The Washington herald., 1920-06-21
SEES VICIOUS
CIRCLES END
Ackerman Finds London
Entering New Phase Of
Economic Crisis.
UNEMPLOYMENT RIFE
Orgy Of Spending Ends and
Rush for Work Marks
Turning Point.
UNEMPLOYMENT RIFE
ny CARL w. ACKERMAN.
(Washlngton HeraId-Publie ledger
Service, Special Cable Dispatch.)

ny CAhL w. AChEhMAN.
CwashIngton Her.Id-Public Dedser
Service, Special Cable Dispatch.)
London, June 20.-I have been ex-
ploring London endeavoring to dis
cover what the people. In contrast to
the governmen officials, are doing.
thinking and saying. As a result
of the quest for the.golden fleece Of
public sentiment I believe I have
found tho end OF the vicious circle
of high wages, high prices, abnor-
NAL profits and high taxes.
1 sauntered about the city, along
the docks, through crowded streets
and parks, into factories, market
places, cafes, theate:s, hotels and
cafes; I marched along in the pa
rades of protest which are now
Sunday features of the metropolis,
listened to "spouters" in Hyde Park
and to the comments of the men
and women who, to the number of
many thousands, gather there ev-
cry holiday afternoon.
The number of unemployed was
the first unusual thing to impress
me and I learned that there were
close to 250,000 former soldiers
alone out of jobs. / learned that
the number of unemployed former
officers ran into tens of thousands
and that Field Marshal >Haig. who
Is now, giving his entire time TO
raising funds for disabled officers
and seeking employment for them,
was having a most difficult task.
Railway Trains Empty.
I found that two large factories
in London have closed down be-
cause of labor troubles" I found
railroads, which a few months ago
were burdened with heavy traffic,
now in the abnormal state where
some trains are making regular
journeys almost empty.
I sauntered about the stores and
questioned shopkeeptrs about busi-
ness, only to learn that the aggres-
sivcness of the buying public is di-
minishing. Then as l was about
TO conclude that in London the wild
orgy of extravagant living was
reaching an end, / encountered the
crowds at the races where the new
rich, in their latest Paris clothes,
drank champagne and bet thousands
OF pounds upon favorite horses. The
old-timers at the famous EPSON
and Ascot courses told me that
there was a decided difference be-
tween to6ay's races and those prior
to the war; that there is q new
class of racegoers made up of those
who hare profited suede My by the
war and peace to such a degree
that money tC them has no value
i decided that there had been a
shift in classes since 1914 and that
In addition to the rev rich, there
was another class of new poor,
which before the war lived comfort
ably on smcll incomes and was the
safety valve of the nation, but
which is now rrable to make ends
meet and is becoming a new bur-
den to the community.
Protest Against Taxes.
The employer classes 1 found af-
fected by two conditions. high wag-
es and high taxes. Employers with
their backs to the wall are cam
paigning against taxation and max
ing the life of the chancellor of the
exchequer and the British cabinet
an ordeal of mental anguish. The
fear of the consequences of a sharp
readjustment is becoming very real
indeed, and the demand now for a
decrease in taxation is but the be-
ginning OF a later demand for a de-
crease in wages or the alternative
of greater production. There have
been events in England recently
which have opened the eyes of those
leaders of labor who understand the
processes of trade and wages. They
are alarmed because they fear that
the demands of labor for increased
wages have been excessive.
A most interesting example of
this was given me by one of Brit
aims internationally known labor
leaders. He told of the recent visit
to England of an Italian labor dele
cation which was sent here by the
Italian labor unions to plead with
British labor to bring pressure to
bear upon the government to export
more and cheaper coal to Italy. The
Italian delegates insisted upon Wis
iting the Welsh coal fields to plead
with the miners, convinced that If
the miners would back their re-
quests by demands upon the British
government, more coal would be
shipped to Italy.
In Wales the speeches of the
leaders were applauded and every
thing progressed amicably until
they began to examine the hard
facts Of what 1t costs to mine and
ship coal. The Welsh miners were
perfectly willing to formulate pro-
tests to the British government and
to pass resolutions of sympathy,
but they would not work for less
wages just to enable Italy to get
coal cheaper.
At this critical point in the ne
gotiations one of Britain's sanest
labor men spoke to the assembled
delegates somewhat as follows:
God endowed every nation with
some natural advantages. To Eng
land He gave coal, to Italy sun
shine. You cannot ship coal to
Italy by the mountain-it must be
mined. mined and shipped; and you
cannot ship Italy's sunshine to
England. 1t can only be sent in