The Washington times., 1919-09-12
Boersianer's
Comment
ON Business
D RoERsIANER.

II Is pertinent to shake the chest
put tree gently a. regards Mr.. Gary.
The spokesman for the United states
Steel Corporation e eonstitutionaIly
coneiliatory and BY avocatlon 3 diplo-
matist. He will so far 70 coneiliate dis
satisfied employees and discontentsd
customers. Concession. aecommoda-
tipns are-oF Were-his watchwords.
BY these and with an urbane address
he has conferred high prestige on .
corporation which otherwise might
have stood--in public estImation-
where the packing companies now
stand.
II. therefore. Mr.. Gary now declines
to DO as the radical union leaders ask.
i must be that he is absolutely sure
OF his position In more senses than
one; assured that he has the more
part OF the workers with him; GER
tain, IN any event. that the given con-
test the corporation will win. The
second postulate is eomprehensib1e X
u be matter Of resources. for never
was an employer 90 strongly fortified.
n hedge, however, must be noted 10
considering the phase OF militancy.
As Mr.. Gary u far-sightedly--as wen
as suaVely-diplomatie. there is the
remote possibility Of his permitting a
tension in which he may invite Presi-
dent Wilson to interviews az the ap-
parently Departing hour-and allow
the President the insstinabls credit
Of having forefended q serious strike.
Everywhere, here and abroad, con-
tending elements are becoming Visi-
bic. In one quarter you hear conf
dent prophecies about the future or
this or that nation. or of all nations;
that the age Of progress and seuti-
mentality IL over: that science and
force are at last coming into their
own; will introduce discipline ae home,
will draw vast revenues from tFfbn-
tary nations. and BY means of the
blockade and bombing planes and
Lewisite efieetually destroy, like 50
many ant heaps any miserable cities
or masses Of men who resist the WI
Of the loudest chauvanists.
In another quarter you are assured
that militarism is dead and damned:
that selhshness was . quality con-
aned TO the capitalist CLASSES. who
win hencefoFth disappear, and that
democracy. myBtePiously efoWned
with all the virtues Of the elect, 10
about to enter into its paradise.
This sort OF contradiction Is nor
NAL between employer and employ8
and between hns temperaments and
tempeFaments less hne. and is strong
er than usual now because OF the
uncertainties and Vioiences through
which the world II passing. What d
curious now is that there are equally
violent contrasts OF anticipation
among people whose outlook q not
dissimilaF. The same element will at
one moment be exulting in the power
OF commerce and the next be nervous
ly apprehensive % the spread of
BOlshevism.
And II you turn from them to their
opposites, IL you 90 to the sort of
gathering which shows not perhaps
what ssnaible people really believe,
but In what direction young peoples
thoughts are moving. you are equally
likely to md extreme pessimism and
extreme optimism, either that the
dawn-that unfortunate oVerWofSed
old dawn which has 80 long been an
nounced In peroFations-is now ded-
nitely about to appear and q new
world 70 be born, or else that all the
moral and social progress Of cen
turtles has been lost; that Europe
may be reduced 70 q desert OF hungry
and pr0wling beasts, that America
herself must have a decisive strife.
All OF which means that the effect
OF the war still is in the nerves 0e
civilized people. An infaIlibIe rem
edy was, suggested the other day at
an informal meeting OF employers
and some labor leaders:
~Shut NJ and 80 to work.