New-York tribune., 1919-12-18
Lyman Abbott, 81, Refuses
10 Take Extra Hour Off
Editor Retains Faith in Success of League, Sees No
Menace to u. S. in Bolshcvism and Believes In.
dustrial Democracy Will Be Accepted Soon

ever, will observe his eighty. .fourtb
birthday to-day by performing all of
his editorial and literary duties. lust
as ne has been performing them for
more than half a century.
AS editor in chief of "The Outlook"
he will read his newspapers. consult
with his assistants and attack the cur
rent problems that have been his chief
interest since the days he was close
associate Of Henry Ward Beecher.
The author-edtor-p preacher NAV re-
ce've few more callers than usual and
examine greater bulk of mail than is
ms custom But otherwise he does not
expect to take an hour away from the
outics he hopes to continue as lone
as he is capable Of welding a pen.
When DR.. Abbott was questioned
about his birthday plans yesterday he
refused to commit himself to any fixed
program since he has refused to be
crawn INTO the ruts of other young old
men. lie reserves the right to take
such time away from his work as may
be necessary for his amusement and
|
ne has laid down no schedule for him.
self
Plans for Work Laid Out
Just at present his plan is to 90 20
the offices of The Outlook" where he
vas associated with Colonel Roosevelt
Tor more than five years three or four
times week. At other times he goes
to his club, where he does much of
the writing that appears in his publ
cation.
The editorial head of "The Outlook"
showed his intimate knowledge of world
affairs yesterday as he discussed poll
tics, industrial conditions and the ma
tons problems generally. The league
OF nations, he believes, will become a
TACT, Bolshevism can gain no perma-
neHt foothold in the United States, and
democracy in industries will be re-
allied, according to the optimistic
views he expressed
"The fact that eighty Senators have
voted for the league covenant in ono
form or another and only seventeen
have voted against it indicates to me
that we will get some league of ma
what kind we don't know" he said
Personally ! have been an advocate
of league Of nations for many years.
You remember such plan first was
offered fifteen or twenty years ago at
the first big arbitration conference.
81 believe that with the sentiment
in favor Of league that resulted from
discussion Of this subject early in the
war revision of the Hague Court
rules might have been satisfactory to
the Senate and would have proved a
firm foundation for a league of ma
tons. That, of course, is just my idea,
| however. | am in favor Of the league
plan now offered with reservations
such as may be necessary to clear up
ambiguous or doubtful points and to
obtain the support of sufficient num-
Der of members of the Senate My
position is similar in this respect to
that OF former President Taft, Elihu
Root and others who have studied the
problem closely"
Iii discussing the problem of dealing
with radicals here DR.. Abbott showed
that he had studied the situation at
/ close range and had decided ideas of
his own on the subject.
This nation is politically demo-
cratic and it is educati onally demo-
cratic" he said "Rut indusIriallv it is
peace here until we have learned how
to carry on our business along demo
cratic lncs. That is TO say, we must
have our business so conducted that
the products of labor Will be more
equally divided and that the men who,
by industry of hand or brain. are
/ carrying it on, shall have some part in
the admins tration OF industrial at
fairs.
! but the American people never will,
in my judgment, submit to the Boil
shevist doctrines as announced by Le-
nine in his official definition OF princi~
pies in an address to his followers in
1918. The fundamental principles as
Leninc described them are:
THAT only hanl workers shall
vote
THAT all industries shall be carried
on by the government.
That all industry shall be undcr
one absolute Dictator
Nothing was said concerning the
means of selecting this dictator. Per
haps that never was decided. At any
rate it does not interest us particular
ly since | feel sure that the American
people never will adoot such theories.
"The only danger Of Bolshevism
here is that Of local disturbances,
dynamiting, assassinations and such
outbreaks of radicals. Nobody knows
how widespread such outbreaks may be
or how serious their results. Mach
will depend upon the wisdom and
No Ideas On 1920 Race
II have no idea who the candidates
for President will be in the coming
campaign. think the time is a little
too far off for that. do think that
the issue will be more that of prin-
ciples than men. | think that the
spirit in which our domestic problems
are to be met will he the great issue
in this campaign. The treaty, | think
will take no importan, place as an
issue
THE general industrial situation is