The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1919-10-07
HENRY CLEWS'
 WEEKLY LETTER

lie SOulii1S " Sdo perhaps 4iSNSA more disturbed, not even in the days of the Civil War, than it is at pres ent. The prevailing social ferment is of course largely attributed to war, which let loose long suppressed un- rest, spread abroad new ideas and started new adjustments, also new hopes and new claims, all serving to create discontent and general de- engagement. Because of reconstruc- ton following the war, and because of adjustments to new ideals, the world is passing through experiences totally strange and unexpected. It !! is not to be supposed that such a, vast
 upheaval can be quieted by any arti-
 ficial means or temporary expedients.
 Not only the world but each individ-
 ual nation must work out it's own sal
 Vation. All that government can do is to maintain order, justice and free dom, so as to permit that self ad- justment to conditions are still high Iy unsettled, and in this country the most significant fact is the growing division between radicals and conser- VatiVes.
 The Way Out
 In spite of deranged conditions business is very active. There was never so much work to be done as now. In Europe there is much neces- sary reconstruction following the war There is great scarcity of many pro- ducts the world over which must be offset. Many new projects, many i'm provements and enlargements, espe- cialy in the United States have been deferred for several years. The
 greatest economic necessity is produc- ton. As has been repeatedly said by public leaders and disinterested thinkers, the salva&Bn of the world today is Work, work and more work" Unfortunately labor does not always comprehend the situation, nor its responsibility for doing it's part in reconstruction. Conditions have been such as to warrant a big advance in wages, but the effect of better wages upon too many workers has been to stimulate the demand for still higher wages and shorter hours. This result accompanied by a decline in effici- ency has made a bad situation worse, materially aggravating the high cost of living. Of course, there were prof iteerS in other lines of effort, for hu- man nature is much the same in one class as another, but labor measured by it's own standard is an important factor in the cost of living as well as in the cost of production, and all WOGKSGS SIlOuiO recognize the neCeS- sity of doing their part toward the bettering of the situation instead of 1 aggravating the conditions of which they complain.
 Exchange and the Peace Treaty The course of exchange continues highly cratic. Britain's railroad strike which threatened exports and imports alike with that section caus- oJ Ia in cta ciJ Ia from this influence, which is prob | ably temporary. the upset in rates i for exchange continued to restrict 1 foreign purchases of American mer- | chandise, which otherwise would go outwards in much larger quantities. 1 Foreign purchases of cotton, steel, oil, l coal and other products have been materially restricted on this account, 1 notwithstanding the urgent demand 1 for such articles by former belliger- l ents in Europe. Germany and Italy 1 are especially suffering on this ac- l count. Recovery in Germany is be- 1 ing badly delayed by failure to get 1 cotton, oil and other products; but
 industrial plants in that country | have been less injured than in any l other of the belligerent nations ex- 1 cept the United States; and if we ! wish Germany to meet it's obligations 1 and indemnities the sooner we per 1 init its industrial restoration the bet l ter for our own economic future. 1 Italy is in serious need of coal and | other raw products which she does not produce and for which she can- i not pay in either merchandise or i money. Unless therefore something
 1 is soon done toward giving necessary | foreign credits serious difficulties
 i will occur; and delay is unfortunate
 l ly very large due to our backward
 ness in signing the peace treaty. Our
 own welfare as well as that of our
 1 foreign customers, who cannot pay
 as long as deprived of materials with
 which to work, demands prompt ac-
 ton by the Senate on the peace
 | treaty, which is of vastly greater i'm
 portance to the nation than the in-
 terests of politicians.
 Market Outlook
 As was natural under existing cir
 Ira11,, -fsa1o