The Glasgow courier. [volume] (Glasgow, Mont.) 1913-current, 1920-05-21
THAT RIOTS
FOLLOW ALL WARS
British Writer Is Sent out to Investi-
gate Present Industrial
Unrest.

"Why all this unrest?" said the edi-
tor, throwing down a newspaper. "Go
out, and ask everybody you meet, from
the duke to the dustman, why there
are strikes and riots, why there is so
much muttering about revolution, and
why there is such widespread discon-
tent" writes T. W. Wilkinson, in An
swers, London.
Well, I have been out. For two
days I have rambled over London,
north and south, east and west, inter-
rogating men of all classes. And now
I am going to set down the substance
of my gleanings, with some of my
own gleanings.
First, we must bear in mind that
the turmoil through which we are pas
sing is not peculiar to our own coun-
try. Russia, France, Austria, Spain,
America, all have troubles similar to
ours.
Note further, that such turmoil is
not a product of our times only. Pop
ular unrest, as a fact, always has been
a sequel of war.
An illustration which will occur to
everybody is the Commune of Paris
in 1871. Immediately after the cap
itulation of the city to the Prussians
the control of it was seized by the ma
tional guard, which, aided by political
extremists, held it for some months
against the forces Of the French gov.
eminent.
So again, in u own country after
the Napoleonic wars. Then the work
ers we're in a revolutionary mood and
there was much rioting of a very SER
ious character.
War, therefore, breeds discomfort
impels men to resort to the violent
methods to which it has habituated
them as a means of speedy relief. Hav-
ing become as familiar with forces as
the great, the decisive factor in in
ternational affairs, they think they see
in it's application to their w griev-
ances, real or imaginary, a short cut
to the millennium.
Where Economy Theory Fails.
"The workers have been living in
a FOOLS paradise" said a laundry pro-
prietor to whom I put the question
about unrest. "There are hundreds
of women about here who were never
so well off in their life as when their
husbands were in the army. They
hadn't to keep them then, as they did
before the war, and besides, they drew
separation allowance, which represent
ed so much additional income. They
think now that that sort of thing
should continue for an indefinite per-
iod. Well, it simply can't"
A man who until recently managed
a munitions works took the same line.
"Nothing else could have been ex-
pected," he said. "When you have
millions of people receiving five or
six times their usual pay for doing
their usual work, and hundreds of
thousands drawing big wages merely
for loafing, can it be supposed that
they will take up their old work at
the old wages without kicking up a
shindy? If you feed a spoiled child
on sponge cakes and jam tarts, and
then put him on plain bread and but
ter-well, you'll hear him squeal."
"In my opinion" remarked a.social
worker, "a contributory cause is the
shocking prodigality of those in high
places. They should practice what they
preach; or at any rate, not do the ex-
act opposite of that which they advo-
cate.
ECONOMY a man said to me. Yes,
I don't think! There was a meetin'
abaht it at the Guildhall or Mansion
House, don't remember which-an'
the It's were there in their cars-pe-
troll was mighty scarce then, too-an'
every lady had on her back furs worth