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Political Notes By F. W. Jowett, M.P. I SANITY IN THE "TIMES." The Washington Correspondent of the Times" has been constrained to make it known in this country that America expects an answer from the Allies to President Wilson's re- quest for a definition of their war aims. "It is felt," he says, "that every encouragement should he given to any sentiment for a decent peace that may lie growing among the German people." The correspondent explains that Mr. Wilson's moderation alone will not be sufficient to break the strongest hold which the rulers of Germany have on their people—namely. com- mon fear, if not of extermination, at any rate of outlawry, unless the Allies make it once and for all clear that they agree with Mr. Wilson that they do not propose to penalise the German nation" by a peace which would contravene its legitimate economic aspirations." For speaking in this fashion other people have been attacked and abused in the columns of the Times." TOO LIKE THE PAST. Commenting on the above-mentioned account concerning American expectation .1 an Allied declaration of war aims in agreement with that of President Wilson, the Star innocently asks if there is "any reason why the Allied De- claration to the German and Austrian people should not he issued at oncer' But in another column of the same paper there is an article by Dr. Burrows. Principal of King's College. which suggests a likely answer to the Star's ques- tion. In this article Dr. Burrows, who, along with his friend and colleague Dr. Seton Watson and others of the New Europe school, excer- cise considerable influence on British opinion on foreign policy, advocates the division of prac- tically the whole of the Asiatic and European dominion of Turkey between the Allies. He re- gards France as being legitimately entitled to Syria on the ground that France is the tradi- tional protector of the Syrian Christians. He recognises, however, that if France should he allowed to widely extend her Syrian protector- ate, -itumM.to avoid l" a sphere in Asia Minor." and Italy, he observes, has in fact no right in Asia Minor except on the old bad theory that all plunder is fair as long as you divide it equally." AMERICA IN EUROPE. I After this first cut in the division of the bear's skin Dr. Burrows proceeds to discuss the dis- posal of Constantinople. Constantinople, he thinks, ought to go to the Greeks—for them to hold as trustees for the League of Nations. This gift, he argues, would be a fulfilment of the historic dreams of the Greeks "glaadoiting Greeks all over the world." Dr. Burrows fears, however, that Russia might not like the arrange- ment (evidently Dr. Burrows is certain there will be a counter revolution in Russia or he would not care what Russia would like) so he suggests that the United States might hold Con- stantinople, and', itt addition, Armenia. Dr. Burrows does not trouble his head about the effect of his pro-Greek plans on the other Balkan States which are on the side of the Allies: Rou- mania and Servia, not to mention Bulgaria. Yet any conceivable method of dividing up the Euro- pean territory of Turkey would provide a bone of contention for the Balkan States to quarrel over. DISINTERESTED BRITAIN. 'I With regard to Great Britain. Dr. Burrows I assumes a lofty and disinterested attitude. We must not, he says, unless we are forced to do so, undertake the Protectorate of any (-oil- siderable part of the Turkish Empire because of the need of maintaining our moral disinterested- ness." He, therefore, suggests that the ( niteil States should underta ke the Protectorate of Palestine and Upper Mesopotamia. How this moral disinterestedness is going to square with the plan of acquiring Turkey's overlord- ship of Egypt for Great Britain, extending Bri- tish interests 11) Persia, and keeping the Ger- man Colonies in Africa is not clear. Dr. Bur- rows carefully refrains from comment on all the acqui^ sitions which lie takes for granted Great Britain will be allowed to hold. WHEN THE FUN STARTS. I Having regard to the,complexity of all the far- reaching schemes—which, as he admits, raise conflicting claims between the Allied Govern- ments-Dr, Burrows argues that the Allies should not at present declare what they are going to do with Turkey. Turkey must be beaten until she is just "a carcase to be cut up and distributed. With the whole of the carcase laid out ready for carving he think:- there will be less difficulty in sharing the cuts. Doubtless Dr. Burrows correctly anticipates disagreement between the Allies over the division of the spoil and it is, therefore, prudent and wise advice he gives to attempt 110 division until the war is over lest the Allies should fall out over it. Inciden- tally, as I have already indicated, he has given an answer to the "Star" which asks* if there is any reason why the Allied Declaration to the German and Austrian people should not he issued at once? THE BALKANS-A PROTEST. I the gleeful comment of the editor of the Yorkshire Observer" on the prospect of the Balkan States taking a larger share in the war reminds one of the period during which Roit- mania, like Bulgaria, hesitated as to wliiclt would be the wi lining side in this war:— "The Balkan peoples are," says the "York- shire Observer," to a large extent fond of war" and are attracted by what they believe te be the winning side. The fighting men in the. mountains, who are