Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1916-10-17
HEAD Of ERIE ROAD
DECLARES WILSON IS
MAN TO LEAD NATION
F, D, Underwood Strongly In
dorses Presidents Policies
and Calls Opposition EnviouS
CIamor of the "0utS"
BY RALPH SMITH.


lied interview given out here today
f. D. Underwood, president of the Erie
railroad, declared unequivocally in favor
OF the reelection Of President Wilson.
Mr.. Underwood said he fully Endorsed
the recent approval of the presidents
policies by Judge Samuel Lovett, chair
man of the board of the Union Pacific
railroad.
Il agree with all Judge Lovett stat
ed, and possibly the interview can end
with that" said Mr.. Underwood, who is
one OF the country's big railroad chiefs.
Acceding to a request to go on Mr..
Underwood calculates his reasons for
thinking that the administration of
President Wilson has on the whole been
successful and worthy of future
trial.
For many years. he said, the Dem
ocratic party was one of opposition, de-
voted to destructive attack and barren
of constructive suggestion. Hungry for
office, impatient of authority, II con-
stituted a force that seemed certain to
go TO pieces whenever ii tried to go
forward.
With it's accession 10 power some Of
US expected four years of futility. In
place of which it's accomplishments and
actions have surprised its adversaries.
The president has achieved the seem
ingly impossible.
PLAYED NO POLITICS.
"As to the statement that President
Wilson played politics in the railroad
negotiations for an eight-hour day by
the brotherhoods in Washington, once
stated, and now reaffirm. that my opin-
ion is he used his best judgment in
doing as he did. No one could fairly
accuse him Of playing politics, and while
my views did not correspond with his,
concede that his motives were hon
est He did not carry the burden of
the railroads or the claims of the
brotherhoods as his load. He carried
that of the people of the United States.
The misrepresentation OF the brother
hoods, which he mistook for truth, NOV
ed him to action. His eminent fairness
is shown in the personnel of the COM
mission that is to study the working of
the experiment, and his appointment of
the committee on national defense, which.
with but one exception, could not be
improved on.''
When asked his opinion Of the eight
hour law, Mr.. Underwood said: f"What
matters how / or any one else feels?
The eight-hour law is past discussion.
The Republican party, as well as the
Democratic party, advocates it. Whether
we like it or not, it's here to be lived
up to so long as it is the law of the
land"
How about Wilson and business?" ne
was asked. as it true that you. in
common with other men in control OF
large interests in the United States,
feel that those interests shave been OPP
pressed by the present administration.
and that its defeat and the success of
, the Republican party is the one chance
for prosperity to get solidly on its
feetg'
To the first question he answered:
''No"-to the second: 81 am not car
ried away by the statements and prom
ises that any political party in the
outs may make. Let us remember
the story ST Little Red Riding Hood,
and the Aesop fable about the dog
that dropped a piece of meat to jump
into the water after it's shadow"
PROSPERITY is HERE.
1T doesn't matter so much about
causes" he continued. prosperity is
here 1t must depend for its continu-
ance largely on our courage, initiative
and enterprise, and not on politicians
or political parties.
'"rhere can be no honest denial of
the fact that many Of the so-called
Wilson laws have stabilized business.
The federal reserve act is one. The
rural credits act is another. The pas
sage of the child's labor act was hui
name, intelligent tHing 1t waited many
wears and it was a Democratic admin
istration that put it into effect"
How shout the tariff commission
"A common sense Ihuch-needed ac-
Icomplishment. Its formation was in the
football field of politics for several
years II remained for the president
I to put IT on firm ground. With the
/ right sort Of men for commissioners
the tariff complications that have in
the past unsettled things will reach an
Intelligent settlement"
The talk turned to preparedness. and
/ Mr. Underwood expressed his views: "A
professional pacifist is just about as
dangerous as a professional lingo. We
lshould stand for peace, and work for
peace. In the near future we must be-
come prepared fully or take the conse-
quences. Possibly the consequences may
not be so far remote as some OF our
Dacifst friends seem to think. Adequate
preparedness for national defense is the
commonest kind of common sense.
think the president found the safe mid
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