The Washington times., 1919-12-02

retard his own health and well-being.
and the right to provide for his chill
dren's wants in the matter of health
and education. In other words, 1t is
his desire to make the conditions of
his life and the lives of those dear
to him tolerable and easy to bear.
League Principles vital.
The establishment of the principles
regarding labor laid down in the COW
enant of the League of Nations offers
US the way-to Industrial peace and con-
ciliation. No other road lies open to
us. Not to pursue this one is longer
to invite enmities bitterness, and an
tagonisms which in the end only lead
to Industrial and social disaster. IN
unwilling workman is not a profitable
servant. An employe whose industrial
life is hedged about by hard and un-
just conditions which he did not Gre
ate and over which he has no control,
lacks that fine spirit of enthusiasm
and volunteer effort which are the
necessary ingredients of a great pro-
ducing entity. Let Us be frank about
this solemn matter. The evidences Of
worldwide unrest which manifest
themselves in violence throughout the
world bid us pause and consider the
means to be found to stop the spread
of this contagious thing before it saps
the very vitality of the nation itself.
Do we gain strength by withstanding
the remedy? Or Is it not the business
of statesmen to treat these manifesta-
tions of unrest which meet us on
every hand as evidences of an eco
nomic disorder and to apply construc-
tive remedies wherever necessary
being sure that in the application Of
the remedy we touch not the vital
tissues of our industrial and economic
life? There can be no recession of the
tide of unrest. until constructive in
strumentalities are set up to stem
that tide.
Governments must recognize the
right of men collectively to bargain
for humane objects that have at their
base the mutual protection and vel
fare Of those engaged in all indus
tries. Labor must not be longer
treated as commodity. 1t must be
regarded as the activity of human
beings, possessed of deep yearnings
and desires. The business man gives
his best thought to the repair and re-
plenishment of his machinery, so that
its usefulness will not be impaired
and its power to produce may always
be at it's height and kept in full vigor
and motion. No less regard ought to
be paid to the human machine, which
world and is the great dynamic force
that lies back of all industry and
progress. Return to the old stand
ards Of wage and industry in en-
ployment are unthinkable. The terri
BILE tragedy of war which has just
ended and which has brought the
world to the verge of chaos and dis
aster would be in vain IL there should
ensue a return to the conditions Of
l,as
come the unrest which now holds the
world at bay, is an example of stand
patism in these vital human matters
which America might well accept as
an example, not to be followed but
studiously to be avoided. Europe
made labor the differential, and the
price OF it all is enmity and antagon-
ism and prostrated industry. The
right of labor to live in peace and
comfort must be recognized by Gov
ernments, and America should be the
first to lay the foundation stones upon
which industrial peace shall be built.
Labor is not only entitled to an ad-
eQuate wage. but capital should re-
ceive a reasonable return upon it's in
vestment and is entitled to protection
at the hands of the government in
every emergency. No government
worthy of the name can play" these
elements against each other, for. there
is a mutuality of interest between
them which seek TO express and TO
safeguard at all cost. 'a-'
The right of individuals to strike
is inviolate and ought not to be in
terfered with by any process of gov
ernment,, but there is a predominant
right and that is the right of the
government to protect all of it's peo-
pie and to assert it's power and
majesty against the challenge of anv
class. The government, when IL as
serts that right, seeks not to antag-
onize a class but simply to defend the
right of the whole people as against
the irreparable harm and injury that
might be done by the attempt by any
class to usurp a power that only gov
ernment itself has right to exer-
else as protection to all.
In the matter of international dia
putes which have led to war, state
men have sought TO set up as a rem
edy arbitration for war. Does this
not point the way for the settlement
of industrial disputes which in the
past have led to war and disaster?|
America, witnessing the evil conse-
quences which have followed out of
such disputes between these contend
ing forces, must not admit itself i'm
potent to deal with these matters by
means of peaceful processes. Surely,
there must be some method of bring
ing together in a council of peace and
amity these two great interests, out
OF which will come a happier day of
peace and cooperation, a day that will
make men more hopeful ana en-
thusiastic in their various tasks, that
Will make for more comfort and hap
piness in living and a more tolerablc
condition among all classes of men.
Certainly human intelligence can de-
wise some acceptable tribunal for ad-
justing the differences between cap
ital and labor.
This is the hour OF test and trial
for America. By her prowess and
strength, and the indomitable courage
OF her soldiers. she demonstrated her
power to vindicate on foreign battle
fields her conceptions OF liberty and
Justice. Let not her influence as a
mediator between capital and labor
be weakened and her own failure to
settle matters OF purely domestic
concern be proclaimed to the world