Evening star., 1946-12-12
Russian Press GIeefuI
Over Strikes in u. S.
Declares Americans Are Losing
Confidence in Government

Declares Americans Are Losing
Confidence in Government
By Daud laurence
Russian newspapers are saying that
because the American people are
harassed by economic disturbances we
are beginning to lose confidence in our
own system Of government.
This is but another way Of arguing
that private enterprise In America Is
failing and that Communism is better.
sThe truth is that the American people
are not looking favorably on other sys.
TENS of government but are plainly wor-
ried about the workings Of the system
Of voluntary control of their own affairs.
For the free-enterprise system or for
representative government to function
successfully, 1t Is essential that all
groups work together and that no group
shall put Its selfish interests beyond any
other.
Last week many people in America
were worried about their system Of gov
ernment. They wondered II 1t was too
weak to get them coal this winter.
Naturally citizen who thinks his Gov
ernment Is powerless to get fuel for his
home Is likely to look at other systems.
Strikes Barred In Russia.
Totalitarianism such as existed In
Germany and Italy and now exists in
Russia doesn't have any worry about
strikes. John L. Lewis couldn't tie up
the coal supply of Russia, for they don't
allow strikes or strike leaders In the
Communist regime. They don't like the
AFI, and they tolerate the CIO in in
ternational relationships only because
the Russians regard the CIO as a con-
-venient instrument for the spread Of
Communist propaganda in America.
This isn't true, Of course, but the Rus
slams think 1t Is, and show their favor.
itism for the CIO as contrasted with the
AFL.
So far, however, as producing economic
chaos in America and Fastening the day
thoughtlesslt embrace totalitarian meas
ures, the leaders of the clio and the AFL
are on the same side of the street. They
both supported Mr. Lewis last week and
denounced the American Government
for daring to issue a restraining order
even temporarily to bring about re-
sumption of coal mining.
The labor leaders of America have
also forced on the American people
cycle of price imitation which they now
are preparing to intensity They are
issuing figures about alleged profits as
propaganda to confuse the people about
the real issues. Every one who studies
the history of imitation knows that rising
costs mean rising prices and that az
each factor is allowed to exert its maxi
mum influence vicious circle Is created
which cannot be broken until there Is
some sense of self-restraint.
The job of the hour is not to rock the
economic boat further with more de-
mands for increased wages and with
more labor strife. The labor leaders
imagine the people as whole are not
| intelligent enough to understand what
| is happening. These labor leaders for
! get that the Gallup Poll shows that 81
| per cent Of the manual-labor workers
| voted the Republican ticket as protest
| in the congressional elections last
month. The rank and file understand
that an economy which insists ON
getting more wages for less work viii
wind up in crash landing that win
mean widespread unemployment.
Shortsighted and Selfish.
Present-day labor leaders are not only
shortsighted but selfish to the extreme.
They think they can stay in power and
yet mislead the rank and file Had the
coal strike gone week longer. the
revolt In the ranks of the miners would
have opened the eyes of the American
people to the fact that the average
| worker in the coal fields knew he was
being misled by so-called labor leaders.
It does not require any economic
training or expertness to discover that
on the volume of business done in war
time, when killing people was the prin.
cipal occupation of nation, there could
be high wage earnings but that when
war contracts were cancelled and the
volume of business done turned ma
terially downward, 1t was impossible to
pay the same wage rates. Yet the so.
called labor economists now are CALI
ing for wartime wages out of peace
time volume of business and are not
promising any corresponding increase
in output per man to compensate for the
wage increases already given.
Since the coal strike was settled, .
wave Of hope had swept the country
that the industrial picture might
brighten and that the economic depres.
sion SO often predicted would not. ma
terialize. But the labor leaders, who
seem bent on forcing that depression to
happen, have begun again to ask for
wage increases which, in turn, will
result in price increases. This means
economic suicide for the country. Lots
Of John l.. Lewises are now rising to
threaten the Nations economy. Tho
new Congress will find an indignant
public opinion demanding that labor
monopolies be ended. For without such
monopolies, there could not be big
unions to break up the American
economy.
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Making Goots Of All Of Us
From the Hamilton Spectator
The most tolerant Canadian. noting
what goat this country has been made