Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1919-05-25
Great Inventors First Public Statement Since War Service Closed
His Lips-Brotherhood of Man Advanced-The Value
of Golden Rule.

other laws. Congress passes laws
which sometimes. as in the case of
radical change in tariff. the moment
they are passed throw into confusion
the whole business of the United
States. The highly involved. inter-
locked system then must spend some
time in adapting Itself to the change.
Large masses move slowly. Why.
time in adapting itself to the change.
spread over periods. say of three to
five years. so that people may know
what to expect and adapt themselves
easily to the changed conditions
without much loss or confusion?'
I asked Mr. Edison to express him
self in regard to the suggestion gen.
orally current that working ar
rangement in international affairs be-
tween England and America would be
a useful thing.
II don't think we need formal I'M
Outstanding between England and
America" he answered. although
don't see that any harm could come
from one. Both England and America
keep their word. A formal treaty
would weaken their relationships.
Pierpont Morgan's word was always
better than his bond. as the wording
of the latter might be questioned by
lawyers.
England need not worry about what
America would do in some future con-
tingency. If we went across the sea
to fight for humanity without possi-
bility of gain once. then, under like
conditions. we would do the same
again without treaties or any league
Of nations. There Is no doubt about
this because moral principles control
mems actions more and more as the
world grows older"
! asked Mr.. Edison to say some
thing about the general relationship
between capital and labor.
'The thought that there is really
the slightest justification for antago-
nism between capital and labor is the
foolish reason at the bottom of all
troubles" he replied. LAS a matter of
fact, the interests of capital and labor
more generally, is being acknowl-
edged Mean men sometimes control
capital and they get their names into
the papers and their methods into the
minds of workingmen in general But
they are no more representative of
American employers than the l. w. w.
is representative of American work.
ers. Often they have brought about
justifiable antagonism on the part of
workingmen.
X X
But on the other hand laboring
men are not invariably angels. Often
they are foolish and sometimes they
are worse. They have been prone to
use club as argument when reason
would have been much more effective.
Some unions would have won far
more If they had chosen men of even
temper instead of roughnecks as their
representatives. just as some employ
ers' organizations would have accom-
plished more II they had picked out
men Of justice and of vision as their
spokesman and their program makers
instead OIL SHOTl -SlSnteu anu lli-ln-
formed men whom they have chosen.
Both sides are likely to forget that
more flies can be caught with strip
than with vinegar.
Labor sometimes puzzles me. 1t
demanded the eight-hour day in many
factories in this vicinity. including my
own. 1t was given eight hours, with
time and a half for over time. The re-
suit was that all worked ten hours to
get the overtime. Now, on account of
slack work in some of these factories
all are working eight hours and many
are complaining because they can't
work ten hours. I shall ask Uncle
Samuel Gompers, when he gets we'll,
to figure this out for me-"
l asked Mr.. Edison If he approved
the international labor program as
outlined by Mr. Gompers for submits
sion to the peace conference. and he
said he did. at the same time express
ing high regard for the great Ameri-
can labor leader and deep regret be-
cause of his serious accident.
He spoke optimistically of the eff
feet of service in the war upon the
American workers psychology. Many
men went to the front from the Ed-
son industries and every one who has
been able to return and wished to has