The Washington herald., 1921-05-01
ECONOMIC REVIVAL
HINGES ON GERMAN
, ABILITY TO PAY
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H
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eating itself into a closer knowi-
edge OF the true facts by means, OF
manifestoes printed about both sides
Of the case by the miners and, the
owners and Industrial experts. There
IL a common belief that the govern
ment and the, owners acted in q way
which was needlessly provocative to
the coal workers, risking q sociai
upheaval by an abrupt and unjust
ultimatum.
1t IL hardly doubted now by all
honest thinkers with some knowl-
edge Of human passion that Eng
land. by a difference of only q few
hours, escaped a civil conflict on q
scale menacing the ruin Of the ns-
tion. The triple alliance decided
against a general strike, knowing
that the result would be disastrous
to organized labor, which was hope
lessly divided against itself. as well
as to the whole country. With
millions of men utterly idle the
strike would have followed the usual
course Of mob psychology from
sullen inactivity to inevitable dis
order.
Instfnetively Loyal.
The volunteer defence force would
have fired on riotous crowds, and
without any direct revolutionary i'm
pulse there would have been some-
thing like a revolution unless all
history Is a mockery. What have
said many times in the United States
Is true, namely. that the British peo-
pie are instinctively and traditionally
opposed to revolution. Recent events
have proved the splendid loyalty Of
the vast majority to law and order.
But when certain forces are set In
motion certain results follow, and
those forces were almost unleashed.
:. Clear minded onlookers to this
dispute are vitality involved and
want to know why such risks are
taken and are not satisfied that they
were justified. They do not acquit
the owners OF recklessness in fling
ing a new scale of wages to the
miners which they knew must be
unacceptable to any body of men
resenting a standard of life not ris-
ing above the misery of the sweated
labor in the lower ranks of coal
getting.
Inaccurate Figures Presented.
Inaccurate figures for propaganda
purposes were presented by both
sides, with appeals to prejudice.
pride and passion. instead of to rea-
son. The general public Is indig-
nant over these methods and says:
For Gods sake and England's sake
tell the truth to us and to your
selves. Get down to business. Get
back to work on a fair basis of
agreement that is not temporary
but permanent"
There is a fair prospect that this
is being accomplished, but other
great branches Of labor are now
threatened by drastic wage reduc-
tions which they must face and ac-
cept because Of altered conditions
in Europe.
The only sane way to deal with
this problem Is by national educa-
tion jim economic laws and by mu-
tuaf concessions between capital and
labor, with an equal diision of pa
triotic sacrifice. The spirit of the
British people is equal to that II
wisely and fairly guided.
This industrial crisis is linked up,
indeed Is caused, by a far larger
problem-the question of German
reparations. how they are eventu-
ally to be fulfilled and what steps
may in the future have to be taken
to hold Germany to her promises.
Reason for Labor Troubles.
The reason for the present calam-
ity in the British coal fields and all
our present labor troubles is the
downfall Of the export trade. That
was ruined because of the general
ruin in Europe. There will be no
profits from our coal fields and no
means Of paying decent wages until
foreign nations are able to buy our
raw materials and manufactured
goods.
That depends on the economic re-
vival Of the present allies and their
former enemies. The most difiicult
problem of the. world today is to
make Germany, pay her full debt
without destroying her industry. 1t
is certain that Germany is faisify-
ing her balance sheets. have
trustworthy information that all
classes in Germany are evadins in
ternal and external taxation by
transferring enormous sums to neu-
trail countries, lodging income tax
returns. boarding paper money and
by buying precious stones and OBJ
jects of art which do not appear in
any available figures.
1t has been therefore immensely
difficult for the allies to make an
accurate estimate of the German
power to pay. Certainly estimates
on each side never would agree. The
French naturally are exasperated
by the long delay. Anyhow they
want to see Germany impotent for
many years, however much she
pays or does not pay.
Apart from the minority of ad-
vanced democrats who shudder al
the thought Of further military bur-