New-York tribune., 1922-02-18

terstics that promised to leave ITS
inhabitants unclothcd and without any
Ct the machinery Of production and
distribution. In this modern Eden.
unless ones life happened to be cast
under tis tree, his lot promised to be
one Of nakedness and hunger.
Dreams OF the Ideal State
Shattered by Hard Experience
There was rapid revision. Of old
dreams about Communistic state.
The adhcrents Of the general theory
Of Communism began TO fall away.
Nevertheless the radicals continued to
insist that the hardships which every
one admitted Russia was experiencing
were not due to the new economic
order but to wicked combination of
Western nations TO DO colt Russia and
starvc her into abandoning her Com
mrn site ideals.
The progress OF tho experiment was
too unpromising, however, For any one
of sanity 10 wish to see it made world
wide until more evidence Of It's value
accumulated All classes were deeply
alarmed by the activities Of the Boil
shevists in spreading their propaganda
ana by the vast machinery which they
organized to overturN existing govern
rlents and create revolutions which
would force other people to adopt their
theories.
Labor began to examine anew tho
fundamental advantages snd disadvan-
tages Of capitalism and Communism.
That examination has resulted in q
marked change in the views Of union
st labor in Europc.
! was told by one Of the chief labor
leaders Of Europe that in America, even
among the greatest heads Of our labor
movement. we have failed rs yet 10 un-
derstand the profound change which
has taken place in the attitude OF Eu-
rcpean u;.ion labor.
The highest authorities declare that
il is now no longer revolutionary.
There has been Il distinct swing away
from the Left that amounts TO gen.
eral aband orment Of their belief in
the practicabiity Of Communism in the
present state Of society and Of human
nature. The fixed belief that it was
useless to attempt to reform the capi-
talSt!c order in such q way that labor
would gain what it felt was ita due
began to crumbe.
Labor A~akes TO Virtues
OF Old Regime in Modified Form
The labor mind turned in a neg
direction. 1t abandoned idealistic theo-
res and vigorously took up the con-
sileration OF what might be accom-
pllshed in capitalistic regime in
which labor he'd far greater share Of
control. During The war it had been
demonstrated thst it vas pos5ib bic
lor labor to have q more cooperative
attitude and a greater intellectual par
ticipation in industrial direction.
Labor began 60 place, greater EN-
phasis on the shortcomings Of capital
in its conduct Of Industry rather than
in its. treatment OF labor. 1t began to
study and emphasize the cost to capi
tai and labor alike Of the blind and
ignorant mrs takes which capital was
making in,Iailing to adopt the most
scientific means of handling the prob
lens Of production.
Y lth q clcarness with which it never
viewed the subject before, labor has
come To see that its recompense in the
end can only come out Of production.
30 matter what success labor may
have in revising its own proportion Of
the total, the amount produced is, after
all, the governing factor which fixes
The maximum possible reward for both
capital and labor. The relative divi-
sion between them may be changed,
but the combined rewards of capital
and labor cannot be greater than the
toSa' of goods produced. This is an
economic truisn: the interesting thing
is that labor understands it.
DO not mean in the least that tho
swing Of labor sentiment has been re-
dictionary. Some of the results of Boil
shevisn have appalled, it. There has
been a sharp awakening from Com
muuietic dreams; programs OF revolu-
ticn against capitalism have been torn
UP. Labor has a quite different pro-
eran IN its mind than reaction. IL has
laid aside the idealized conception OF
rev order of society, bat in its place
it is building UP another ideal.
Labor Leaders Not rozen-Mindcd
Like Some Capitalistic Reactionaries
This new vision of labor, which,
seems to me to be Of such hopeful
augury, is not one that capital will
look upon complacently in the hope
that it will free its future road from
obstac es I am not sure that good
many oldtime capitalists will not feel
that the new vision Of labor is almost
as dangerous as its old dream Of revo-
luton.
Labor criticizes the capitalistic sys-
tenn to-day not so much in its funda-
lnontal principles as in the lack of in
telljgence with which it has admins
tered its affairs. 1t criticizes the man
agemert by capitalists, but accepts
capita ism and is profoundly convinced
that out of its own ranks may come g
great contribution toward mora able
administration. This means, of course,
that labor wants a larger voice in the
direction of industry.
In the numerous conversations which
have had with labor leaders through
out the Continent | have been univer-
Sd ~ impressed with the grasp Of eco
nomic principles which these men have
shown and with their intellectual abil-
ity 70 argue their case.
When | compared their minds with
the frozen minds Of occas sional oldtime
reactionary industrial individualsts
cou.d not see many grave dangers in
the impending struggle in which labor
viii try to secure greater responsibility
in the capitalistic order of society.
l All quite free to admit that the
views of the best OF the labor leaders
are not representative Of the average.
There Is still q good deal of blind class
selfshness in the ranks OF labor and a
belief that it can add permanently to
what it has by taking the possessions
OF those who now hold them.
Problem Of Labor Leaders
One of (,rect Stafcso,anShin