The Washington herald., 1920-02-02
MUST REMEDY
LABOR UNREST
One Of the Chief Factors
Toward Re-estabishing
Normal Conditions.

There are certain economic prfn-
ciples by which men and nations
live and prosper. and never before.
at least In living memory, was there
such a need TO bring back a full
recognition Of these principles The
fabric of trade and industry was 80
far torn by the war that nearly all
the world Is now in want except.
ourselves. The part the United
States is called upon TO play in
postwar reconstruction 10 more
clear today than ever before, yet
owing TO our failure 20 adhere
closely TO those economic principles
by which men and nations prosper.~
there are certain present checks up
on our ability to play that part.
These are: Diminished productionl
decreased thrift strained credit
Production Insumeient.
Production in the United States.
as well as elsewhere, is below what
is necessary TO supply the needs
and comforts and promote the pros-
perity of civilized peoples. In Eu-
rope the devastation and proetra-
ton due to the war was partly re-
sponsible. Here the reduced hours
Of labor that have followed the
long series Of strikes, combined
with a notably lessened effort 90
work, are responsible. With the
needs OF reconstruction so real and
pressing, the proposition has be-
come inescapsble that the attitude
so generally prevailing toward
work and production must undergo
sharp change in the present year
unless disorganization is 70 loom
ahead.
Apparently prosperous. because OF
the delusion of high wages and
high prices. the business Of the Uni
ted states IL being conducted in a
Fashion that cannst possibly con-
tinue for any considerable lenCb
OF time. Lasting prosperity on
slsts not Of producing less ths is
consumed, as we are now d1in.
consists of producing more th D.
consumed. ~.
Must Remedy War Innatiop -
1t may be that the remedy @,r
our present condition Is not 8
away for there are signs TIA
root Of the evil OF curtIled q I'll.
and neglected effort are not SO r....
as had been feared. and that ...
evil Is in the way OF being cor ..rr
ed. American la5,5T. upoa UE.-U
with American capital our Il s..-.
industrial expansion an6 pro- -ae.
must depend is man!testin. t..
IL is not Ihe heart OF the averaz..
workman that is resnonsiEIs for an
that we see and have been seeing
since the armistice. hut that n a.
the collective mind Of labor. tempo-
rarily turned by the ecstasy Of
great profits" that came out OF the
war that has been distorted by ali
that has gone on since. -
- Harmful Propaganda.
Workmcn, after all. are human
and during the war many heads
were turned by the praise ana e.
cessive wages lavished in order A,
secure peak" production Follow
ing the war came the propaEsnda
OF the Fosters. Fitzpatricks, Berk-
mans ana Goldmans, all designed
TO aggravate minds. blind visions
and arouse a class consciousness
throughout the country that would
have been impossible in normal cir
cumstances.
While We cannot believe that the
roots Of our industrial! unrest a.
so deep that intelligent discussior
goodwill and fair judgment viii
not remove them. We know nov
better than We knew at any tim,
oeIore' that these roots had been
. 'N.NA n hNlu IN parts OF tUT
United States that Socialfstic and
Communistic schemes were enabled
ehecuNely to bear upon Industry in
defiance Of the recognized laws and
morals Of business We knou
moreover. that designing Ir.u,.r-
PLAYING upon sophistries land IN
fortunately. not offset by intelligent
Efforts TO cOunteract themD y-src
able too long to make their srbr,,c,
progress through the medium moi
/ only Of individual minds but
through the labor unions. and oven
through taking advantage OF Con
Gress and the State leEisla-uros
From the time when the Adsmsop
law was passed. in 1916. under =
threat OF tying up all the railroads
OF the country. we have had on,
sign after another OF the vs,- in
Nhich aHairs were developing. tn.
open warnings given ConErsSs re-
harding the framing Of certain Ia
Dor legislation. the break k-up OF m,
industrial conference at IVasbfnc
ton, and the steel and coal strike.
OF the early part Of the preseDr
winter. have been only a recent f.W
Of series of such signs.