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
made than to attribute to any element of the population motives wholly
base. Human nature is neither all black nor all white, yet is capable
of supreme sacrifices when adequately appealed to. What we must get into
our minds is the fact that a social order that insured a large measure
of democracy in the early days of the Republic is inadequate to meet
modern industrial conditions. Higher wages, material prosperity alone
will not suffice to satisfy aspirations for a fuller self-realization,
once the method by which these aspirations can be gained is glimpsed.
For it cannot be too often repeated that the unquenchable conflicts are
those waged for ideas and not dollars. These are tinged with religious
emotion.

IV.

Mr. Wilson's messages to the American people and to the world have
proclaimed a new international order, a League