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Show MEWS REVIEW OF CURRENT EVENTS Conference on Unemployment Is Working Rapidly to Solve Its Big Problem. RAIL WORKERS FOR A STRIKE ftimocrats Fighting Against Ratification Ratifica-tion of Peace Treaties France's Stand on Reduction of Land Armament Lloyd George Again Invites Irish to Personal Parley. By EDWARD W. PICKARD. Most' Important of last week's events In the United States was the opening of the national conference on unemployment. The social economists and captains of industry summoned to Washington by President Harding are not expected to work miracles or to find a way In which immediate and remunerative employment can be given all the millions of Involuntary Idle In the country, but there Is reason to believe they can devise means for relieving re-lieving the distressing situation. In a general way, the solution of the problem, as the leaders In the conference confer-ence see It, Is a plan of co-operation among employers and with governmental govern-mental construction agencies to distribute, dis-tribute, regulate and increase the volume vol-ume of employment in slack seasons. Among the broad phases of the problem, prob-lem, as stated by Secretary of Commerce Com-merce Hoover, are : A determination of the volume nnd distribution of employment. Emergency measures to provide employment em-ployment and mitigate suffering that may arise during the coming winter. Measures which may aid in restoring restor-ing commerce and employment to normal. Immediately after the opening session ses-sion nine subcommittees got busy, and so rapidly did they work that the cc&Terence reassembled Friday a week earlier than had been expected to consider a general emergency relief re-lief prograi. At this writing It Is cot possible to give an outline of this program, but some of its suggestions, mad by the manufacturers, are as follows : Unite existing private and public organizations to put through a constructive con-structive program for your community. See that there Is a suitable employment em-ployment exchange in your community. commun-ity. Assist private and public employers employ-ers and labor organizations rather than have any single civic or family welfare agency or combination of agencies assume the full responsibility. Bring to the attention of public authorities au-thorities specific recommendations for Increasing volume of public work. Urge both private nnd public employers em-ployers to distribute labor by rotation rota-tion In shifts of three days or more at a time. Persuade each Industry to absorb definite quotas of unemployed. Urge not only private and public employers . but Individual householders household-ers and property owners to make improvements, im-provements, repairs, and general sprucing up of properties. Formulate standards nnd rules for temporary employment for those out of work dealing with ro'tatlon of shifts ; wages preference to resident family men, etc. See that decent sanitary accommodations accommo-dations for homeless wn are made and differentiate between resident and floating unemployed. Discourage migration of unemployed unem-ployed to and from your community. In opening the conference President Harding warned It that the administration adminis-tration would be opposed to any plan that Involved n further drain on the public treasury. In this he differs with the policy followed in England, where, of course, the conditions are not the same. The British government has been paying out many millions of dollars In unemployment Insurance, and the situation there seems to be growing worse. Lloyd George admits it is "appalling." Last week many coal mines in South WTales were closed down, and to add to the trouble, the period for which the state subsidy of mine wages was granted expired Friday, Fri-day, and the country faced the possibility possi-bility of another great miners' strike. Our own strike threat comes In the railway work. For days the votes of the rail union members have been coming in to headquarters, the question ques-tion being whether there ifLtwtll be a walkout because of the reduced wages established by the federal railway labor board and the working agreements agree-ments and conditions decreed. The vote of the Brotherhood of Railway Trainmen already lias been counted and Is announced as being 90 per cent in favor of a strike. The votes of the other brotherhoods are being counted, and it Is taken for granted that they will solidly support the stand taken by the trainmen. Of course this does not mean that a strike Is a certainty, for the final decision rests with the brotherhood officials and grievance committees. Many of the officials are very reluctant to issue the order that will tie up the country's transportation transporta-tion facilities. Unexpected opposition sprang up to the ratification of the peace treaties with Germany, Austria and Hungary, even with the senate committee's reservation providing that America's representation on the International commissions must be decreed by congress. con-gress. The Democrats decided to fight the pacts to the end, and it was reported re-ported that they were receiving the active support of former President Wilson. They prepared a series of reservations of their own. With the approval of the President, the Republican Repub-lican leaders undertook to hurry up the ratification by means of night sessions ses-sions of the senate, and Mr. Lodge, it was said, told Mr. Harding that enough votes were In sight whenever It came to final action. It was stated that twenty Democrats and three Republicans Re-publicans favored flat rejection of the trentles. This would not be enough to block ratification, and besides, some of them probably would accept the pacts with reservations designed to carry out the Idea of closer participation par-ticipation In European affairs. In the reichstag, also, there was much opposition to the treaties as they stand, especially to the acknowledgment acknowl-edgment by Germany of its guilt in starting the war. They hold that the former kaiser's government, and not Germany, was responsible for the