Evening star., 1932-02-28
WORLD JOBLESS CRISIS
Il DECLARED AT BOTTOM
Survey, Showing 80 Per Cent Gain in
Unemployment, Indicates Worst
Has Been Passed.

| per cent; Poland, "a per cent; Rou-
mania, 20 per cent.
/ From all parts of the world come re-
| ports Of heroic measures which are be-
! ing taken to weather the storm.
| Italy Provides Funds.
! In Italy the Association of Manufac
turers has given up hope in ''provlden-
| tial factors" The ministry of public
works provided funds for employment
of 268,393 workers on communications
and land development. The municipali-
| ties of Milan. Turin. Genoa and Naples
! have started public works employing
$4,000 persons. Expenditure of 285,-
900 900 lire being provided for in Naples,
Milan and Genoa alone.
I According to Lavoro FasciSta, how
ever. other things being equal, prefer
ence in engagement is given first to in
dividualS registered as members OF the
Fascist party and the Fascist militia"
which proves that the Blackshirts are
looking after their political fences at
the same time. Members of trade
unions and ex-service men come second.
Rotation of employment also is being
practiced with some degree of success.
So far as possible, there has been a
limitation of hours worked in all COM
mercial undertakings hotels, public es-
adjustments, etc. Forced contribu-
tions" also have been. inaugurated in
Italy. In some districts workers must
give one hours pay per month to the
unemployment fund, while salaried Of
ficials give one-half per cent of their
salaries monthly. Milan raises 100000
lire per month in this way.
Germanys plight is the most serious.
Reduction of hours, distribution of en-
nl0Vn1pnt and nT rnnp6ipS have
brought no relief, and the unemployed
total is growing by leaps and bounds
weekly. 1t is authoritatively estimated
that there are 26,000,000 people in the
bread line" in Germany today-fami-
lies and dependents of the unemployed
legionS. Competent political observers
say it is already too late to save Ger
many and predict economic, social and
political chaos at almost any minute.
Make Little Progress.
The scheme for a system of interna-
tional public works in Europe, studied
by representatives of a dozen States,
does not seem to have got very far.
The plans envisaged new highway sys-
TENS between various capitals, drainage
works, electrifcation and river and
waterways improvements. A Swedish
scheme called for a reorganization of
Europe's entire telephone and tele-
graphic systems.
France, the last country to slide into
the slough OF depression, is now aware
CT the menace-So far as she is con-
cerned. However. France is agreeing
to nothing which would better Ger
many's or Italys condition, although
she has made favorable economic ar
rangement with republican Spain.
Foreign workmen, who formed the bulk
of Frances labor, have been barred
and thousands are being ordered back
to their own countries-Poland, Italy,
Germany. Instead of public works,
however. France is still spending mil
lions on her Notifications and military
defenses-the budget for military pur-
poses this year exceeding 10000, 100000
francs.
Chaos in Spain.
Spain. in political chaos. finds the
task of governmental reconstruction ex-
tremely complicated by economic fac
tors. Three -fourths the difficulties the
republican regime has encountered,
have come from industrial problems
problems which the old monarchial re-
gime would also have had to face.
To be perfectly frank-even though
it may deepen the gloom-the economic
situation in Europe never has been
darker. If the bottom has not been
reached. then there is no bottom. Opti-
miStic observers believe the conditions
cannot get worse-except politically
and say it is now merely matter of
time until the upward trend begins. In
other words: Europe is humping along
on the bottom-and a rough bottom
at that