institutions, it is aware of its power to exert a leverage capable of
paralyzing industry for a period sufficient to destroy the chances of
victory. The probability of the occurrence of such a calamity depends
wholly on whether or not the workman can be convinced that it is his war,
for he will not exert himself to perpetuate a social order in which he
has lost faith, even though he now obtains a considerable increase in
wages. Agreements entered into with the government by union leaders will
not hold him if at any time he fails to be satisfied that the present
world conflict will not result in a greater social justice. This fact
has been demonstrated by what is known as the "shop steward" movement in
England, where the workers repudiated the leaders' agreements and
everywhere organized local strikes. And in America, the unskilled
workers are largely outside of the unions.

The workman has a natural and laudable desire to share more fully in the
good things of life. And it is coming to be recognized that material
prosperity, up to a certain point, is the foundation of mental and
spiritual welfare: clean and comfortable surroundings, beauty, rational
amusements, opportunity for a rational satisfaction of, the human.
instincts are essential to contentment and progress. The individual, of
course, must be enlightened; and local labour unions, recognizing this,
are spending considerable sums all over the country on schools to educate
their members. If a workman is a profiteer, he is more to be excused
than the business profiteer, against whom his anger is directed; if he is
a spendthrift, prodigality is a natural consequence of rapid acquisition.
We have been a nation of spendthrifts.

A failure to grasp the psychology of the worker involves disastrous
consequences. A discussion as to whether or not his attitude is
unpatriotic and selfish is futile. No more profound mistake could be