Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-11-13
THE BIG QUESTION AND THE
BIG ANSWER

THE President has struck straight from
the shoulder. The most mpassioned
speech of his life brought the thousands
Of labor delegates to their feet in an
outburst of enthusiasm such as the Com.
mander-n-Chief had not evoked since our
entry into the war. The scene in the
Buffalo convention has given the nation
renewed confidence that organized labor
Is heart and soul for cooperation with
the War Administration and that the
War Administration is heart and soul
for cooperation with our Allies for war
to a finish.
II IL not often that the President has
time for public speaking now. His new
Importance in international councils is
such as to justify a certain dignified
aloofness. Only a very urgent need Of
his saying something that had to be said
could have taken him so far from the
capital. 1t was something which he sal
nad Deen gathering IN ms nina lof lne
last few months" In many different
forms one big question has been gather.
ing in the minds OF all men with a strong
sense of responsibility. What is at the
bottom Of the agitation that takes now
the name of Lit Toilette, now that of
Hillquit. now that OF the Farmers Non.
partisan League--a desire for a quick
peace or n desire for higher wages? To
this big question the President gives the
big answer. We are committed to re-
lentless war to the limit of our resources.
The outspoken pacifists can be easily
handled because they are very little
minority. But il is necessary to draw
the line sharply between pacifsts and
workers with a grievance. For the paci.
hsts have hailed every strike as
strike for peace and with every subtle
uply their thin ranks by claiming labor
as their ally. The Presidents journey
to Buffalo was a blow at the root of the
problem. He put it straight up to tn.
leaders Of labor that "in a moment more
critical, perhaps. than the history of the
world has ever yet known" there must
be a rational compromise of disputes
with no poison Of pactism clouding the
issue and undermining the virility and
honesty Of American workmen. or the
pacifists he said:
II want peace. but I know how to get
Il and they don't"
And II Is certain that in the great
cheer which greeted those words the real
voice Of America was heard
1t is not simply for the immediate fu-
ture that this intimate understanding be.
tween the Government and labor is desir
able. We must look forward to years of
international strife and internal readjust.
ment. There is no question now about
whether It is to be Il 'ong or short war.
1t is to be long war. Capital and labor
may have had some excuse for prolonged
disputes when everybody believed the
war would end in a few months. Now
there is no shadow OF excuse The trench
lines do not mark the cleavage between
the opponents in the world strife. Each
nation is in sense at war with itself.
finding its soul. Democracy will not be
attained merely by beating Germany
But that group of nations in which the
greatest degree OF unity and democracy
Is attained during the conflict will be
victorious.
German arms can be conquered They
have been beaten time and again when
the opposing forces were evenly matched
But 1t Is the German industrial system.
- the President intimates. that is our
real foe. 1t is German organization.
uuder a paternalistic Government. that
has kept the enemy armed and fed. The
strife is settling down to a long compe.
tition between our free workers and Ger
mAny's deluded. haifensiaved but en.
eientiy cared for industrials. 1t Ia bv
winning in this struggle that free labor
viii establish itself permanently in this
eountry and everywhere.
,'s't -.