Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1919-05-20

NNH . tHNo9e6N W NVukANcc AVtAVNos
Gentlemen of the Congress:-I deeply
regret my inability to be present at he
opening Of the extraordinary session of
congress. 1t still seems to be my duty
20 take part in the eounsels Of the peace
; ,,SQferenee and contribute what l can to
- solution of the innumersble cues.
sof whose settlement it has had to
= 2 itself; for they are questions
Effect the peace of the whole
wcs and from them, there,urv, Ine
United States cannot stand apart. 1
deemed it my duty to call congress to-
gether at this time because it was not
wise to postpone longer the provisions
which must be made for the support of
the government. Many OF the appro.
priations which are absolutely necessary
for the maintenance, of the government
aud the fulfillment of its various obi.
cations for the fiscal year 19l9-l920
have not yet been made; the end Of the
present fiscal year is at hand, and &C.
toin upon these appropriations can no
longer be prudently delayed. 1t is NEE
essary, therefore, that 1 should imme-
diately call your attention to this crit.
cal need. 1t is hardly necessary for me
to urge that il may receive your prompt
attention.
To Make Personal Address.
| shall take the liberty of addressing
YOU on my return on the subjects waich
have most engrossed our attention and
the attention Of the world during these
last anxious months, since the armistice
of last November was signed, the inter.
national settlements which must form
the subject matter Of the present trea-
ties Of peace and of our national action
in the immediate future. II would be
premature to discuss them or to express
judgment about them before they are
brought to their complete formulation
by the agreements which are now being
songht at the table Of the conference
| shall hope TO lay them before you in
their many aspects so soon as arrange
ments have been reached.
| hesitate to venture any opinion or
press any recommendation with regard
to domestic legislation while absent
from the United States and out of daily
touch with intimate sources Of informa-
tion and counsel. | am conscious that
I need after so long an absence from
Washington, to seek the advice Of those
who have remained in constant touch
with domestic problems and who have
known them close at hand from day to
day; and l trust that it will very soon
be possible for me to do so. But there
are several questions pressing for con.
sideration to which / feel that l may,
and, indeed, must even now direct at
tention, if only in general terms. In
speaking of them / shall, l dare say,
be doing little more than speak your
own thoughts. hope that l shall speak
your own Judgment also.
Labor First Problem.
The question which stands at the
front of all others in every country
amidst the present great awakening is
the question of labor; and perhaps 1 can
speak Of it with as great advantage
while engrossed in the conaaeranon OF
interests which affect all countries alike
as 1 could at home and amidst the in.
terests which naturally most affect my
thought because they are the interests
of our own people.
BY the question Of labor, | do not
mean the question Of efficient indus
trial production, the question of how la
Dor is to be obtained and made effective
in the great process of sustaining popu-
latisns and winning success amidst conf
mercial and industrial rivalries. | mean
that much greater and more vital ques
tion, how are the men and women who
do the daily labor Of the world to OBJ
tain progressive improvement in the
conditions Of their labor, to be made
happier and 10 be served better by the
communities and the industries which
their labor sustsins and advances. How
are they to be given their right advan-
tape as citizens and human beingsl
Calls for Halt.
We cannot 60 any further in our pres
ent direction. We have already gone
too far. We cannot live our right life
as g nation or achieve our proper sue.
cess as an industrial community If capt
tai and labor are to continue 10 be an
tagonistie instead Of being partners; II
they arc to continue to distrust orc an
other and contrive how they can get the
better Of one another.
Or. what perhaps amounts to the same
thing. calculate by what form and de-
gree of coercion they can manage TO ex-
tort. on the one hand, work enough 20
make enterprise profitable on the other
Justice and fair treatment enough TO
make life tolcrable. That bad read has
turned out a blind alley. II is no thor
ougbfare to real prosperity. We must
find another leading in another direc-
tion and to a very different destina-
tion. It must lead not merely 10 aeeo-
dation but also to g genuine oo-opera-
tion and partnership based upon a real
community Of interest and participation
in control.
Cooperation Only Hope.
There Is now. in fact. a real com