Evening star., 1919-12-29
british OPTIMISTIC
OVER OUTLOOK FOR
APPROACHING YEAR
Hope to Attain "NeW World
Fit for Heroes to-
Live ln."
gv the Associated Press.

of Great Britain look forward to new
| year full of financial and political diff
| ficulties, but with greater optimism
| than they would have thought pos
| sible few months ago. A new
| world fit for heroes to live in which
yet been fully attained at home, and
| international problems which brought
on the war still are hanging over the
head of the nation. Yet the british
| people are trying to face the future
| in an invincible faith in the nations
| ability to conquer all troubles.
The most cheerful optimist OF al
is Premier Lloyd George. Under the
| that everything will work out for
| the best, the clouds of despondency.
pictured by the newspapers as thick
est when the chancellor of the ex-
| chequer declared that the nation was
heading for bankruptcy, say Britons.
have visibly lifted.
A foremost cause for confidence is
the steady commercial revival and
| cessation of labor troubles, which
Britons hope will continue. These
timists that Great Britain will return
to normal conditions sooner than
other great European countries which
engaged in the war.
business Booked Far Ahead.
Manufacturers in many lines have
business booked far ahead. The cot
| ton trade, one of the basic British
industries, is said to have all the
orders it can fill for the next five
years.
Shipbuilders say they are in the
same happy condition. They have
yet to be convinced that America
will be able to take away the for
mer British supremacy in the car
rying trade. They base their con-
fidence on the belief that while the
British are seafaring race, the
Americans are not.
Apparently they believe that Amer
! lean ships built in the war are des-
tined to be bought eventually by dis
tinctly maritime nations. Their con-
| fidence. however. is not ironclad. Lord
one Great Britain steamship COM
pany that if the American govern
ment turned over it's ships to private
owners Great Britain need not be
afraid, but if the American people
were to be taxed to build up their
mercantile marine the outlook for the
shipping industry in these islands
was anything but rosy
Two Business Handicaps.
Against these reasons for business
confidence stand two handicapS In
the form financial and labor con-
ditions. The national debt appears
appalling to the British public. but
! optimists argue that 1t is smaller
| than was the debt after the Napo-
| leonic wars. measured by the coun-
! try's wealth and potential produc-
! ing power.
| by some form of a capital levy Is
still at the front and may be one OF
the burning political questions OF
| the year.
RAILWAYS is another British problem
and with it are linked questions OF
hours and wages which confront all
Industries alike which England shares
with America. 1t has been SAID tnat
Great Britain's recovery after the Ma
noleonic wars was possible through
underpaid labor, but British employers
do not expect this to be among the as
sets of the future. On the contrary,
many Industrial leaders say Brltisn
the steady increase In wages may NO.
become a dangerous handicap in COM
petition with other countries
Prospective Labor Benefits
Labor has other prospective benefits
in the promise of Premier Lloyd
Georges great scheme for build
ing comfortable workmen's homes
throughout the country. which is just
beginning to materialize. and IN plans
for insurance against unemployment
which have not yet developed; Ine
principle Of the latter plan is that az
men out Oh WORN tuAoueh ~
their own shall be assured OF a re.
spectacle living as a right witnou'
any taint of pauper1sm.
The new year is expected to be Vltai
for the fortunes of the army ana
navy. The present plan is to reduce
the army next year to virtually It's
nrewar basis. The navy is at
critical stage Experts upon whom
the country relied in the past. notably
Ra ron Fisher. formerly first sea lord,
and Rear Admiral Sir Percy Scott. are
for scrapping the old establishment.
They declare that big battleships are
obsolete; that submarines and air
craft have revolutioniZed warfare,
and that submersibles and big sub
mersibles are the only craft OF the
future.
Naval Experts Advise Caution.
Naval experts whose opinions COM
mand equal respect are skeptical and
saw "go slow" 1t is urged that
country whose life depends upon it's
navy should not drop its old machin-
ery before the new has been proved
beyond reasonable doubt.
Seldom has the nation faced gre ater
or more various and difficult tasks
than the new year holds for Great
Britain. Yet the average man is alb
sorbed in one subject more than all
of the others together. This is the
cost of living. which has increased
more in the past year than during the
four years of war. and he sees no
turning point in sight. This means
that a large part of the population
has to readjust it's scale Of living and
that a large section Of the old middle
class is becoming the new poor.