Evening star., 1920-05-23

assumed in large measure the power re-
viets ] in hae that country M This is an exeeedinsiy
significant event in the swiftly shifting af-
OF the boishevik armies at a critical period
in the Polish campaign. has attained to a
reports is even greater than that he enjoyed
under the Romanoffs. With the present de-
that gratifcation Of the natural impulse to
curtail his authority is denied Lenin. his usur-
already as to seriously threaten % the soviet
regime. And European statesmen, upon whom
@ the t task Of being & n req for what.
anxiously specuating as to what use he will
put his authority should he. in the event OF
his checkmating the Poles, gain complete
control.
Events affecting the several economic crises
with which the nation has for some time been
faced moved swiftly during the course of the
week. Action which, it is believed. will short
ly relieve the acute coast-to-coast tie-up in
transportation was taken by the Interstate
Commerce Commission. Price cutting by both
retailers and wholesalers throughout the
country in wearing apparel, furnishings and
general, though food products failed to
spond. Bankers of the country, recognizing
on high prices have generally determined to
check credits sharply and call long time loans.
sion in the matter of the nation wide freight
congestion took the form of authorizing the
railroads to break the jam by the application
Of methods previously denied them. Freight
shipments may now be dispatched by other
roads than those designated by the shipper:
thereby enabling shipping to pass around
rather than through the points of extreme
congestion Certain roads which are at pres
ent time possessed OF comparative surplus
of freight rolling stock have been directed
to deliver fixed numbers of freight to
other systems which are suffering most heavily
from the. shortage. Solid trains of empty
being moved from one part of the
country to another with view to furnishing
the middle west with box for grain ship
ment and the eastern coal districts with badly
mended that s1a5 900 of tie $500. 900 900
revolving fund be made Immediately available
for the purchase of equipment and that
$500, ,oo0o 900 equipment corporation be organiz-
ed. Local committees in thirty large cities.
to supervise and expedite the task of clearing
the rails, in process of formation. 1t has
not been felt necessary to place any embargo
orders to date. though it has been indicated
that. should the situation not be corrected by
the measure SO far put into effect action along
these lines will probably be taken.
Studying the situation it becomes evident
that the several crises referred to above-to
which should be added the predcament of the
farmers of the nation who find themselves un-
able to obtain labor for planting their crops
not separate and distinct phenomena. but
each and all definitely interrelated. Credit
throughout the country is "frozen"-to use
phrase current today in banking circles-as
much because dealers. with their shipments
tied up in transit on the congested railroads
they are called upon to pay as because of the
dangerous cycle of continued borrowing and
speculation. The railway congestion is in turn
largely due to the dissatisfaction of railway
employees The dissatisfaction of railway
ployes may be traced back to the insuficiency
Of their wages to meet the present high prices.
Existing high prices. to complete the battling
circle are in a measure dependent upon freight
congestion and frozen credit
On the whole it would seem that the situa-
tion has been substantially bettered during the
Of which nd
the future holds promise of further improve
ment. Yet. when all is said and done; the
economic muddle in which America finds her
self today will never be fully Strengthened out
until the men and women of the nation attain