described by a correspondent with a pretty fancy as the Green Division," because they have lived as free lances on the hills, may or may not num- her <0,000 as stated, but we may be certain that they will be numerous after six years of Balkan war. and will be mischievous on be- half of anybody who is able and willing to supply.them with the wherewithal." After such a confession it will be as well to refrain from adverse comment- OIl the methods by which the enemy's forces were got together. COAL AND COLONISATION. I Recently there appeared in the press a glow- ing account of rich coal and iron deposits in Spitsbergen. An expedition had been sent there and had reported to this effect. The Spitzber- gen archipelago formerly belonged to America, but has since been recognised as belonging to Russia. Shortly after the expedition referred to had reported, the British flag was hoisted at Spitsbergen. Coal and iron deposits are too valuable to be neglected when there is power to take them. Or is it only the sovereignty that has been claimed by the British Government, with the object of securing property rights for the British company that sent the expedition? We shall see in due eoii I, sc,. FIVE PER CENT. WAR CAME. I Labour is scarce. Materials of an sorts are dear. And yet, both labour and material can be found for the transformat ion of Trafalgar Square to represent there a village after war has done it* work of destruction. Furthermore, some brilliant genius has been seided with the idea of firing all the anti-aircraft guns at a given time to give the people of London an unprece- dented display of fireworks. The people with money to invest are to go over the top as soon as the barrage has lifted. How splendidly brave they will all feel! Wit]) the prospect of ,0 per cent., clear, they will prove that they too can sacrifice themselves by investing their money. To the soldier taken hy the lin- of the land from his home to face the real barrage at the front this going over the top will surely be most impressive. I hope the picture papers will do justice to this great offensive on the home front. ( NO BARRACE. I LATER.—I he noble army of 5 per cent, in- vestors have had to go over the top without a narragp," The proposal to afford them a "barrage" was objected to by some people. What a shame! PRINCE MAX-r-A CARICATURE. I The editor of the Pall Mall Gadette," the first fugleman of the Lloyd George press, has given a lead to the other fuglemen in abusing the newly appointed German Chancellor and de- scribing the new Ministry in Germany as mere window-dressing." This attitude of the never-endians should not surprise anybody because condemnation of Germany's Parlia- mentary methods and the Kaiser appointed Ministries of the past could not be taken seriously having regard to the toleration ex- tended by the never-endians to the auto- cracy of Russia under the rule of the Tzar. Prince Max, the editor of the Pall Mill de- scries as a man with a considerable turn for sentimental oratory on topics like Christian feeling.' PRINCE MAX-A LIKENESS. I It is only bare justice, however, to state that Prince Max is one of a number of prominent Germans, who. even when the military position of Germany was a.t its high-water mark, de- clared his opposition to military schemes of tii- nexation and to the whole idea of militarism. His sptHM-hes were not given publicity in this country, but the fact that thev were delivered when circumstances were unfavourable for their delivery proves the sincerity of the new Chan- cellor. Speaking in December, 1917, when Mr Lloyd George was anxious over the military situation and inclined to moderate the Allied war aims, Prince Max spoke as follows in the Upper House of the Baden Diet:— A ft.arful responsibility rests upon those who have to guide tlw dpstinies of the peoples. All in tlii-, burden who are living through the waf at home with senses alert and burning hearts. Everywhere the world is weary of the moratorium of the Ser- mon on the Mount. Humanity longs that its end shall come before the war ends." ClVE US MORE. I Mr. Lloyd George's press may sneer at men who speak to their own countrymen in this fashion when tht' patriotic drum is beating its loudest, but these are the men most needed at this hour in aU countries, and, if it is Christian feeling that moves them to speak, as the editor of the Pall Mall says, by way of reproach, then, in he;tven's name, let us have more of it. THE QUESTION OF CONSTITUTION. I With regard to the Ministerial changes in Germany, the editor of the "Pall Mall" takes the line of disputing that there is any change at all because although some of the parliamentary leaders have been put iti office the' v are re- movable at the will of the Kaiser. To those who ''aye no knowledgej&f what is termed the "British Constitntioj),r this itietilo(I of dis- posing or'the signiifcance'of-what has just hap- pened in Go-many wiU seem quite in order. The fact is, however, that in this country the King has the right to dismiss his Ministers. With the growth of Parliamentary power this right of dismissal has fallen into disuse, but the process of growth was slow and the power is still held hy the King if he wishes and feels himself strong enough to use it. It is precisely this growth of the parliamentary function that is growing in Germany and only ignorance or prejudice pre- vents due recognition of the fact. The present (Continued at foot of next column).

