The Benson signal., 1919-05-31
PRESIDENT SENDS
SHORT MESSAGE
FROM EUROPE
Address to Congress Is Read by
Regular Reading Clerk.
EXPLAINS HIS STAY ABROAD
imperative Duty Makes Absence of
Chief Executive Necessary-Sub-
lect of Labor Unrest Dealt
With acknowledgements
tions for Domestic
+ Legislation.

Washington, May 2O.-For the first
time In history message from the
president of the United States, cabled
from Europe, was read to the congress
today. 1t was as follows:
"Gentlemen of the Congress: i
deeply regret my inability to be pres
emit at the opening Of the extraordi-
nary session of the congress. 1t still
seems to be my duty to take part in
the counsel of the peace conference
and contribute what can to the solu-
ton of the innumerable questions to
whose settlement it has had to ad-
dress itself; for they are questions
which affect the peace of the whole
world and from them, therefore, the
United States cannot stand apart. /
deemed it my duty to call the con-
gress together at this time because it
was not wise to postpone longer the
provisions which must be made for
the support of the government. Many
of the appropriations which are abso-
Iutely necessary for the maintenance
Of the government and the fulf1llment
of its varied obligations for the fiscal
year 1919-1920 have not yet been
made: the end of the present fiscal
year is at hand; and action upon these
appropriations can no longer be pru
IDENTIFY delayed. 1t is necessary, there
fore. that I should Immediately call
your attention to this critical need.
It Is hardly necessary for me to urge
that it may receive your prompt at
tention.
"T shall take the liberty of address
ing you on my return on the subjects
which have most engrossed our at
tention and the attention of the world
during those anxious months, since
the armistice of last November was
signed, the international settlements
which must form the subject matter
of the present treaties of peace and
OF our national action in the immedi-
ate future 1t would be premature to
discuss them or to express a 5udg-
ment about them before they are
brought to their complete formulation
by the agreements which are now be-
ing sought at the table Of the confer
ence. shall hope to lay them before
you In their many aspects so soon as
arrangements have been reached.
Rights of the Worker.
"The question which stands at the
front of all others in every country
amidst the present great awakening is
the question Of labor; and perhaps
can speak Of it with as great advan-
tage while engrOssed in the considera-
tion of interests which affect all cOun-
tries alike as could at home and
amidst the interests which naturally
most affect my thought, because they
are the interests Of our own people.
"By the question Of labor I do not
mean the question of efficient indus
trial production, the question Of how
labor is to be obtained and made ef-
fective In the great process of sustain
ing populations and winning success
amidst commercial and industrial
rivalries. I mean that much greater
and more vital question, how are the
Dor Of the world to obtain progressive
Improvement in the conditions Of their
labor, to be made happier, and to be
served better by the communities and
the industries which their labor sus-
tains and advances? How are they to
be given their right advantage as citi-
gems and human beings?
1--WE cannot go any further in our
present direction. We have already
gone too far We cannot live our right
life as q nation or achieve our proper
success as an industrial community If
capital and labor are to continue to
be antagonistic instead of being part
ners. If they are to continue to dis
trust one another and contrive how
they can get the better Of one another,
or what perhaps amounts to the same
thing, calculate by what form and de-
gree Of coercion they can manage to
extort on the one hand work enough
to make enterprise profitable, on the
other Justice and fair treatment enough
to make life tolerable. That bad road
has turned out blind alley. 1t is no
thoroughfare to real prosperity. We
must find another leading in another
direction and to a very different desti-
nation. It must lead not merely to ac-
commodation, but also to a genuine
cooperation and partnership based
upon a real community of interest and
participation in control.
There is now in fact a real COM
munity Of interest between capital and
labor, but it has never been made evil
dent In action. 1t can be made oper-
ative and manifest only on a new or
ganization of industry. The genius of
our business men and the sound, prac-
teal sense Of our workers can certainly
work such partnership out when once
they realize exactly what it is that
they seek, and sincerely adopt COM
mon purpose with regard to it.
Labor legislation lies, Of course,