Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-10-05

unWllllng TO preQlcC Wnen InelL
industries would improve.
But each of them uttered the
same fervent exclamation: eff
ering in frequent smoke clouds the
family members watch one another
with tight mouths and shrewd eyes.
A group Of industrial oligarchists sit
ting across the table at main headquar-
tiers could settle this business of eco
nomic coordination in no time, huge
and complicated as it is.
They would allot the industrial job
to England, with her enormous expert
ence, her huge pool of mechanical
ability and trained and hardy work.
men, her coal and iron in juxtaposi-
ton Essential perquiSite Of industrial
ism), her energetic movement to make
up her lag in large-Scale organization.
The dominions would be developed as
reservoirs Of raw material and food.
Some branch factories necessarily would
be established overseas, coal fields and
water power developed, some lines of
industry diverted there. But the whole
tendency Of the overseas lands to start
small competitive industries and pro-
tect them by tariff walls would be
checked Also the dominions' tendency
to buy foreign-and especially Amert-
can-productS on a price or quality
basis.
But industrial oligarchists do not
have to reckon with human nature.
They don't lose their jobs in the dis
content consequent upon large-s1ale
reorganizations and mighty shifts Of
to another. Politicians are not so lucky.
And the biggest fact in the empire sur
vey, as in the world survey, is the pre-
dominance Of the nationalist politician.
India's Interests Alone Considered.
Hertzog has nothing to give away,
nor has CoSgrave. The representatives
of India cannot commit themselves TO
anything that will not benefit India
Immediately and materially. Bennett
is all business. Scullin wants cut OF
per cent on Australians loan interest
relieving her Of payments Of tens OF
millions of dollars annually and
larger market in England for Australian
products to help him out Of the polit-
ico-financial jam he Is in. He risks
his political existence II he offers Eng
land market advantages which cut
across Australia's own industries, al
ready depressed and now facing doubled
unemployment among the workers.
They all want something. The i'm
perial tie for them this time means
nothing unless interpreted in terms Of
mutual economic advantage.
II some sort Of harmony existed at
this time between production and con-
sumption the family would find its
problem easier. But the bountifulness
of nature has turned on exploiting man
and given him a swift kick. This i'm
perial family is not interested now In
talk Of lands flowing with milk and
honey. They have so much milk and
honey it makes them sick. What they
want at the moment is an outlet Tor
the same, and at a price that Is not
below the cost Of production markets.
They all hunger for markets. Give
them the markets and protection Is just
laugh. Give them the word and any
one Of them will guarantee to snow
under any market anywhere.
Special Duties Occupy Thomas.
Macdonald is leaving Thomas to do
the spade work on the conference
grounds. Thomas gets on with colo
mails. He has a son high up in the
Canadian Railways. He is bluff, shrewd,
simple, q card" Macdonald Is more
at home at Geneva. He prefers re-
sounding phrases to figures, preaching
to argument, and this empire business
never has been the strong line. He has
no strong bias in favor Of the trader
or industrialist, and ever turns to
professor rather than practical man
If he wants to inquire into any aspect
of business or finance.
He doesn't like the way the empire
has been built up. Grab and exploit
tation. Mercenary merchants, soul
less slave traders, commercial mission
aries, mutineers, deported criminals,
adventures, arrogant soldiers, roaring
sailors, cunning diplomatists-he sees
these old empire builders too clearly
behind the imposing facade which en-
braces one-fourth of the habitable sur
face Of the earth and one-fourth Of Its
inhabitants.
However, he Is based on England
and his party in England makes or
breaks him. If Europe would only
help him by crashing her tariff bar
riers, and America would make a ges-
ture by inviting the payment Of war
debts in kind instead Of cash, how
happy he would bel How he would
turn on these empire free traders, pro-
tectionists, iInperialists, and throw his
long arms around Mr.. Snowden's neck
and call him brother! For 1.-The world"
is a phrase which comes easily to his
lips; he finds the word empire" hard
to utter
But two million jobless men hang
around his neck like a milestone, and
he is struggling in deep waters. Flo
ouence won't crash tariff walls, nor
sonorous phrases alter human nature.
The empire lands represent the only
expanding markets left on earth for
England. Hence Ramsay Macdonald,
always the politician, has bent an ear
to the echoes coming from the Beaver
brook sounding board.
Macdonald's Attitude Defined.
II the development OF interempire
trade at the expense Of free trade
with the world Is going to cut into
the local unemployment problem, Mac
Donald is for It, II Lloyd George sees
the majority swinging that way, he,
also, will be for it, especially 1t
looks like providing him at last with
the bridge back to ministerial oflce
and power. And as the Tories are al
ready for it. the laying of the foun-
dations of the new imperial economic
structure would appear to await only
the sanction of the younger members
Of the family.
If that sanction y forthcoming, q
should not be lcng before We Gee .