The Washington herald., 1919-05-21
WILSON WILL RESTORE
RAILROADS AND WIRES:
FAVORS Wine AND BEER
Text of Message
Cabled by Wilson
To Extra Session

entlemen of the Congress: 1
L deeply regret my inability to be
present at the opening of the
extraordinary session of the Congress-
1t still seems to be my duty to take
part In the counsels of the Peace Con-
ference and contribute what 1 can
to the solution of the innumerable
questions to whose settlement it has
had to address itself: for they are
questions which affect the peace of
the whole world and from them, there
fore, the United States cannot stand
apart 1 deemed il my duty to call
the Congress together at this time
because it was not wise to postpone
longer the provisions which must be
made for the support OF the Govern
ment. Many Of the appropriations
which are absolutely necessary for the
maintenance of the Government and
the fulhllment of its varied obliga-
tions for the fiscal year 191s-IsaO have
not yet been made; the end of the
present fiscal year is at hand; and
action upon these appropriations can
no longer be prudently delayed. 1t is
necessary, therefore. that 1 should i'm
mediately call your attention to this
critical need. 1t is hardly necessary
for me to urge that it may receive
your prompt attention.
Peace Message Later.
shall take the liberty of ad-
dressing you on my return on the
subjects which have most engross-
ed our attention and the attention
of the world during these last anx-
ious months. since the armistice OF
last November was signed. the in
ternational settlements which must
form the subject matter of the
present treaties of peace and of our
national action in the immediate
future. 1t would be premature to
discuss them or to express a judg-
ment about them before they are
brought to their complete formula
tion by the agreements which are
now being sought at the table Of
the conference I shall hope to lay
them before you in their many
aspects SO soon as arrangements
have been reached.
l 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 information
and counsel. l am conscious that
l need. after so long an absence
from Washington. to seek the ad-
vice of those who have remained
in constant contact with domestic
problems and who have known them
close at hand from day to day: and
/ trust that it will very soon be
possible for me to do so. But there
are several questions pressing for
consideration to which feel that I
may. and indeed must, even now
dlrect your attention. if only in gen.
eral terms. In speaking of them
l snail. lsdare say. be doing little
more than speak your own thoughts.
1 hope that 1 shall speak your own
Judgment also.
Pertaining to Labor.
The question which stands at the
front of all others in every country
amidst the present great awakening
Is the question of labor; and perhans
l can speak of it with as great adj
vantage while engrossed in tf- con-
sideration of interests which affect
all countries alike as could at home
and amidst the interests which natu-
rally most affect my thought, be-
cause they are the interests of our
own people.
By the question of labor 1 do not
mean the question OF efficient indus
trial production. the question of how
labor is to be obtained and made
effective in the great process Of sus-
tanning populations and winning sue
cess amidst commercial and Industrial
rivalries. I mean that much greater
and more vital question. How are
the men and women who do the
daily labor of the world to obtain
progressive improvement in the con-
ditions OF their labor, to be made
happier. and to be served better nv
the communities and the industries
which their labor sustains and ad-
vances? How are they to be given
their right advantage as citizens and
human beings?
we cannot 80 any further in our
present direction. We have already
gone too far. We cannot live our
right life as a nation or achieve our
proper success as an Industrial COM
munity IL capital and labor are To
continue 10 be antagonistic instead of
peing partners. If they are to continue
10 dlstrust one another and contriye
now they can get the better of one
announcer Or. what perhaps amounts
TO the same thing. calculate nv
what form and degree of coercion
they can manage to extort on tbe
one. hand work enough to make enter
prise profitable, on the other Justice
and fa1r treatment enough to maka
life tolerable. That bad road b,s
turned out blind alley. II is No
thoroughfare to real prosperity we
must find another, leading In anotber
direction and to a very different des.
tination. 1t must lead not merely 70
accommodation, but also to a penu;ne
cooperation and partnership hasad
upon a real community of interas,
and participation In control.
There is now in fact n real oo,,
munity OF interest between canitaI
and labor, but ii has never been rnada
evident in action. II can be made