The Benson signal., 1919-05-31


will gladly and unhesitatingly join in
the progress Of international disarma-
ment, 1t will, nevertheless, be a policy
of obvious prudence to make certain
OF the successful maintenance Of many
strong and well-equipped chemical
plants. The German chemical indus
try, with which we will be brought
into competition, was and may we'll be
again, a thoroughly knit monopoly
capable Of exercising competition of a
peculiarly insidious and dangerous
kind.
The United States should, more
over, have the means of properly pro-
tecting itself whenever our trade is
dlscr1minated against by foreign ma
tions, in order that we may be assured
OF that equality of treatment which
we hope to accord and to promote the
world over. Our tariff laws as they
now stand provide no weapon of re-
tal1atfon in case other governments
should enact legislation unequal in it's
bearing on our products as compared
with the products of other countries.
Though we are as far as possible from
desiring to enter upon any course of
retaliation, we must frankly face the
fact that hostile legislation by other
nations is not beyond the range of
possibility, and that it may have to be
met by counter-legislation. This SUBJ
1ect has, fortunately, been exhaustive
ly investigated by the United States
tarlH commission. A recent report of
that commission makes very clear that
we lack and that we ought to have the
instruments necessary for the assur-
ance of equal and equitable treatment.
The attention Of the congress has been
called to this matter on past occasions,
and the past measures which are now
recommended by the tariff commission
are substantially the same that have
been suggested by previous admins
tratlons. L recommend that his phase
of the tariff question receive the early
attention of the congress.
"Will you not permit me, turning
from these matters, to speak once
more, and very earnestly, of the pro-
posed amendment to the constitution
which would extend the suffrage to
women and which passed the house of
representatives at the last session of
congress? 1t seems to me that every
consideration of justice and of public
advantage calls for the immediate
adoption of that amendment and it's
submission forthwith to the legisla-
lures of the several states. Through
out all the world this long delayed ex.
tension Of the suffrage is looked for;
in the United States longer, 1 believe
than anywhere else, the necessity for
it, and the immense advantage Of it to
the national life, has been urged and
debated, by women and men who saw
the need for it and urged the policy of
it when it required steadfast courage
to be so much beforehand with the
common conviction; and /, for one,
covet for our country the distinction
of being among the first to act in a
great reform.
Telegraph and Telephone.
"The telegraph and telephone lines
will Of course be returned to their
owners so soon as the retransfer can
be effected without administrative
confusion, so soon that Is, as the
change can be made with least possi-
BILE inconvenience to the public and to
the owners themselves. The railroads
will be handed over to their owners at
the end of.the calendar year if were
in immediate contact with the admins
trative questions which must govern
the retransfer of the telegraph and
telephone lines. / could name the ex-
act date for their return also. Until
am in direct contact with the practi-
cal questions involved I can only sug-
gest in the case of the telegraphs and
telephones, as in the case Of the rail-
ways, it is clearly desirable in the pub
lie interest that some legislation
should be considered which may tend
mentalities Of our modern life q uni
form. and co-ordinated system which
will afford those who use them as COM
plete and certain means Of communi-
cation with all parts of the country as
has so long been afforded by the postal
system Of the government, and at
rates as uniform and intelligible. Ex-
pert advice is, of course, available in
this very practical matter, and the
public interest is manifest. Neither
the telegraph nor the telephone serv-
ice Of the country can be said to be in
any sense a national system. There
are many confusions and inconsistent
cies of rates. The scientific means by
which communication by such instru-
mentalities could be rendered more
thorough and satisfactory has not been
made full use Of.
"The demobilization Of the military
forces of the country has progressed
to such point that it seems to me en-
tirely safe now to remove the ban up
on the manufacture and sale of wine
and beers, but I am advised that with