EUROPE SLOWLY COMING BACK TO NORMAL.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XLVII, Issue 15222, 21 May 1920, Page 4

EUROPE SLOWLY COMING BACK TO NORMAL.

LONDON, March - 11.— Europe to-day is camouflaged by sensations. Startling developments m France, Italy, England,Ger- , many, Austria and Poland obscure norma] conditions and reconstruction endeavorsof all these countries. Strikes, threats, starvation, suffering, intrigue, hatred, disorder and murders are heralded by an excited and feverish population and proclaimed by the newspapers. People and press, alike accustomed to ' war sensations, permit the peace sensations of to-day to hide the real status anc"; important developments just as surprise attacks and trench raids during the wai obscured the general staff strategy. Today the strategy of the peoples and Governments' of Europe is overshadowed by sensations. What the outside public sees as it view.*? Europe is 'mostly camouflage. From oui observation point we see only flashes from the lighthouses of Europe. We interpret sensational' developments as dangerous signals, forgetting that when one is -safely hying and working within a cbuntry whether England, France, Italy, Belgium or Switezrland, one does not see the lightbouses and is not tooled by the camouflage. . Despite the French railway strike, . hunger and disintegration m Vienna, socialism m Italy,' monarchist plotting m Germany, and the war of words arid ideas m England— despite these hourly sensations which spread With the rapidity of war rumors— there is something more substantial, more encouraging, more hopeful, ih Europe. .«*-.- In Belgium -to-day' the output of coal is ,95 per., cent, of what it was m .1914. Brussels, according to : all observers, is cieaher, gayer and more prosperous than Before the war. ' "In England while Handley Page forecasts "flivver" aeroplanes which can be kept m coal sheds- 'British' merchants and financorsare 'planning an extensive domestic and world trade with i_very confidence in.. the future. , v The German .Embassy is being redecorated and Richard Strauss is to be Played on Saturday m Queens Hall. Opposed to the labor movement for nationalisation is another organisation which -m •great posters and huge advertisements-an-nottnees >'-. "nationalisation— the consumer pays. We can not afford' to ruin Britain lti order to prove that a Fabian may be a JOOI, - while theorists think the public knows that the profits of all private enwjrprise taken over by the State haVe automatically become- losses." '•'-; Two years ago when ' the Germans punched their March offensive there were dark days arid anxious nights but the l-eserves and united leadership brought ■mtiriiate victory. To-day lEurope has resenri^- bub lacks leadership. Still that •which is encouraging is that public opihion . m all these countries is seeking a 'new leadership. ■•-'.'; Li England, France and Italy; while the public lives m the present, it is thinking and planning for the future. The people *re -painfully, excitedly, but *?P| fu »y» groping toward- reconstruction. A« I travel, through these Allied countries JX: am impressed by the contrasts*— by the trondltions m England beforo and during 4he war and now, by the conditions m -*ranee m 1918 and to-day— as much as I •yas impressed by the -similarity of the -outward aspects of London, Paris, Geneva, 'Philadelphia, Minneapolis, Toronto, Montreal, or of any large North American city. •■•ln the first place, with the exception W'the waT dumps where billions of dollars of used and rotting war supplies are England -has not changed much. Railroad' travel -is just as comfortable, m feme'-rastances mbre comfortable, than m 1911 when I virited England first. -••The. streets, hotels and shops are c'rowd-•sjd-ae much as ever. It is true that there Mr nttder-produc'iori 'that everyone is talking' either of nationalisation 'Or is Jnticising the ercessive taxes- 'or: denouncing the extravagance of the Governments. There "is a serious shortage of tdel production but railways and factories, mines .'and ships are being operated, ware-"frouse-space'is' at a premium, i»- hotly debated, food prices are high and constantly increasing.' A millionaire member of Pafliamerit has opened on the Strand a clothing shop, Belling „at reduced prices -and. the police have to keep the crowds back; and protect the- store. Extensive private automobiles are beginning to appear m ; great numbers. There's a growing tendency toward consolidation of capital. Newspapers daily carry announcements of* stock and bond sales for new- corporations, consolidations and expansions.' Apartment houses are at a premium.

. Paris is very similar to London to ex-ternal-appearance. ' Even at night the streets are .dark, due. to a lack of coal; The night life ;• of Paris has come back with a. flourish, patronised mostly by foreigners- among, them a large number 6{- *A_jericah . "sightrseers." - It is not art unco ittmbn sight to see a group of Red Cross- nurses m; a corner of some dancing caffs with * a bottle of champagne on the table, -which they do not' drink, but buy. because they think * they have to watch the- dancers. But' Americans who do not drink m -Europe to-day are very, decidedly in -^he, minority. • • ' tin the .last two wee.ks / I crossed France over three routes. Almost anything could be had for tips, but nothing is obtainable without them. Twenty, to fifty francs Would buy anything a conductor had. During the. war it was virtually impossible to obtain a sleeper — but not to-day, at least before the strike;' Frequently I observed section gangs repairing the railway Hue. ' In the stations and depots of both Italy and France rone now finds ten-perance and" prohibition billposters, which is an indication ; that . even ■ m those • countries enemies, of drink, are active; What I just have. described by no means is sensational, still that is the condition to-day. '.'--- War has had the curious effect, however, of lowering moral standards and elevating moral ideas. It has lowered production, . but it has furnished new conceptions of the work of capital, industry and- commerce. Whether these new ideas are practical or advisable, and for the good of -society; is another matter entirely, iand while they are being debated, Europe- is not ready to pass judgment thereon. V ; The 'significant factors of Europe, it seems tb; mer are the earnestness with which the public everywhere is Considering changes,- the earnestness with which business- leaders are attacking vital and disturbing problems' and the' very* widespread evidence of new men and women entering politics and appearing before the public as leaders. In the Governments themselves this is not evident yet, but will be m a year if, not earlier, even the camouflage of the present political leaders will wear away, for the future of Europe will be an industrial and commercial 'future, and the new leaders wilf be men who are 'experts m business, -not "bosses" and jugglers of politics. countries" need just what Attterictt' needs— administration by busi-ness-men—and in 'England and Italy these men ''atre •forging to the front. So are th^y m: .Germany, Belgium and Switzerland :'as» wall; as. m France, although , m that", country capital and the' syndicalists, instead oi appearing to be getting together, are separating. If ' Europe is handicapped to-day, by idleness/- it is due not alone to exaggeratqd I ' ide*M- of what the workers think business' can pay, it is due not alone to hatred 'of • profiteers and indignation becauae"'of high priCM, but to the muddled pojitjcal status of Europe. Thirteen months afterVihV armistice still finds many of the .m.ost.-l ynpprtant peace questions still unsettled. -....-■...■ Ifc.'.-does not seem to me that any one could * ? travel . m Europe to-day without being impressed by tho fact that if some of '.'th<-jse vexing political issues were settlsd be economic difficulties of Europe cottW rapidly be adjusted.