Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1918-11-12
SOUTH PARIS NAME TUESDAY, NOVEMBER H. 1918.
President schurman Says Prepare.

President Schurman Says Prepare
eias
> WE HAVE WAITED TOO LONG BEFORE
L BEGINNING LEGISLATION LOOKING
TOWARD ,REooNsTBUcTroH.
Z The New York Times says: DR.. Jacot
. Gould Schurman, President of Cornel
3 University, who has recently returned
from Europe where he visited 'thl
, French, American and British fronts hai
! authorized the following interview, In.
] spired by his extended opportunity ia
, observe domestic conditions In England
and France: s ern1
"In England I found that q Ministry
, of Reconstruction has been working for
more than two years. It has Q great
, many sub-com mittees, and through the
work of the members Of these Commit.
tees, legislation has already been enact
ed. In England there has been an ef-
fort to prepare herself for the after-war
adjustment. have been told that Ger
many is much further along even than
England In this respect, while France
has been making the effort for . long
time to open the era of peace with q
fair amount of preparation.
Therefore, was very much concern
ed In returning to America to discover
that we have yet done practically moth
ing towards solving the problems OF Re-
construction. do not think that too
great emphasis can be placed upon the
necessity that confronts this nation to
begin at once ssane preparation for
peace. While It may be that peace is
yet some distance of, still I feel that we
have already lost too much time.
"The country ia now in a state of
more or less artificial activity, caused by
the war, which is likely to be extremely
deceptive. A large part of our populs-
tion, perhaps the larger part, is enjoy
ing unsual wages and income. OF course
many, especially the professional men
and women, as we'll as small trades
people, have felt the pinch of war but in
the main wages have increased and in.
comes have gone up. Needless to say,
this condition cannot always exist. In
fact the coming Of peace is more than
likely to result in considerable shock.
The readjustment that will be necessary
may be violent unless an adequate pro-
vision is made Immediately to prevent
this. 1t is not impossible that extensive
commercial depressions and consequent
unemployment might occur, especially IL
one considers that war orders and the
making of munitions may instantly
cease, and that the change of the In.
dustries now engaged In these manufac.
turers from war to peace basis may
mean temporary dislocation of in
dustry.
"The nations of Europe have long con-
sidered officially these grave posi- blities,
and we are more than foolish If we long
or ignore them. The mere fact of the
return to civil life of the four or FIVE
million soldiers and sailors now under |
the colors, will be enough seriously to
disturb all economic conditions unless
careful preparation is made for transi- |
ton. Then there Is even larger army
than this OF civil war workers, whose re- |
adjustment to peace basis must be |
provided for. Aside from the personnel !
involved in this problem, there is the |
materiel. What is to happen to ell the |
shipysrds We have 80 hastily built under
the stress of war? What is to happen to
the vast store of supplies we have piled |
up in France and EnglandP In sense
these mag be secondary problems, but !
II We postpone their solution until they |
are full upon rs We can never hope to
gain the full advantage whichis rightly
ours In the situation that will exist i'm
medistely after the war.
"Soon after returned, was told that |
two bills had been introduced In our
Congress, aiming to cover this problem |
of Reconstruction. At first sight 1t |
seemed that therefore the matter might |
be amply attended to-. However, II
found on examination that one of these |
bills nullifled the other In effect, and |
that ct the present time both were being |
held up because each involved q ques-
tion which must be settled before Con-
gress could get at that of Reconstruction |
itself.> 1t appears that the Republicans,
through Senator Weeks, have introduc- |
ed s'joint resolution calling for an ap-
pointment of Committee on Recon.
struotion, while few days later the
Democrats, through Senator Overman,
intro Iuoed measure calling for the ap-
pointment by the President OF q Com.
mission on Reconstruction. Both bills !
covered very much the same ground
otherwise, embracing the problems that
would confront labor, the farmer and
capital.
1T strikes me as l study these two
bills together with the whole Recon-
struction problem, that time is the es-
sential element to be considered. We
have already lost many months. Every
nation in Europe is far ahead of rs In |
finding out what It can do, what It |
wishes to do and what 1t must do i'm.
mediately after declaration of peace In
regard to every economic and industrial
problem confronting It. 1t Is dilatory In
the extreme for the United States to
longer delay, and 1t is doubly dilatory to
hang up the question of Reconstruction
while Congress debates the problem of |
whether or not the extra constitutional
powers granted the President in time OF
war, shall be extended and perhaps in
tensified In the postwar period.
"on this question OF Capitalization Of
all authority, and especially that of In
Guiding legislative action In the person |
of the Chief Executive indefinitely, II
think there will eventually be only one
opinion. Never before In our history
has 30 much power been centered in the
President as exists today. Both the Re.
publican and Democratic parties have
agreed that this was the necessary thing |
to do in time OF war. But certain
lY the Republicans will not consent, and |
itis doubtful II the majority of the Dem.
oorats will consent to an indefinite con-
tinuation Of this centralized authority. |
Certainly the nation will not consent to /
take lite legislative functions from the |
hands Of Congress and place them in the
hands Of the President. If the Over.
man Bill giving the President power to
appoint Commission on Reconstruction |
we're passed, the sole function of such .
commission would be to Investigate the |
subject and then recommend to the
President legislation which he In turn
might recommend to Congress. It'll
would then be necessary for Congress to
make it's own independent investigation
and decide for itself whether or not 1t |
desired to accept the recomme mendations
of the President. A''', M Il
"Therein lies the opportunity for pro-
crastination which the Ovsrmsn Bill, II
passed would almost Inevitably bring |
about, no matter whom the President ap. |
pointed on bis commission. There 10 al. |
80 deeper danger In this bill. Not
only would It permit q generalization |
and in fact almost com mel II. but alaO it