conflict. con-flict. What worried Germany more than treaties last week, however, was the fact that It was on the brink of a tremendous financial panic. Chancellor Chan-cellor Wirth announced the country would go bankrupt If It was forced to pay the next Indemnity installment of a million marks in gold, and the German money market promptly collapsed. col-lapsed. The value of the mark has fallen to a ridiculously low point, and for this the financial speculators are blamed, the press denouncing them as "treasonable hyenas." Premier Briand has announced that he and the rest of the French delegates dele-gates to the conference on limitation of armaments and Far East .questions will sail for the United States on the steamer Lafayette probably November Novem-ber 1. Though in other matters the Frenchmen may come with open minds, on one point they will bring a fixed determination. They will refuse re-fuse to discuss the reduction of land armament unless they are fully assured as-sured of the support of the allies In case Germany attacks France. The French now have an army of about 750,000, the largest and best in the world, and they have no Intention of reducing its size or efficiency as long as Germany remains the menace to France, which they consider her to be. It is said that Marshal Foch Is likely to present to the confrr-ence confrr-ence the French reasons for opposing a reduction of land armament unless some new security is offered France In place of the provisions of the Versailles Ver-sailles treaty, which America has declined de-clined to accept. Japan's delegation to the conference confer-ence Is to he headed by I'rinre Iyesato Tokugnwn. who. If the feudal system had not been abolished in 107. would now be the shogun, or virtual ruler of Jssan. He Is the head of a great family and Is considered Japan's strongest man. This week the members of the American Amer-ican delegation are conferring on the policies to be urged by them. It Is known that they will stand firm for the practical and against the visionary vision-ary and that they are agreed that complete disarmament Is Impractical at present ; but they believe that an international agreement to restrict and reduce armament gradually may well be reached. Our delegates are of the same mind as the President In holding that the proposal of the pacifists that the United States reduce armament even If the other nations refuse 'ji utterly foolish. The Leagu of Nations had a flare up over this questiw last week. The British and French delegates opposed a resolution calling oift a fixed commission com-mission to make genera)' proposals for reduction of armament?, and Lord Robert Cecil, representing South Africa, Afri-ca, declared It was vital tot the league and for peace that something be done, and that Great Britain and France should either present their ewn proposals pro-posals or cease obstructing he projects proj-ects put forward by others. The resolution was adopted. A committee commit-tee named to submit an opinion on the competence of the league to revise re-vise treaties, as was asked by Bolivia in the case of the Peru-Bolivia pact, found that the assembly cannot of itself it-self modify any treaty, that being solely within the competence of the contracting parties. Once more Premier Lloyd George has sent his "last word" to rebellious Ireland, and this time It re.VJy sounds like the last. Briefly, the premier tells De Vaiera that the British government, gov-ernment, though sincerely desirous ot peace, cannot enter Into a conference on the basis of the Irish leader's communications, because, despite Da Yalera's personal assurance to the . contrary, It might Involve the government govern-ment In a recognition of Irish Independence Inde-pendence "which no British government govern-ment can accord." Nevertheless the government feels that conference 13 the most practical way of accomplish Ing reconciliation and settlement, and therefore Lloyd George extends to De Valera a fresh Invitation to a conference confer-ence in London on October 11. Arthni Griffith, who will head the Irish delegation dele-gation If the conference Is held, has declared the Sinn Fein has neve! asked the British .government to lfco ognize the Independence of Ireland a a preliminary to a conference. Thlj lends to the belief thnt the Sinn Fein can now accept Lloyd George's lnvita-tlon lnvita-tlon without stultifying itself. The senate has received majority and minority reports from Its committee com-mittee on privileges nnd elections on the Ford-Newberry senatorial election contest from Michigan. In two respects re-spects the reports agree that Henry Ford was not elected, and that too much money was spent In the Michigan Michi-gan primary. On all other major Issues Is-sues they diverge. The majority report re-port clears Newberry of all charges, including corruption, declares him the duly elected senator and recommends that he be seated. The minority report, re-port, signed by Democrats, finds Newberry New-berry was elected by corrupt and Illegal Il-legal methods and recommends that his seat be declared vacant. Final action ac-tion by the senate may not be taken for several weeks. There is little doubt as to what It will be. Meantime, Mean-time, it Is understood Mr. Newberry will not attend senate sessions. The War department has made ptf-11c ptf-11c its plan for the creation of the organized or-ganized reserve of the army on a basis that will permit the quick mobilization of more than 4,000.000 fighting men. Twenty-seven infantry divisions of the reserves are provided for, numbering from the Seventy-sixth to ttie One Hundred and Fourth, thus preserving both In number and the geographical location where each originated orig-inated the 10 wartime national army divisions. The same territorial distribution dis-tribution as to armies and army corps areas Is followed as In the regular army organization and the present structure of the National Guard. The three arms of national land defense forces will tie on ar. Identical basis, with control decentralized from Wash. Ington and all three in the hands of the corns area commanders. |