Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1919-09-09
WAR WASTE
MAINFACTOR
SITUATION
AS a Politician President
Would Welcome the
League as an Issue.

st. Paul. Mimi, Sept. 9.-The
cost of living, President Wilson told
the Minnesota legislature today is
largely due to "a world situation
growing out of the sacrifices and
waste of the war.
Back of that, added the president,
I. lay the fact that the world had not
Pat learned what the peace status
would be.
"The world is not going to set
tie down." said he, until it learns
what part the United States is to
play in the peace"
Look to American Capital.
He continued that this was the
only nation which would have
enough capital in the near future
to rehabilitate the world economic
ally.
The legislature, which began yes
terday an extraordinary session to
consider the high cost OF living
and other subjects, received the
president with cheers. He was in
troduced by Governor J. A. A Burn
ouist, who said Minnesota hoped
there would be some arrangement
to prevent future wars.
First of all, Mr.. Wilson said, 1t
was the nations duty to set the
commerce of the world going by
the establishment of peace. After
that he continued, there were
domestic adjustments that must be
made. mentioning among other
things that railway facilities in TINS
country were not equal to the de-
mand.
No Monkeying With Processes.
Having established a world set
tlement economically, Mr.. Wilson
declared. it was imperative that
there be an arrangement to insure
that nobody monkey with the pro-
cess" set up.
turning to the relations OF labor
&nd capital, the president said tnaC
Iaboring men everywhere were as
satisfied with their relation to thelr
EMPLOYERS. That was true abroad
he added, in larger measure than
in the United States.
Referring to the treaty provision
for an international labor organl-
zation. Mr.. Wilson said here was a
Tav to bring a definite solution TO
the nrOblems. He asserted that IN
This solution. the United States was
expected by the world to set the
standards and lay down the prln-
ciples.
Interests Identical.
As a basis for the solution, the
president suggested that the inter-
ests of labor and capital must be
recognized as identical and the
two ought to be reasonable enough
to get together. When it was real
lied that labor was not commod-
ity and a real cooperation had
been established. production would
increase by leaps and bounds" and
that would be one element in re-
ducing the cost Of living.
The United States, the president
said, had been provincial in past
&ears in it's economic relations to
the world There must be a
change. he argued. II the United
States were to rehabilitate the
world. And it was necessary to
accomplish that rehabilitation, he
added, ''if you are going to carry
your trade to the ends Of the
world"
Minnesota Senators O. K.
That was why, he continued, the
cost of living was a world problem
and was wrapped up IN the peace
treaty. 1t was "just downright ig
norance" of world affairs, he de-
clared, that prevented some men
from seeing that point. There was
applause when he remarked that
he did not think either of the sena-
tors from Minnesota was afflicted
with that state Of mind.
ANY man with open eyes" could
see the inevitable role the United
States must play in world affairs,
said the president, and must real
ize that it was a case of either
welcoming or surrendering' to
the facts.
Not Afraid of Issue.
Mr.. Wilson said he had seen con-
ditions on the other side of the
confidence the world reposed in
America. He said he had been
glad that the problem was a world
one and not one of domestic poll
tics because he would be
ashamed" of himself If he made
such a subject a partisan one. He
added. however, that if he were "a
scheming politician" and anyone
wanted to present him with this
issue as a platform, he would be
glad to accept II.
The president concluded his ad-
dress at 10:47 a. m.
Depends on Supply aad Demand.
The president said:
Until the industrial world is put
on its feet you can not finally
handle the question of the cost of