The sun., 1916-01-21
PREPAREDNESS IN BOTH BUSINESS AND WAR,
UNDER FEDERAL CONTROL, URGED BY ROOSEVELT

ONDEH III
single power. and that power the ma
tional Government. One sovereignty
must control
Efficiency cannot be attained under
forty-eight conflicting sovereignties. The
will OF the nation can be carried TO ef-
fective results only by giving the ma
tion all the power needed to do II. q
power that will override any adverse
power that would impede the purpose
or conflict with the aims of the nation.
AS regards military efficiency there
Is at present nothing In this country to
which to poin, No an example. and even
In our history we have only achieved
It. as regards the army. relatively to
the rest OF the world. at the close OF
the civil war. AZ regards the navy. we
were in good shape seven years ago:
but since then Germany. England and
Japan have gone ahead very fast. while
We at first stopped going ahead and
for the last three years have gone back
ward
"As regards social and Industrial eff-
cheney. however. there are examples that
can be chosen from our own history.
Just at this moment we can appeal to
the contemporary history OF the state
OF California under Gov. Hiram John
con.
''Caiifornia's experience has shown
that It II impossible permanently to Sc
cure good results In dealing with the in
strumentalities OF Interstate commerce.
the railroads. doing an interstate busi-
ness. through the commissions Of forty
eight different States, and that the only
way IL to have the whole business Of
Interstate commerce and everything per-
tanning TO II. and therefore the whole
business of and pertaining to the rail-
roads engaged In Interstate commerce.
handled by the administrative officers
At Washington.
Look 20 the E0turc.
"if in trying to carry out our economic
policy we make II our prime ain, to
avengc wrongs done in the past instead
OF trying TO prevent the repetition Of
these wrongs In the future We will surely
fail.
There has been much agitation on
This subject for fifteen years: and one
of the greatest difficulties encountered
BY us who have fought for a proper
system OF national control OF the great
corporations, for national supervision
over their stock issues and all their
other activities. has come from the fact
that many Of the professional antitrust
claiming against past abuses. They have
merely tried to devise legislation to pun
ish these past abuses and have stood as
obstacles In the way Of procuring tegis-
lation which would prevent their repeti-
tion. For instance. they have made their
main effort In railroad legislation to
punish the railroads that in the past have
been overcapitalized.
"As a matter Of fact the men respon-
Ast.l 90. .,,ts lNs. t. he
past--and much OF 1t has been very
wicked Observation-Disclosures now
be reached save To very limited extent
BY legislation. and the legislation pro-
posed would bear most heavily on In
nocent people. Yet many Of the pro-
fessionAl antitrust men have confined
their energies to this barren field OF re-
venge They are themselves largely re-
sponsible for the fact that just ut this
moment the national Government can
not prevent any such wrongs In the
future.
Moreover. many OF these professional
antitrust men ignore the sufficiently OBJ
vious fact that unless business investors
are protected there will be no business
and that therefore we should do our bes,
to secure business prosperity not merely
ss "A matter OF Justice to some but a. a
matter OF interest for all OF US. We
70 have that prosperity passed around
but 1t cannot be passed around to any
one II 1t is not there to pass around.
Laws to BeneAt All.
"There should be laws in the interest
Of American workingmen. American
farmers and American shippers. There
should be laws. and efficient laws, q
benefit them all but II these laws make
Il impossible for the shipping interests
for the railroads or for any OF the Grea
business interests concerned to do bust
ness at reasonable profit they create
q situation far more intolerable thar
that which they endeavor TO remedy.
THE men on the commission deallnj
with these railroads. public utilities ant
business generally must recognize thi
fact and must act upon H. or they vii
DO irreparable harm to the whole move
ment for regulating industry in the In
terest OF the people as whole. Tn
regulation must be in the interest o: tn
industry. and must recognize the right
OF business as well as It's duties, unde
penalty OF dismal failure. 1t Is only III
prosperous business which can do Justic
both TO its employees and to its Gus
toners.
mo Commerce Commission or Railwa,
Commission or Public Utilities Commis
sion is worth It's salt unless It will stan
uniinchingly against any popu'n@ ciam'
which prevents the corporation fror
getting ample profits, exactly az 1t stand
against the corporation which. having Sc
cured ample profits. fails to rende
proper service TO the public to do 5ustic
TO its employees and to act honestly 10
ward all men.
For the last eighteen months l hav
borne testimony with all my strengt
against Germany because OF Its cynics
disregard OF the obligations OF inteI
national humanity. alike In its dealing
with Belgium. In the outrages commute
on non -combatants OF other nationaiitie
and in its assaults upon our own peopl
"It has been to our deep discredit q
a nation that We have not actively an
effectively intertered, against the Gallon
brutality. But exactly as ! hold II
abhorrent thing to show timidity {
weakness In dealing with Germany wheI
Germany is wrong-where she wrong
either ourselves or others--so ! hold
an unspeakably foolish thing to refui
TO pay heed to the German examp
where this example should be followe
BY other nations.
Germany an Example.
Germany offers a striking exampl
OF national efficiency on giganti
scale. Let us learn from every natio
that has anything to teach us. adaptin
the lessons we learn to our own peculis
needs and uses. Germany has bee
far in advance OF us In securing II
dustrial assurance. old age pensions an
homes, a reasonably fair division {
profits between employer and employe'