invariably favored America, and
naturally Europe thought less and less
about the war and more and more
about trade and failure in the COM
mercIal struggle.
America an Argument
British workers have been fighting 10
maintain wartime gains and arguing
successfully that increases of wages
have been justified by the higher cost
Of living. Always the reply has been
that competition with America was i'm
possible on such a basis. Support for
the naturalization of British coal
mines has had its basis on the ground
OF cheaper production under state con-
troll
Some Americans have declared Eu-
rope was in a hopeless dilemma; that
victor and vanquishcd were in equally
desperate straits; that the burden Of
war debts would break the back of the
social structure, and that the best role
OF America was that of interested spec
tator. Others have realized that Amer
lca's future depended upon the stability
OF Europe. Everywhere it has been ap-
preclated that the reaction after the
iicrcest and costlicst war in history
would be proportionately great. /
asked an economist of international
reputation what he considered the chief
factors in the present situation.
"The United States must try to
hasten the return of the world to a
peace basis" he said. "She must close
up her war account. Ratification Of
the peace treaty, even with modtica-
tions necessary to bring about political
concilation, is absolutely essential.
That done, America must find way
whereby Europe can trade with her on
fairly equitable basis.
Constant Danger from Bolshevism
$50 long as the masses Of Europe are
restless and dissatisfied this unrest will
affect the industrial situation. All the
factories in the world should be going
TO day, and until they are we will be in
constant danger from extreme radical
ISM"
British profteers-and there are a
goodly number, as all housewives can
testify-will have to work more covertly
in the future. The governments plan
of handling the protiteers, formulated
last week, calls for drastic penalties.
The French also are tacklng the
protiteers in way which promises to
make material change in the cost of
living.
This has been a stormy week for the
British government and an anxious
period for the people. The Yorkshire
miners are still idle, though the demand
for coal was never so great Liver
pool is in the midst Of strikes Of police,
bakers and tram employees. London is
beginning to feel a real shortage of
bread because of bakers strike
The British Labor Leaders
British labor leaders, with few ex
ceptlons, are moderate men, who OBJ
serve conditions not merely from the
narrow viewpoint of the labor leader
but from the broader position of ma
tlonal welfare. Sometimes thew lose
control of their followers, but GENERALLY
they prove their qualities of leadership,
Reports Of Bolshevism in England