The Washington herald., 1921-01-01
Take away the sword; states can be
saved without it.-Lytton
Tendencies in European Industrial Relations


.THE New York World, of Sunday December
70, published interview with R. J.
Caldwell, a we-known American business
man. who has just returned from extensive
survey of industrial conditions in England France
Germany and Czecho-Slovakia.
Mr.. CaldwelPs observations in Europe are sig
nificant. They of particular interest not nee
essariy as a model to be followed in the solution
OF our industrial troubles but as suggestive and
interesting developments in industrial relations
The fact that capital and labor in many Euro
upean states are making progress in cooperation
s , reputation of the belief which seems 70 be
held IN some quarters that the only solution of
intustrlal problems is in the complete and final
suppression either Of capitalism or of organized
izhpE
= The gist OF what Mr.. Caldwell has to say is
this: In the European states which he visited the
organizations Of capital and labor have come to
realize that the attempt to get more wealth by
producing less, either by strikes for an increase.
in pay on the part of labor by limiting produc-
ton to force prices up on the part of the manu-
facturers is fundamentally wrong. They have come
to realize that, while such tactics may result in
temporary benefit, in the long run they can only
lead to impoverishment.
Mr.. Caldwell goes to say that as a result
OF this realization the recent tendency in European
industrial affairs has been toward granting to
workmen degree of participation in the manage
ment OF industry and at the time an assump-
ton by the worlmen OF share in the responsible
ty for the success or failure of the enterprise in
which capital and labor are jointly engaged
The objective OF the labor movement in Eu-
rope at present is destroy the two greatest enc
mics OF produCtion-war and unemployment. War
san be prevented by labor only by the of the
general strike a threat like that of British la
Dor when against Russia seemed imminent.
The prevention of unemployment is to be &C
eomplished by the establishment of unemploy-
ment insurance supported jointly by capital and
labor but eventually paid for by the public, to whom
would be passed the increase in cost of produc-
ton which such insurance entails.
This in ITSELF Nj Caldwell believes, would in
sure the public's interest in keeping the workmen
employed and it would thereby reduce unemploy-
ment and the payment of unemployment insurance
to minimum.
Nj Caldwell states that he believes thorough
|ly in the league of nations and in any attempt
to unite the governments of the earth for the pur-
pose of settling their disputes by other means
than war.
He believes, however that whatever worLmen
can accomplish in the direction of the abolition of
war by refusal to fight their fellow worbmen and
whatever they can do toward the abolition of
poverty by making industry in times of plenty pro-
vide against times Of depression-for these con-
|uibutions to the security and prosperity of the
world, labor deserves the commendation of all men.
1t is stated that Mr.. Caldwell was speaking
not primarily for publication but particularly to
other employers of labor. His remarks however,
are as significant for the organized employees as
for the employer.
The power of labor organizations to accom-
|plish the ends which are sought by European
workmen implies a degree of organization and an
assumption of power which they have never be-
fore possessed and which labor organizations in
America do not equal.
1t is power which, used for selfish aims and
unrestraned by consideration of public good might
develop into the tyranny OF a class abhorrent
10 free the tyranny OF an individual And
ii is certain that the accumulation of any such
power by American industrial organizations will
give material for political propaganda to their op-
ponents until it is demonstrated that it is the pur-
pose of these organizations to the power they
already possess foT the purposes of cooperation
rather than for offensive or defensive warfare
It is of the most encouraging things in
the annals OF industrial history that both sides
ARE becoming convinced that cooperation must be
the ultimate aim of great associations of both
employers and employees.