The Washington herald., 1920-02-18

admittedly a complex and ticklish
situation that much of the time and
thought of the large men in both
political camps Is spent.
British Element.- -
The prescriptions Of the motorists
differ as widely as do tRe city ON
cixls In their treatment of De Va
Iera. Some take him to their arms.
Some give him the cold shoulder.
II the league Of nations covenant
should become an issue in the next
campaign, look out for high pres
sure and storms. The region has
very large British-born popula-
Ition coming direct from Scotland.
the provinces and Canada during
the last quarter of century. There
also is much Of the anti-Celtic spirit
latent in the older native stock
The Jews. who are individualists.
resent increasing assertion of au-
thority by clerics. And secret or
ders in both camps plan and coun-
terplan for a coming. clash. A Re-
publican like curtis Guild or a Dem
ocrat like Josiah Quincy could me-
diate with men like Patrick Col
Inns and Joseph O'Neill; and Phil
lips Brooks and Archbishop Williams
dwelt together in amity. But those
days are passing.
Prohibition Established.
The prohibition issue in New Eng
land is not acute in the sense that
Governor Edwards has made it so
In New Jersey. But the older breed
of doctrinaire Democrats, especially
l. L. ol n
feel aggrieved. but are really with
out hope of any reversal of the ma
tional verdict. Local option, which
is community prohibition. won most
of New England to its support
years ago. 1t saved the small towns
and the attractive suburban VII
lages and cities trimmed about the
large oommunities-as for instance
Cambridge. Newton, Brookline. SOM
erville adjacent to Boston-but II
congested the business in the cities
Nor was it soft drinks that were
consumed. Boston, Providence, New
Haven and other cities that might
be mentioned, were hard drink
towns.
Already the statistics of the
States and the cities are showing
marked falling on in commitments
of drunkards. vagrants and repeat
ers.; County jaiIs are being emp
tied. States will materially reduce
costs of administration, though
cities win miss license fees. New
Haven. for the college man. has
taken on a truly Puritan hue: and
you ask the cop on the yard beat
where the famous feeding and
drinking places are to be found, and
he answers: There amt none"
Canadian Friction.
From the larger political point of
view. New England, more than any
section of the country, unless it be
the extreme Northwest. has reason
70 be somewhat concerned over the
turn OF events in Canada. And she
is worrying. Naturalization Of rail-
ways in the Dominion at once raises
issues of law and practice for any
road with a terminal in New England.
Friction between Great Britain and
Canada on the one hand and the
United States on the other, arising
from a questioning by the Senate
of the Dominion's share in the coun-
ellis of the league OF nations, Increases
the possibilities of action at Ottawa,
which may some day seriously affect
New England's trade with Canada.
New England also is profoundly y
interested in the final outcome of
commission decision at Washing
ton which may divert much of her
present export trade and the long
haul business of her railroads to
southern ports. Boston now has
one of the best, equipped harbors
in the country for foreign trade,
and the best East coast drydoCk.
Both Portland and Providence. but
especially the former city. because
It has full State support are plan
ming for increasing foreign COM
merce. The manufacturers of the
region clamor for facilities for dis
tribution of their mills products at
home and abroad.
The makers of textiles are get
ting fat dividends. Labor is not
rampant. though scarce and highly
paid. Reluctantly but surely a
region that once was Gibraltar-like e
in it's opposition to direct taxation
and its preference for Indirect tax
alton is coming to see that it can
get no national support for it's old
policy. MOI d Ie" sincere ledueTS
in the demand for industrial dem
ocracy" appear among the influential
capitalists and employers of labor.
But broadly speaking. the people are
drifting. waiting for a sure clear
call. in politics, social adjustments
and the like. They are not happy
in their present plight, but neither
are they cynical.