Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1915-12-07

and calling themselves Americans.
have so forgotten themselves and
their honor as citizens as to put their
passionate sympathy with one or the
other side in the great European con-
fiict above their regard for the peace
and dignity Of the United States. They
also preach and practice disloyalty.
No laws. / suppose, can reach cor
ruptions of the mind and heart; but
should not speak Of others without
also speaking Of these and expressing
the even deeper humiliation and scorn
which every self-possessed and
thoughtfully patriotic American must
feel when he thinks of them and OF
the discredit they are daily bringing
upon us.
While we speak of the preparation
of the nation to make sure of her
security and her effective power we
must not fall into the patent error OF
supposing that her real strength
comes from armamelts and mere safe
guards of written law.
What is more important is, that the
industries and resources of the coun-
try should be available and ready for
mobilization.
The transportation problem is an
exceedingly serious and pressing one
in this country. There has from
time to time of late been reason
to fear that our railroads would
not much longer be able to cope with
1t successfully, as at present equipped
and co-ordained. I suggest that It
would be wise to provide for Q COM
mission of inquiry to ascertain by q
thorough canvass of the whole ques-
tion whether our laws as at present
framed and administered are as serv-
iceable as they might be in the solu-
tion Of the problem. It is obviously q
problem that lies at the very founda-
tion of our efficiency as a people. Such
an inquiry ought to draw out every
circumstance and opinion worth con-
sidering and we need to know all sides
Of the matter If we mean to do any
thing in the field of federal legislation.
Regulation Of Railroads.
No one, I am sure, would wish TO
take any backward step. The regula-
tion OF the railways of the country by
federal commission has had admirable
results and has fully justified the
hopes and expectations of those by
whom the policy Of regulation was
originally proposed. The question is
not what should we undo? It is,
whether there is anything else we can
do that would supply us with effective
means, in the very process of regula-
tion, for bettering the conditions un-
der which the railroads are operated
and for making them more useful serv-
ants of the country as a whole. It
seems to me that 1t might be the part
of wisdom, therefore, before further
legislation in this field is attempted, to
look at the whole problem of co-ordina-
tion and efficiency in the full light of q
fresh assessment of circumstance and
opinion, as a guide to dealing with the
several parts of it.
For what we are seeking now, what
in my mind is the single thought of
this message, is national efficiency and
security. We serve q great nation.
We should serve it in the spirit Of its
peculiar genius. 1t is the genius of
common men for self-government, in
dustry, justice, liberty and peace. We
should see to it that it lacks no instru-
ment, no facility or vigor of law, to
make it sufficient to play its part with
energy, safety and assured suscess. In
this we are no partisans but heralds
and prophets of q new age.