Enginemens' Eight Hour Movement. TURNED DOWN BY EMPLOYERS AT CARDIFF. SPECIAL CONFERENCE TO BE CALLED. The application of the Colliery Enginemen and Stokers, and the S.W.M.F., for its craftsmen members, for an eight-hour day was discussed at a joint conference of owners and men held in the Engineers' Institute, Cardiff, on Monday. Mr. W. Hopkins, the general sec retary of the Enginemen and Stokers, presided over the men's representatives, and Mr. T. H. Deakin was over the owners' side. THE APPLICATION. The application was for tiie introduction of an eight-hours' day for all men in the mechani- cal departments, inclusive of meal times, which means one period in the day for a meal. which shall be for the duration of 20 minutes. The position has become acute, as the workmen threaten to strike unless the demand is con- ceded, and also because the enginemen and stokers in North Wales have in the present in- stance made common cause with the South Wales Association. They declare that the con- cession, if granted, will moan but an infinitesi- mal increase in the cost of production, and that it will place all colliery workers in the same position regarding the number of hours worked. The men's representatives further argued that it had been proved beyond doubt that the in- troduction of an eight-hour shift in the engineer- ing industry had produced the best possible re- sults that there were several collieries in South Wales where the men in the mechanical department- were already working on the eight- hours' shift system, and that the introduction of a genera l eight-hours' day would not in any degree interfere with the output, but would to some extent bring about a saving of coal. TURNED DOWN. After a lengthy discussion the workmen's re- presentatives were asked to retire, so that the owners might confer, and 041 resuming Mr. Dea- kin, on behalf of the owners, read the following decision The owners have carefully considered the application of the enginemen's representa- tives, but they cannot aMcee to the proposal, which in their opinion a mild bring about a reduction of output at a time when the coun- try requires the largest possible amount of coal. Further, the question is a national one, and is now being dealt with by the Controller of Coal Mines. The workmen's representatves subsequently met fit the Park Hotel, and it was decided to call a conference of the coalfield for Saturday, October 19th, at the same time appealing to the rank and tile to continue at work pending the conference. CONCESSIONS. I With reference to other matters brought be- fore the joint Conference it was agreed that a sub-committee, consisting of seven representa- tives from each side, should be set up in order to deal with matters affecting the substitution of enginemen, etc., by men returning from the Army; and it was also agreed that at the Ab- sentee Committees being formed at the collieries the appointment of enginemen's representatives would be considered. The Enginemen's representatives were also speaking for the Forest of Dean men who are not amalgamated into the association.

Miners' Secretaryship. I The final vote for the nomination of the South Wales Mi ners' Federation candidate for the secretaryship of the Finers' Federation of Great Britain resulted as follows :— Mr. Frank Hodges Garw Valley 31,189 Mr. Noah Ablett, Merthyr 26,176 Majority 5,013 The total votes registered in the ballot were o8,494 and spoiled votes" numbered 3,936, so that less than half the coalfield participated in the election. The first count results were:- Frank Hodges 16,185 Noah Ablett .I 14,793 George Barker 10,238 William Jones 8,263 Mardv Jones 5,033 W. L. Cook 3,982 Additional votes for the candidates still in the running in the .second vote were:— Frank Hodges 7,306 Noah Ablett 5,059 George Barker 2,294 William Jones 2,219 Mardy Jones 2,683 In the third count were registered the follow- ing additional votes:— t'!> Frank Hodges 4,785 Noah Ablett 3,996 George Barker. 2,931 The fourth vote saw the following additions:- Frank Hodges 2,913 Noah Ablett 2.328

I Dr. Addison at Merthyr. I GOVERNMENT POST-WAR RECONSTRUC- TION PROPOSALS. I HOUSING, EDUCATION, HEALTH AND INDUSTRIAL OUTLOOK. Dr. Addison, M.P., Minister of Reconstruc- tion, prefaced his speech at the Olympia Rink, Merthyr, on Monday, on post-war social prob- lems by statement on the German Peace Note to President Wilson. He said: "There is no pa- triotic person in this country who is not desirous of peace, provided it, is a secure peace, as soon as it is humanly possible to achieve it. But I notice several reservations in the Note whicli it behoves us to examine with care; because let us not forget our experiences of the last four years and let us be sure that for all our sacri- fices we do obtain a secure peace and rid the world from the horrors of war and the danger of them. I notice there is no mention of Serbia or Alsace, and no material mention of