The New York herald., 1922-03-05
The Great World Problem Is Economic
Business Men Should Lead the Way Back to Normal
Conditions Says Sir Henry W. Thornton.
By MajorCeneral Sir HENRY w. THORNTON,
nera Manager of the Great Eastern Railway in England

reached. The problem is one which
ought to be amcably worked out be-
tween labor and capital. 1t may be
difficult. but it can be done provided
both sides are led by men who have
the welfare OF the nation as whole
at heart rather than any particular class.
and it is to be remembered that a part
cannot prosper unless the whole prospers.
ar least not for any length Of time.
In England there are clear indications
OF a reasonable. statesmanlike point Of
view on tho part OF heads of industry
and labor leaders. and more and more
it is becoming realized that reductions In
wages must precede restoration of busi-
ness. To a large degree the possibili-
ties with respect to liquidation of wages
depends upon a reduced cost Of living,
and It is here that an intelligent and
wise government must play its part in
bringing this about.
Thus 1t is seen that the problem OF
the world is economic and not political,
and this has been the nature OF the In
ternational malady ever since the war
ended. Most OF our troubles have de-
veloped from a failure to recognize this
fact The wrong doctors have been
dealing with the case and politicians
have been attempting to deal with it
when we should have called in finan-
ciers, business men and economists.
Only lately have various governments
awakened to the true position. The
Washington Conference was the COM
mencement, and the summoning of dele
gates to Genoa to consider the; inter-
national economic position is not only
step in the right direction but merits
the support OF all nations.
The readjustment of frontiers in Eu-
rope. with the exception Of two or three
instances. as well as the great mass
OF other subjects dealt with by the
Treaty of Versailles are relatively un-
important as compared with the prob
lem lof how the world is going to pay
for the war, and how the wheels OF in
dustry shall be made again to revolve.
Indeed, it is a question IL mistake
was not made in splitting up middle
Europe into a number of relatively ire
sponsible States in a vain, attempt to
correct all of the i'ls that have accu-
mulated in the last few centuries 1t is
not unlikely that in the next few decades
we may see the gravitation of these
smaller States into larger nations. and
the reconstruction Of something like the
old empires which existed before the
war. Self-protecticn the developments
OF common interests, inability to stand
alone only await the guiding hand of
ato tJ,a
case may be, to reestablish in the course
of time what existed before the war; at
any rate, such seems to be the lesson
OF history.
You have touched upon the railway
industry, which is uniformly in a bad
position in almost every country. al
though / think in some respects we are
better off in England than in the United
states, due ver.- largely to the fact that
have made they did not fall into the
cardinal error OF mixing politics with
the working of the railways and the
administration OF transportation in Eng
lcnd during the war was left almost
entirely to those who were suspected of
some knowledge OF the business. Rail-
way rates and fares must generally be
re5uced il industry is to get on its legs
again..
No sane railway administrator takes
any other position. but this cannot be
brought about until working costs are
reduced, which in turn depends to a
large degree on wages. Materials in
this country have already fallen consd-
erably. Wages are moving downward
Lut, what is more important, fine
spirit permeates the relations between
the railway trade rnions and the rall-
way companies.
There has always been a struggle be-
tween the railway workers and the rail-
the one hand and reduce them on the
other. Until there IN bern a spirit OF
mutual confidence in each other. a de-
sire for fair play, sincerity in negota-
tior and the execution Of agreements
and all those things which make for
better relations. the problem of adjust
ing railway wages will be exceedingly
difficult and in most cases the results
will be unsatisfactory. 1t will be said
that such conditions as / have described
are Utopian and impossible of attain
ment, but in a. large measure they have
been attained in England, and 1 can see
no reason why they should not be
reached elsewhere At any rate. until
there is worked out cycle OF reduced
cost OF living. lower wages and less
taxation the world is going to be in a
very bad way.
LONDON, February 8.