The Daily Alaska empire., 1947-09-30

from Europe with an impression which We may sure will be echoed by other travellers among the sizable group of legislators in Europe This that the Euro- pean does not work anything like hard the low productivity as msdrected Gin terms of Euro pean recovery activity Yet the impression of loaf ing is understandable and is gained from surface contacts as for instance at the stores CongreSsmen
 in search of souvenirs of their trip find the doors locked at o'clock in the afternoon Their curiosity is immediately piqued And wonder is added to curiosity when they hear of beaches packed by long vacaoners offices deserted by drawnout weekendng. Nothing impressed American officials at the peace barley in Paris last than the spectacle. observable from the:r hotel windows of the army of Parisians who took the wheel as soon as Friday dawned On top of this seeming slackness, the scene in Europe is Uttered With spivs formfilers in the heavy bureaucracies and black marketers. These matters nowadays take on significance to the ob- servers from this side of the ocean For the people of Europe are nourishing great expectations of share of the plenty which comes from the industry of our American farms and factories.
 The first and foremost way in which western Europe can retrieve its economic fortunes is of course by working harder. Il is simple as that. But of all the countries in western Europe only Italy seems to have a noticeable vitality, though how the Italians are able to live at all on the thinnest shoestring western Europe is baffling mystery. The industry of the Italian is innate, not the product of exhorta ton Conditions different less encouraging in France and England There has been lack of leader ship for the Socialists Of both countries to have come to office on promises of the blessings of idle ness, and politician likes to swallow his own nos trums This however he is being forced to do in France and Britain The trouble is that he is not being taken very seriously. The miners Of England. instance. don't to sacrifice the five-day week without a struggle. In France. the Communists find ready to their go-slow campaign among work CTS who cherished the pledges of the pleasures and ruits of leisure.
 Anothe: deterrent to a full days work curiously, is full employment. There is no crisis feeling in western Europe because pay envelopes are full and enough ratons lat present. forthcoming. Crisis in the traditional sense arises the absence of jobs But the fear of unemployment has been in great part removed by government planning or oy government aid Few men, at least in the manual occupations work for the fun of it, and even in Argentina alarm has been sounded because re- gime of full pay and virtually guaranteed work has made for absenteesm. Perhaps there is a warning here for the Waaceites who advocate job security fer all Be that it may the London Economist IS constrained to comment, "A moderate degree of un- employment would in fact, be godsend, since there nothing that will get labor for the mines Tor the textile industries, and for agriculture and that will really clear the way for exports
 However, We cannot throw up hands over the fate of Europe as result of the contrasts that our visiting legislators noting The question is not one solely of charity It has to do with the fact that these people situated the accesses to our con-
 nent and are custodians with ourselves of cvii zaton In other words, the issue is connected with our national security That in itself calls for patience and tolerance though both qualities will come naur- ally in mind what western Europe has been through The best aid that render in the
 interests of western Europe as we'll as ourselves IS backing for self f-nelp program that will to the roots of European reconstruction, and we have no doubt that this will be the consensus of the peregri- mating legislators.