The Waikato Times With which is incorporated The Waikato Argus. WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 14, 1920. EXTREMISM IN UNITED STATES.

Waikato Times, Volume 92, Issue 14263, 14 January 1920, Page 4

The Waikato Times With which is incorporated The Waikato Argus. WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 14, 1920. EXTREMISM IN UNITED STATES.

From the accounts which reach us of the measures taken in America to deal with those holding extremist views we can only conclude that our trans. Atlantic cousins are suffering from a somewhat bad attack of nerves. It is reported that there are 20,000 persons holding opinions which are dangerous to the existence of government, and authority lias been taken to arrest these people and deport them, though it is not stated where they are to be sent. Twenty thousand sounds an imposing figure until we reflect that it means one in five thousand of the population of the country, so that however objectionable the opinions may be, it can scarcely be said that they constitute any serious danger al present. The real peril lies of course in the possibility of such ideas spreading, and it seems to us that the United States authorities are not dealing with tins aspect of the question wilii any wisdom. They are attempting to suppress the ideas to which they object, but are not making any effort to find out whether there arc deflnile grievances, and whether ..ny steps can be taken to remedy them. Wages in the United Slates are high, when compared wild those of any other country, and this has hitherto saved them from any conceded movement towards the improve ment of labour. It is true that the high price of living made the benefit of high wages more apparent than real, but the recently-arrived immigrant did not at first perceive this. His standards of life and of wages were so low that

lie necessarily improved them by the change of country, and it was in many cases left for his children lo feel that they had complaints to make. These complaints have been greatly increased by the increased cost of living. It might be thought that America would have escaped this evil to some extent, as her war eForts> wen on a small

scale compared with those of England, France, or Italy. There are, however, special reasons why this condition should exist in America as much as, and possibly more, than in Europe. America has never done anything to restrain prices, and though the effect of such action may be disputed there is no question that it does something to quieten complaints. The evils of profiteering from which every countrj suffers, are more rampant in the United States than elsewhere, because the opportunities are greater. Ihe taritl is very high, and has facilitated tin formation of trusts, which in the present condition of the markets have opportunities 8f -exploiting the people to a much greater extent than previously. The Meat Trust has been dissolved by law, but law cannot prevent understandings between the firms which constitute the Trust, which will have much the same effect as before. The evil is that those who are in a position to form a Trust do not see anything wrong in doing so, which may be a justifiable position if the economic advantages are shared by the customers. This, however, has not been the case if we may judge from recent legislation making Trusts illegal. The unfortunate fact for the reputation of the United States is that while they declare Trusts illegal in their own country, they encourage them in the export trade. Foreigners have apparently no rights which call for respect Such legislation raises very grave suspicions of the Legislative body that passes it, and those who are not powerful enough to secure their rights by numbers and strength will hardly obtain them on the grounds of justice. It is quite in keeping with this that trade unionism should have such a small hold in the United Stales. It came as a surprise to most people to learn that the American Steel Corporation, employing 000,000 men, refuses to acknowledge the existence of any union among them. This, of course, does not prevent strikes, and one such has just come to an end in the defeat of the men after a struggle of some months. Jt is impossible here to ascertain the rights of the dispute, but that the employers should refuse to recognise the right of collective bargaining seems a guarantee that labour troubles will continue, and increase. The one thing which has enabled employers in the United States to assume this autocratic attitude is the immense immigration from Europe to America. The newcomer did the rough work; he came from a country where industrialism was rare or unknown, and organisation in trade unions was beyond his ken. In most cases it was some years before he learnt the speech of the country he had come to, and there are large quarters of the big cities which are inhabited exclusively by those of one or other European nationality, and where their own language is exclusively used. These people arc helpless in any struggle with employers, and weaken any unions that may exist. Of late they have been a source of anxiety to all thoughtful Americans, for their vast numbers make the process of Americanising them well nigh impossible, while the man in the street considers them a danger on account of their liability to absorb Bolshevik ideas. Their existence has been put forward by a Republican Senator as an excuse for not accepting the League of Nations, on the ground that America’s internal problems are too great to permit her to take any part in the general affairs of the world, as if no other country had internal problems. Generous and high-minded action by the United States i n foreign affairs would do more .than any other thing to create a sense of citizenship. As for Bolshevism or extremism, there is no more likelihood of its spreading in the United States than elsewhere if men are treated with justice. It is, however, useless to preach democracy and give men a vote if they have no rights or standing economically. The course of prices will bring these grievances to a head, and if they are not met by timely concessions there will be trouble. When men find their wages will not provide a living such as they have been accustomed to, and that this is largely due to the action of profiteers, they will make an outcry and their ranks will be joined by large numbers who have no connection with unions or with manual labour, but whose position is the same. To deport Bolsheviks will not cure the trouble if the causes of unrest continue without any effort to remedy them. Europe can plead that its impoverishment- is such that it is impossible to provide conditions equal to those in the past. America has no such excuse, and yet has as much or more trouble. The country would do well to consider whether an entire reversal of methods would not be an improvement.