The Lake County times. [volume] (Hammond, Ind.) 1906-1933, 1919-04-22

10 the ones VINO responded 10 It's ar ~
ed defense. He favors the plan cham
pioned by the American Legion which
provides for per diem for the period
Of enlistment and payable over a
period OF ten years In purcha-rg
farm. a home. vocational education for
anyone, or in a lump sum in case the
applicant can show urgent need.
Regarding the national defense he
said: We ought 10 have il under
stood from this time on. this IS no
more collection OF peoples calling them
selves Americans. but one people. with
one spirit. one soul one allegiance, and
one rag. We might well pledge our
selves never again to be unmindful
Of our national defense. We ought to
have an ample navy, as our first line
national defense. We ought to more
than keep apace-we ought 10 s-ad
the world in development of aviation.
and be stronger in the air than We are
on the sea. We ought to have ample
army, and we ought to have all the
young manhood OF the republic know
the dement's OF discipline and physical
betterment that come OF military train
ing, but II ought to be VOLUNTARY, /
not compulsory: supported by the gov
eminent in camp. in the national
guard. in schools and colleges. It
ought to be made popular and 50
helpful that young America would
seek II as a privilege rather than ae-
cept il duty or compulsory re- I
quirement
There must be a halt in the present \
upward tendency of prices" he said. /
and he then described the cycle Of
higher wages and higher costs which 7
is back of it all Dwelling upon this .
subject at length. ne said:
One must be impressed with the
glowing Importance Of sane thinking
frank utterance and courageous CON
sideration OF a problem bigger than
International warfare. The world is
in state Of unrest. All humanity is
in a greater or less degree OF rebel
lion against things which are. and
curious to try new and unknown
social and economic order
Every experience following all the
great wars ever recorded proves there
Is just one way to recover from its
wastes and altering burdens Nothing
has ever availed save work and trade.
q ttended by thrift and persistence
High wages come war inheri-
lance They VIII abide ] think they
ought TO abide But high wages are
Of no avail IL living cost grows high
er. Money has lost its standard Of
value. We can't restore it until We
recover our polse and get 10 think
ing and acting soberly again. We
must strive, all together, for approxi-
mate normality. For higher wages
must come higher efficiency Cheaper
ed prices and increased cost OF pro-
duction constitute an economic fraud |
With increased efficiency the high wa
ges Will abide and cheapened cost will
attend. Workmen are more interest,"
ed than anybody else. because they
the great consuming mass
which is called upon TO pay.
The Russian ruble was once worth
our American half-dollar. Measured
BY that standard Russian bread to-
lay Is 1925 per loaf. butter is 1880
> pound. pork is $3.50 a pound. and
cigarettes are 50 each. These are
the money values Of wreck and ruin.
America must think straight and
act straight. and resolve to preserve
our inheritance and determine TO main
tain just relationship. Thgre are
certain fundamentals which are ever
asting. We may submerge them in
,haos to the appointment and dis
-ress of the present generation, If we
run into folly but sanity must as
lert itself ultimately. What I want
more than all else is the understand
ng which viii save our own gener-
ltion.
The ambitions of the working
world can't be suppressed. nor sub {:
iued by the mailed fist. Ours is a
government Of reason, by law. We
must frankly face the problem. The
government must help. 1t must strike
It the crime Of profiteering on the
2ne hand, and bring to responsibility rs
he crime of underproduction on TIM &
other. 4
For the American wage-earner the
problem is more pressing, because {
here is the attempted development Of ,
,lass consciousness, which is always I
l peril to popular government We \
ought to have no class antagonism in I
his republic because the fundamental 5
aw contemplates every man precisely 7
alike and grants equal rights to all. j
Special privilege belongs to no man, 7
10 body of men, whether their might S
5 wealth or knowledge or in weight i
# numbers. And influence isn't gov c