New-York tribune., 1920-10-17
Political Chaos Is Imminent
if Economic Pressure Is
MOI Lifted, He Asserts;
Place i'm Sun Demanded
u. S. Can't Advance Alone
Writer Believes Policy of
s'America First Is Pa
triotic, but Short.Sighted

merce is vastly greater than the world
ever enjoyed before.
The economic organization Of the
world, however, has up to the present
time been crude and inefficient. The
exchange of goods has been hampered
by tariff walls, by racial prejudices,
by obscure vision Of economic possibil-
ties. Crude and lily developed as that
economic organization has been, it was
sufficiently effective to permit the as
founding growth of population which
we have witnessed. Without such or
ganization the present population of
the world could not possibly have sus-
tanned life. Until the interruption
caused by the great war is repaired,
millions of people in the world will be
on the verge Of starvation. This has
great political significance. Economic
causes are among the chief causes of
war; economic pressure has furnished
the reason for most revolutions. Men,
as we'll as nations, demand a place in
the sun, the right to live, and, when
that is denied, law and order can easily
be set aside and political chaos ensuc.
Whlle the economic pressure result
ing from a reorganization of world
trade viii fail with far greater severity
on some peoples than on others. | be-
lleNe that the countries of the world
are to-day so closely interrelated that
none can escape disagrceable conse-
quenccs while any considcrab bic part of
the world is undergoing a life and
death struggle with unfavorable eco
nomic conditions.
II ever there was country prepared
to isolate itself and to live to itself
. hot -,
States; but it seems to me impossible
that the United States could go for
Ward while much of the rest of the
world was being mangled by economic
malad justment.
A policy of Little America" or, as
those who advocate it prefer to call
it, "America First" sounds like a pa
trotic policy. 1t may have its roots
in fine sentiment of love for our
country. But l believe it is a short
sighted policy, and one that lacks a
true vision Of the future. 1t is bound
to lead to developments in which we
shall become intentionally involved
Distress elsewhere in the world is GER
tain to react upon US both directly, in
an economic sense, and, even more
potently, in our political relations.
On the other hand, it is easy to see
the possibility Of our making a great
contribution to the welfare of the
world. and at the same time, to our
own welfare.
documentary progress in economic
world organization enabled an aston
ishingly larger number to exist in in
crcasing com ort. If that organiza-
ton were perfected, it would not be
easy to picture the material advantages
which people would enjoy Most Of
the dreams OF Socialists might be re-
allied, so far as the material pro-
vision for our wants is concerned. Mt
only could the standard Of living be
raised and our ability to obtain com
forts be almost indefinitely increased,
But the expenditure Of labor might be
steadily reduced. 1t is only half of the
story, however, to say that the in
d,ustrial era brought TO the world a
great increase in material goods. That
great increase was obtained while a
steady reduction of effort was permit
ted. The hours of labor wexe reduced,
the most disagreeab-> tasks were made
easier, and the expenditure OF muEcu-
lar effort to accomplish a given re-
suit has in almost every field of hu-
man endeavor been cut down.
1t might be argued that more per-
feet economic organization of the
world would only be followed by still
further increase in population, that
there is no getting away from
Malthus's ineXorable law that popula-
tion tends to increase until it presses
upon the means of subsistence. 1t is
by no means certain, however, that
mans genius and ingenuity would not,
in the end, defeat that law Expert
ence seems to bear out the idea that
the higher the standard of life, the
less rapid is the increase in popula-
ton. There is certainly room to hope
that an effective organization Of the
productive forces of the world and the
widespread application Of the fruits
of genius in the way of invention and
discovery, might permanently raise the
standard OF human existence and free
the world from the terror of surplus
population.