restoration, and I believe we shall not see any secure peace in the world unless we hold to our determina- tion to the end quite clearly, and that the man who committed these crimes against humanity must be punished as a criminal. The Note will be answered in reasonable and careful terms, I doubt not, in due time; but let us not be in- veigled after all our sacrifices and labours. We must be very clear that it is not a patched-up peace, but a peace that will secure progress and a real freedom for our children and our chil- dren's children." Dr. Addison, passing on to housing, health, education and industrial phases of the problem of reconstruction, stated that as 90,000 houses were erected annually in England and Wales to meet the current pre-war demand, and as build- ing, with the exception of fulfilling the require- ments of the Ministry of Munitions and other departments, had been virtually suspended since the war, the arrears which had already accumu- lated for discharge—only to maintain the stan- dard of pre-war days—were well over 300,000. The Ministry of Reconstruction did not intend that all houses should be of the same pattern for this would only lead to the creation of what he described as monuments of ugliness, but for the sake of speedy, adequate, and economic produc- tion there must be standardisation in the cer- tain minor matters ol construction. HOUSING: A NATIONAL CHARGE. I Recently he had in consultation with a num- ber of businessmen to go into the question of supplies of material as, like many other things, the ability to build the necessary houses after the war depended very largely upon shipping. However, he was glad to say, as an outcome, pretty comprehensive arrangements had been made and the whole country mapped out into regions with respect to the supply of materials, sources of production, transport and so forth. The next question was: who will build the houses? N^ inety-five out of every hundred of the dwellings built in peace-time were under- taken by private enterprises out for profit. Would these people, now that houses cost twice the pre-war prices to construct, undertake the work ? Though it might pay private enterprises in industrial districts it would certainly not in rural areas. The increase in production cost was entirely due to the war. So, as houses the people must have, the extra expense resulting from a na- tional cause, the additional cost must be a na- tional charge. Thus it was that the Government intended the burden to fall on the nation as a whole. But in being a national charge the mat- ter was not to be regarded as an encouragement to builders to dip their hands into the pockets of the taxpayers as deeply as they cared. Con- sequently an arrangement was finally arrived at whereby the State should pay 75 per cent. of the losses incurred leaving 25 per cent. as an incentive to economical construction. Merthyr's rates seemed to be in the neighbourhood of 12s. in tlit, C. He recognised the post-war housing 1 scheme was a big burden to cast upon such a district: and the position of such areas was one still receiving -further discussion. Losses on housing, if any, would depend largely upon wages but care must be exercised, especially in country districts, that a system was not devised to meet losses which would encourage the pay- ment of, low wages. Touching upon the neces- sity for rapid and fair acquisition of land for housing, he proceeded to say that a comprehen- sive scheme had been under the consideration of the Government for the provision of land for men who had fought in the war, and the whole matter was well advanced. It might be taken that land for the erection of dwellings,, land for the purposes of cultivation, and for cultivation by men who had served with the forces, must and would be made available upon simple, easy, really expeditious and fair terms.

Watts Morgan on Output. I AN APPEAL TO EMPLOYERS AND MEN. I M ajor D. Watts-Morgan, the Rhonddn leader, who has been selected to return low cate- gory miners to the mines from France, has ad- dressed an appeal to workmen and employers to strain every nerve for the purpose of increasing the coal output, in the course of which he says. It is difficult for anyone who has not spent a winter in France and on the cold, bleak plains to realise the terrible privation and misery that short-age of coal means for nights and nights on end. We are faced with the grim realities of a hard winter in the open and out here we are saving every possible pound of coal—mixing coal with clay and chalk for fuel and using substitu- tes wherever possible. We look to the employers and workmen home in Blighty to see to it that our men shall not suffer unnecessary hardships. I would pra-y to employers and workmen to close their ranks, eoneentrate,all their energies, and make a super- human effort to produce every possible ounce of coal that can be brought out of the earth during this winter."

