PRESENT-DAY CHAOS.

Hokitika Guardian, 14 January 1922, Page 3

PRESENT-DAY CHAOS.

I WORLD’S GREAT PROBLEMS. | SEEKING A SOLUTION. ; ‘‘The pursuit of the ideal of understanding, which is deeper than tolerance, and goes down to knowledge.” In these terms a solution of the problem of the world’s present chaotic international and domestic affairs was offered by Professor J- C. Herbsman, formerly head of the Department of Public Speaking nt the University of Washington, who is visiting the Dominion. The present industrial conditions in New Zealand reflected those which cxistedrin the United States some months ago,'remarked the visitor. In the latter country, however, it was now felt that the industries had “turned the corner,” and were on the upward path. America had three-quarters of the world’s gold, and her commercial and industrial’ channels were dhoken by this surplus. There were now between 5,000,000 and 7,000,000 men out of cm. ployment, and American products, like those of Britain, were Being undersold by the European nations, especially

Germany. During the war the American workers had obtained money easily and spent it freely. Now they were

faced not with the high cost of'living, but with the cost of high living. A few business men in the States had reduced tno number and raised the efficiency of their staffs, and produced cheaper goods. Unfortunately, however, this method of bringing about n commercial readjustment had not been followed by the rest of ( the busineses community.

WORKERS’ 1 PSYCHOLOGY MUST, BE REVERSED. j Labour in war-time Had not given ’ equitable service for the wages paid in many instances, said Professor Herbsman, and the workers, both manual and mental, canid not hope to realise better or more stable conditions until their psychology underwent .a reversion. The war had brought a remedial changes to the worker, and his advance was permanent, but great difficulty had been experienced in persuading men that they could not expect to receive war rates of wages and disperse problems of unemployment. The opinion that the reflex conditions in Australia, and New Zealand would not he as had as those obtaining in Britain and America was also expressed by the visitor, who predicted that when affairs in the larger countries were stabilised f tho Dominions would quickly recover. The only circumstances that might militate against recovery would be arbitrary demands by labour, .although Australia seemed more prone to this influence than New Zealand.

“The idea of mutual understanding based op knowledge, which has been such a noteworthy feature of the Washington Armament Conference, commends itself strongly to the nations of world. They realise that every war is based on ignorance, which is based on prejudice induced by fear, which in turn to preparation and the climax -of war,” said Mr Herbsman.

SURRENDER OF SELFISH MOTIVES ’

“The great nations have now Tab' their cards on the table, however, and looked across at each other as friends Japan and America were suspicious of each other before the Conference; they feared each other; they were arming rapidly; and war would have been inevitable. But now they realise that the incomplcted temple of Babylon was the first, and the Kaiser’s defeat ed armies the last, of a long, incomplete line of monuments marking the futile attempts of man to govern the world on a basis of force.”

The guiding principle of frankness and understanding should be carried out also in industrial affairs, said Professor Hefrbstmtn. The workers who characterised international war as a relic of barbarism, should remember that, to be consistent, they shoTild discountenance industrial war—strikes and lockouts—and master and man should approach each other in conferece with the welfare of the business and the general public at heart. The full facts in industrial disputes should be given to the public who were fairminded enough to adjudicate on the problem, and whose welfare was supreme.

Tlie nations of the world had, at the Washington Conference, surrendered selfish motives and interests to ensure international peace, and now the individuals of those nations should foster the same spirit to promote harmoy among the people of the world, and to bring conditions back to sta bility and permanence.