Evening star., 1935-04-21
BY ALBIN e. JOHNSON.

- ENEvA.-Is world recovery
4 really under way or has the
\ I upward trend Of the past
~ 18 months-in production,
commerce, employment -
been more apparent than genuine.
That question and host of others
have presented themselves to eco
nomic, trade and labor experts as a
result of oficial reports reaching
Geneva from 30-odd governments at
the end of the first quarter Of 1885.
Outwardly it appears that recovery
has hit q snag. In "A out of 80 indus
trial countries unemployment mas
risen spectacularly since the begin
ming of the new year. Only in four,
and possibly five, Germany, Norway,
Australia and New Zealand, and per-
haps Japan, are there less unemployed
workers than there were three months
ago.
In France, Great Britain, Italy,
Spain, Poland, Czechoslovakia, Swe-
den, Denmark, Holland, Finland, DAN
zig, Latvia, Esthonia, Yugoslavia, Hun
gary, Rumania, Bulgaria. the Irish
Free State, Switzerland, Belgium. Aus
tria, Chile, Canada and the United
States the number of idle workers has
increased anywhere from l to nearly
so Der cent in the last three months.
To a certain extent the phenomena
NAV be seasonal" The backward
tendency, however, is too general and
consistent to be taken lightly.
Quarters Show Loss.
Furthermore, there has been dis
tinct slowing down" Of recovery, so
far as it is measured by unemplov-
ment, when the first quarter of 1885
is compared with the first quarter OF
1884 and previous years.
There is no question that produc-
ton Of manufactured goods has risen;
prices of both raw materials and
finished products also have climbed.
Trade has increased, both foreign and
domestic. Exports and imports OF
many countries show good advances.
Also, paradodcal as 1t may seem, the
number of workers ION the job" has
increased in at least l6 countries
Czechoslovakia, Germany, Great Brit
ain. Hungary, Latvia, Canada. Bull
garia, Yugoslavia, Esthonia. Italy,
Japan, Luxembourg. Poland, Sweden,
South Africa and the United States
as compared with a year ago. In
Japan and South Africa there are
actually more workers employed than
there were in l929-before the crisis
started. Great Britain's employment
figure stands at 98.7 per cent Of the
pre-depresison average.
Various explanations have been ad-
vanced. In some cities inquiries have
shown that large numbers Of the
bourgeoisie or middle class have gone
on the dole" having exhausted their
savings. Other indications point to
the fact that many more young per-
sons are entering the labor market.
Fully one-fourth Of the 30,000,000 I'M
employed industrial workers today
are less than rs years of age. Accord
ing to latest official figures the per-
centage Of young people on the relief
lists of the leading manufacturing
countries-workers between the ages
of 16 and 2+is: In Hungary, AZ; in
Italy, AIS; in Sweden and Finland,
80; in Great Britain, 302; in Den
mark, %; in Norway, Holland and the
United States 1880 estimates for the
United States), 27: in Czechoslovakia,
| 228. and in Switzerland, Is per cent.
Public Works Slower.
The influx Of young workers into
the labor markets, however, does not
explain the doggedness with which
unemployment continues. Many coun-
tries have "set back the clock" by ex-
tending military service. school-leav-
ing ages. etc. In Italy, France. Ger
/ many. Poland, Czechoslovakia and
the Balkans compulsory military
training. compulsory labor camps and
similar agencies are absorbing the
young men for the time being. The
war psychology of the past year also
has stimulated many industries, par
ticularly in Germany. France and
Italy, thereby furnishing work for
thousands.
A factor which may be of impor-
tance is the stoppage or slowing down
of public works. In Italy, for ex-
ample, road building occupied many
thousands of men until financial re-