Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1919-05-18
ny DAVID LAWRENCE.


This is the third of series Of three ar
ticles giving ronclus on< reached on 10000
mile trip across continent.
Industrial. economic. financial and
business conditions throughout the Uni
ted States are healthy and sound. Good
times and continued prosperity are
ahead of us if railroad and ship facilities
are increased or regulated and if re-
straints upon business and trade are re-
moved.
No other conclusion than the above
seems logical, taking no single section
Of the country. but all sections. as
basis of judgment after the writer's trip
of 10000 miles. with daily observat tons,
inquiries and soundings in the principal
cities of the United States from coast
to coast.
Bolshevism is an overadvertised evil
Without knowing much about its merits
or dement's. the country has been i'm
pressed with tho excuses of the Russian
revolutionists and abhors even the re-
mote possibility that any such system
might be introduced in the United States
So bolshevism Is about as popular as
militariSm.
Discomfort Is Being Checked.
If anarchists and reds" who seek
to overthrow the government by
force We're to be counted they would
make only a small aud insignificant
number. Those who are taking an
interest. either through the socialist
party or some other laE abiding
means. III changing cur social struc-
ture are fl: more numerous. Reds"
night. depending upon how much in
dustrial discomfort is bred. Mobs and
strikes start in lava biding fashion.
but often end up otherwise. Amer
fca'3 indust; ial discomfort is being
kept down by the alertness and wis
dom OF certain conservative labor
leaders in cooperation with the en-
ployer class, not all of whom, but GER
tainly great numbers, are studying
and applying changes In our economic
system that will prevent the growth
of discomfort.
Through the central west the num-
Der of business men who are trying
to adopt schemes which will insure
them the cooperation of labor is
gratifying. Generally speaking. the
number of radicals inside the labor
organizations of the country is a mi
nority. Much damage Is done by
radicals after the conservatives are
worn out in labor meetings Gather
fngS frequently mean all night
wrangles. Married men and quiet.
thoughtful persons go home in dis
gust or else with the expectation that
sound views will prevail Frequently
strike votes have been taken as late
as 2 am. The Pacific coast has had
much experience with this sort of
Most retail businesses are thriving.
Advertising in the newspapers every
where is very large. People are spend
ing money in most parts of the coun-
try with pre-war enthusiasm and con-
hdence. There Is none of that under
tone of apprehension about rainy
DAYS. There are. of course. excep-
tions. Some bad spots are found in
Montana. Utah. Arizona and the
southwest. The copper mines have
shut down and many men are out of
work. Overproduction of copper,
which means a big surplus both on
this side and the other side of the At
lantic, has caused a fall in the price
cept loss or try other sections OF
the country for work. The Pacific
coast has much money invested in
shipyards and tens of thousands of
workers. The governments delay in
permitting foreign contracts to be ac-
cepted or in building new ships for
the American merchant marine has
caused much concern. Now the ban
on the taking of ship contracts for
Foreign concerns has been lifted. The
Pacific coast should benefit. provided
It is still possible to compete with
bic. Certainly il the contracts could
have been gotten last November the
shfpbuilders would have surely come
out on top.
Prohibition Helps Business.
Prohibition. of the LIQUOR traffic i.
causing no serious unrest in the big
cities where breweries and distilleries
abound. Most Of the plants will be
converted to other uses, and the real
estate In saloons is exceptionally val
store space and the need for dwell
ings, new or remodeled. Travelled
through all the dry states Of the west.
saw good deal Of bootleggins. I
saw rev persons intoxicated. I'm
questionably the consumption of
liquor has been greatly reduced. But
l nave yet to meet a man or woman,
property owner. former bartender
business man or working man, soldier
or sailor. who has lived In the dry
region and doesn't have a good word
to say for prohibition. Merchants
VINO thought it meant loss of BUSH
ness have been surprised to find Just
oPP0SilS. oiiiS are palQ more
promptly. The average wolIkingman
has more money to spend for his fam
lily and himself in the stores. News
paper editors claim this means more
advertising and more reading of pa
pers, magazines and books. Night
life is not so gay as in the cafe and
cabaret era, but the jazz band still
keeps young folks happy from coast
to coast. while the hivver and the
roadster. the photograph and tho pi-
ano take up evenings On the boule-
wards or at home.
The epidemic Of influenza hurt the
United States more than did the war.
Business organizations, large and
small-indeed the whole social fabric
suffered more loss directly or indi.
rectly on account of the plague than
the curtailment of manufacture or the
restriction Of certain businesses Yer
the public has apparently made no
demand for preventive measures or
the expansion of the federal public
health service. Some day some politi-
cal party is going to mike a big hit
for itself by paying some attention by
legislation or appropriation or other
wise to the health of the people of the
United States.
League Of Nations Popular.
AS for war. the people want it pre-
vented forever. They are overwhelm-
ingly for the league Of nations, not be-
la .