The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1916-02-25
PREPARE LABOR FOR
DEFENCE, I. R URGES
Adyocatps National Industrial
Commission as Aid to
Preparedness.
..>OI DEAL" FOR ALL


y, an article on Preparedness and
tho SQUARE Deal in the March Metro
NATHAN col. Roosevelt discusses the in
dus,rial side Of the question Of adequate
defence. He asserts Tat military pre-.
,,rsdness to be completely effective
NUS, be founded upon preparedness Of
labor. preparedness Of management,
financial preparedness-all eliminating
IN manhood preparedness" To this end
10 advocates a national Industrial com-
mission for assembling the facts Affect
ing the relations @: capital and labor.
Tn. salient points in the Colonel's ar.
Vcle are these:
In rate legislation. for instance. we
should copy the example Of France.
which when II regulates and controls
railway and demands Of II certain
,,pas Of public service and certain types
~ action toward it's employees also
guarantees a. a first charge a certain
minimum profit to the investors.
40 commerce commission or railway
commission or public utilities commits
son is worth its salt unless 1t will stand
~Lnfinchingly against any popular ciamor
which prevents the corporation from
getting ample profits. exactly as It
lands against the corporation which.
having secured ample profits. fails to
render proper service to the public. TO do
jusric. to it's employees and to act hon
ehtlv toward all men.
government Cooperation.
There is much that labor can get
only by the cooperation OF many DIFF
feren' influences and factors--schools'
doctors. hospitals. experts Of all kinds :
=, Is only through the Government that
such cooperation can he organised.
such cooperation should he given by the
Government acting for the people ~ u
whole, and in return the fullest per-
formance Of duty and loyalty should be
required.
We cannot have industrial Justice so
long a. we have forty-eight different
codes Of laws governing accidents In
factories. sanitary conditions In FAC
tories. old age pensions n the like.
Neither can we have prime efficiency In
our International trading SO long as our
Industrial companies operate with
Licenses from any one Of the forty-eisht
states"
The Colonel urges ~frankness with our
selves. maintaining that " IL no true
American who refuses to see America
shortcomings. Taking his text from the
example Of England's labor difficulties
early in the war. Col. Roosevelt argues
iha, IL is now clear that the most de
,isive failures in E~ngland's conduct 'ol
the war have been essentially industrial
failures. including especially failure II
H.. necessary adjustments with LABOR
Tho rooperation Of labor. he says, was
essential to the successful prosecutor
Of the war in thousands of ways ana
WIS needed 10 secure the tire" essentials
Of war-men. munitions and money.
t'or Q Federal ConimissiOn.
The reason for E.nsland's difficulties
MIR. Roosevelt contends, was That y
times Of peace there was CONSTRUCTED M
machinery by which industry could %
mobiIized. the good will Of labor mob4l
.z.d and the III will OF the refractor,
among laborin- len and among a!
ether classes repressed. Let the United
states remember, he urges. that IL IT
culpably deficient along these very lines
As We have an Interstate Coinmerc'
commission to deal with transportation
Federal Trade Commission to dea
With and industry, so We ree'
a Federal Industrial Commission TO dea
with labor and cement. the COLO
n.l continues. 1T will not do to wal
Until strikes are upon us. The trelueii
orurrence Of strikes Throughout I'M
country * one cI the ErdNesN sISiT ~ "a
Preparedness. and even grarer are IN
evidences OF unrest throughout the couh
uy which do not eliminate In strikes.
"To remedy this situation not ny mer
palliatiyes but b. genuinely effective az
to- We must have Il permanent boo
Insisting o; men Of f~arsighted eNperl
.n,t in craftsmanship. of real inde pend
,ua, and OF broad ~symiathies whlch ar
10 far removed from silly ~sentinieitalit
= from hard arrogance and lack Of con
sleri'ion for Others. such a body mus
present the Ave interests That are CIV
t"ied IN every business. TO wiz; Il
nWuership of capital. 60 the manage
non, II the industrial processes. I"
l.bor. 90 the relations of industry I
~. Individual States, 60 the relation ,
Industry to the national Government
'Ws last two including the relations Of In
'Is'ry to the general public
Munttion Plants.
Oh. Roosevelt asserts that 1t Il an III
Isp.rsable pre- eIuisits 10 national pre-
20 r.lness In lie fullest and truest sens
nat sucn a body compose the respectlN
-hts and duties OF these five INTEREST,"
Only IN this way. ne says. 'can We bull
he structure of military preparedness
TO- upon the quicksand Of labor ins'
curi,v but upon the solid foundation of
eal'hy and reciprocally sacrificing an
.e''procally serving citizenship
The Colonel deprecates the fact tha
the aim has been 10 avenge wrongs dor
n the past instead of trying to pre>er
tnelr repetition. For instance, in raj
road ,eg station he points out that man
professional antitrust men have COT
hn"d their energies to this barren ne
of revenge"
These men. Col. Roosevelt says. are NJ
ny responsible for the Government
PRESENT inability to prevent such wrong
t"' they ignore the sufficiently obviol
't"i that unless business investors al
protected there will be no business, al
'Hft therefore We should do our best
secure business prosperity not mere'
n = matter OF Justice to some hut as
matter NJ interest to all" The pro
3"r'y, he SAYS, must be passed aroun
t' il cannot be If there is none to pa
around
Finally the Colonel advocates hmm
date Government encouragement an
control Of munition plants. To NAL
var on them he brands as making WI
on the United states. He suggests ar
rgss the establishment Of munitic
plants further inland and points OF
'ha' Germany should be this nation
model In the whole matter Of providir
ana regulating the output Of munitions.
N0pMVY UyCY DE pENEEYT