The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1922-06-09
Frederick Haskin's Lette,
FREE YOUTH MOVEMENT

Washington, D. c., June S.-The
statesmen who are seeking to settle
economic and political affairs In
Europe are confronted by an eX-
traordinary development which is
upsetting many calculations. 1t is
a revolutionary movement on the
part Of the rising generation in
middle Europe, particularly IN
Germany and Austria. Its mem
bers, scores of thousands in num-
Der, refer to it as the Freie
DeutSche Jugend or the Free Youth
of Germany.
The movement consists of the
youth of the land, ranging in age
from mere striplings of 10 or Il
years to students and young men
up to 25 years of age. These youths,
both boys and girls. have revolted
from the social, political and eco
nornic ties which have bound them
for generations, and have declared
their emancipation.
The manifest demonstrations OF
the movement appear in the literal
freedom of these youngsters. they
have become sort of high class Of
tramps or gipsies. In twos, threes,
or groups larger in number, they
wander about Germany and Austria,
tasting their first absolute liberty.
To understand this, it must be re-
membered that everyone in middle
Europe is poor whether he tramps
the road or stays at home. If he
stays at home and works he is paid
in money which may be worth only
half as much tomorrow as it is to-
day. There is little inducement for
him to work.
By wandering about the country,
a healthy young man or girl can
pick up odd jobs of work in return
for meals or nights lodging. On
warm nights it is no hardship to
sleep under hedges or in hay
stacks, in barns or in the fragrant
fields beneath the stars.
The serious Importance of the
Free Youth movement is seen by
the statesmen attempting to solve
European problems in the fact that
the new generation of workers is
slipping out of the harness of the
old economic system. The states
men do not declare this is wrong;
they merely are forced to recog-
nize that if the movement contin-
ues they must alter completely
their calculations of how debts are
work is to be DONE
What Worries the Statesmen.
The big question as to Germany
is this: Under the Versailles treaty
Germany owes the allies hundreds
Of millions of dollars in repara-
tons, payable in money or in
goods. 1t is the plan that these
payments shall extend over num-
Der Of years. But if the rising gen
Grafton of workers strikes in this
manner and declines to do the in
iustrial labor to produce the
wealth or money With which to pay
he reparations, the statesmen who |
nave been counting on a continu- |
alton of the old system are con- |
'ronted by a dilemma for which |
here is no obvious solution.
The attitude of the Free Youth |
s that they were all children, some !
If them unborn, when the war |
started in 1914, and particularly |
Hhen the old aggressive Hohen- |
,ollern policy responsible for the j
var was being put into execution. |
they declare they are in no way /
for. the loss to the al
les. They did not start the war,
most of them did not take part in /
t, and they feel that they owe
to anyone. Further, they
.ssert that they are out OF sym
,athy with the old military system