I Wages and Unlimited Production. I BY FRANK HODCES. Having established the fact that the psychology of low production is bad in itself, and the further fact that what modern civilisa- tion requires is high production or limitless quantities of all commodities which go to mako up life, we have arrived at the last word in our generalisation. From now on we must cease to generalise. What a pity that human beings cannot exist on generalisations! It is so com- fortable for the indolent intellect to produce them. Men swallow them with the same avidity as a shark swallows a propeller blade, and with equal benefit. Happy shark! Your digestion can stand even that strain' Frail humanity suffers from mental dyspepsia aft-er much more toothsome meals. We must get to grips with hard facts. Many will be found unpalatable. Having marshalled them, we must avoid making them fit in with our preconceived notions. The real student, as distinguished from the "poseur"' is the man whuse conclusions follow upon the heels of his facts and not vice versa. In certain industries production is measured by the output per man employed. If the pro- duct can be measured by weight it will be shown in -so many hundredweights per man per day, or so many tons per year. If weight is not the correct form of measurement it will be the an- nual income from prices divided by the total number of employees in the industry. Railways,. not being directly but only incidentally produc- tive, merely ascertain whether income grows at greater or lesser ratio, then expenditure on wages in order to see whether, the unit of la- bour is more or less productive. As wages are only the price paid for labour, wages may be high or low without, in either case, indicating the degree of productivity of the individual worker. lu such an undertaking as a railway, the nearest approach to a correct measurement would be the weight of freights plus total mile- age over which freights are carried. Weight plus mileage worked out on per person employed would be a real index of the productivity per man, provided that the "ascertainment were taken at proper intervals. Whatever the method the result appears to be the same. Increased productivity is marked by the increase of per- sons entering indo^ t'nd not I>y tfee #:icre»sed exertion of the individual employed. NaftttrJtHy there is the increased production caused by the introduction of labour-saving machinery a-ad the adoption of the principle of standardisation im production. The example of the great motor works of Henry Ford is illustrative of this and many other economic truths. This Ford car, whatever other characteristic it possesses, is stamped by its universality, its cheapness and (in peace time) its amplitude of supply. It be- comes the bete noir" of the very rich, and the burning of everyone who had passed from pedestrianiism in locomotion. It is significant, too, that the workpeople in the Ford works do not suffer in wages because of the enormous volume of production. They are among the highest paid men in the engineering industry. An almost unlimited market is a potent factor in making it possible for this to continue. In point of fact, the demand is always in excess of supply, and yet it pays Henry Ford and his workpeople to decrease the price and increase output rather than keep prices high and thus diminish deniand. Incidentally I might add that I am not the Callisthenes of the Ford under- taking. But there is the fact. Even in this most modernised form of capitalist production, output is not determined by the increased effort of the individual workman but by the applica- tion 1)f a scientific method. Wrherever one looks, the facts are the same. Men are expending lesser physical energy in production as tho years roll by. Such a fact is good to behold. What is bad to behold, however, is the fact that men are gradually forming views that low production is good in itself. Such is the mental reflex of the wage system. In a world in which prices so vitally effect wages men think and men say, rJflie more I produce the more I cheapen the price of my labour, therefore I will produce less, my labour shall be dear." Yet millions of our kindred suffer because of that. Humanity is deprived of the things that would maKe it prosperous, because its producers are haunted with the nightmare of low wages. It is an appalling thought that our modern wage- system has almost slain the will to produce, and that increased production, as an end in itself, has practically disappeared out of the life of civilised man.

Mr. Clynes and Food Prices. In the course of a letter to a correspondent with respect to a local strike as a protest against food prices, Mr. J. R. Clynes says he fears that those who stop work for this reason do not know how impossible it is to reduce prices as they would desire. The price of food, especially in a country mainly dependent on imports, is determined by prices prevailing in the markets from which we are compelled to buy, and as far as is possible these prices are kept down to the cost of pro- ducing and a fair payment for distributing. As to profiteering, if any proof is g iven that this is taking place, action will be taken. Mr. Clynes defends the increase in the cost of meat and milk, and intimates that he is not without hope that prices of margarine and one or two kindred articles of food may be reduced. He adds: "But it is a pitiful mistake for men to think that this great task can be com- pleted by merely placing in an artificial way some reduced price upon food commoditie&. The Food Ministry was established to carry out a great extent the policy of Labour on footj jlfeftt- M'rs. It is doing this in the face of onorfhous difficulties, and these difficulties are only in- creased by any action which adds to our troubles by increasing labour unrest, and which fails to recognise that no one would be more planted than I would if it were possible to put Qirafe the prices to the level of the poorest pocket."

development began with the adoption by the German Reichstag of the no forcible annexation peace resolutions. It seems now to have pro- ceeded so ar as to compel the formation of a Ministry in agreement with the Reichstag. WAS IT ANTICIPATED? I Since writing the above notes concerning the Lloyd George press attitude towards the new German Chancellor and the changes in the Ger- man Ministry, Germany's offer has appeared. It is the first fruit of the substantial changes referred to in the above notes. It would there- fore appear that the Pall Mall Gazette has given the lea-d to the Lloyd George press to create prejudice against Prince Max and the new Ministry, in view of the very substantial offer that is now reported.