New-York tribune., 1919-08-20
The Prophets of Discord

How much have the professional and
amateur prophets and promoters of dis
harmony cost the world since the signing
of the armistice? If there was any sat
isfactory way of arriving at the sum it
would probably appearsthat the cost per
month is we'll up to that which marked
the highest peak Of war expenditure.
Within the domains Of the Western ma
tions, not including Russia, are approXi-
mately 20O,000,O00 workers, the current
value Of whose labor is something like
So each per day. So every day this army
is idle means a loss of six hundred
millions, or eighteen billions month, or
two hundred and sixteen billions year.
The wealth-producing employment Of
this army of workers is dependent on
social harmony. If there is discord and
weakening of cooperation and co0rdina~
tion the machine stops or stumbles along
on two cylinders out of four or.six By
al sorts of interferences with the social
wiring groups of men and women have
been induced not to work, and when the
throwers down of tools were in some vital
industry others associated in the inter-
relations Of industry were compelled
to quit.
The stoppage has been serious Mr..
Barnes, the Wheat Controller, estimated
that the agriculturists of Western Eu-
rope will raise but 70 per cent of nor
NAL crop this year. If the farmer, who
is not as dependent as other men, is thus
not busy it is to be inferred that other
industries have fallen off as much. A
decrease Of 30 per cent in all production
sufficiently explains prices.
This falling off is in large degree un
necessary. Return to peace basis pre-
sented many difficulties, but the shock
might easily have been endurable excent
for the malefcent activity of the pro
, moters of dsharnony. But these have
been writing,> preaching, talking, and
even screaming, to stimulate discord.
They have a mania for starting new pub
lications to foment unrest They hate to
see men at work Their influence has
reached to labor organizations, where
eXcitable and not-headed elements have
caught fire and spread the consuming
flame. Masses of men are conservative
are practical, order their lives by the pre-
cepts of common sense but all men are
susceptible to propaganda if the ding
. donging is kept up long enough.
The agitators for disharmony, of course,
for the greater part intend no evil
They delude themselves with the belief
that they are friends of progress and are
furthering good causes. But excellence
of personal intent provides no assurance
Of excellence of result. A certain place,
we are told, is paved with good inten-
tons. AS long as it is fact that social
harmony is essential in modern industry
if the production out of which all WAGES
are paid is to be normal or be increased
the motive Of the parlor Bolshevist is of
no consequence.
The parlor Bolshevist has bean laughed
at. But so were the junkers of Prussia.
Small groups, even though adherents of
preposterous doctrines, are capable of do
ing great damage Those who style
themselves intelligentsia are largely re-
sponsible for many of the conditions of
which there is complaint. Our colleges
only half educate.
The universal strike which is the goal
of the inteligentsia, of course, means
universal starvation, but though this end
has not been reached there is an ap-
Proclamation to lit in some countries,
notably Italy The refusal of men TO