PEACE-PLEAS

Despite the growing class-consciousness of the American proletariat, President Roosevelt fails to offer any more definite solution to the problem of labor in its relation to the national life than a conference and a plea for industrial peace. It is significant of the lack of any clearly-defined policy towards industry at Washington that the administration entertains the hope of a mere truce in the present difficulties. Apparently, the dream of permanent settlement of these difficulties, so optimistically fostered with the creation of the National Labor Board, and the Regional Labor Boards, cannot be realized for some time to come.

The question inevitably arises: How long will labor be pacified? How long will it be mollycoddled into submission by pleas for peace, and vague promises for satisfaction of its demands? Labor, looking abroad at its confreres in Russia and Italy, must wonder why it is not entitled to equal consideration in America. How long can it be expected merely to wonder? Question such as these, and many others, must be met squarely by the administration if another period of violence such as that pertaining throughout the country last summer is to be avoided. Merely to inform labor in grandiose manner that communism is incompatible with American traditions, and that under fascism it will be regimented by the state to a point where it will have no liberty of thought or action is insufficient unless there is a substantial improvement during the coming winter. Unless unemployment is appreciably reduced, unless private capital is loosed from the present confines of fear and uncertainty, and supplements government financing in the sphere of public works and elsewhere, labor will make itself heard again. Every time labor is persuaded to behave itself, it does so more grudgingly than before, provided it cannot see of its own accord the fruits of submitting to such persuasion.

One of the reasons for Mussolini's success in reconciling capital and labor was that he offered the latter a constructive program: the Corporative State Whether or no this State is but another form of capitalistic domination, it has succeeded to a remarkable extent in putting an end to such forms of economic waste as the strike, the lookout, sabotage etc. Prior to Mussolini's accession, Italy was so torn with violent industrial disturbances that communism was believed by many to be inevitable. But in his particular mode of Fascism, Mussolini prevented the inevitable. The voice of American labor seems, for the moment at least, to be stilled. But inasmuch as the administration agencies have only aggravated our industrial disputes, the need for a constructive plan for labor becomes increasingly urgent. To continue to deal in generalities, to plead for peace, and to make fine-sounding promises, is to invite troubles of a far more serious nature, than any yet seen in America.