Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1919-09-07
Albuquerque Morning Journal Sunday, September 4 1919


long as, the world IS kept waiting for
the answer to the question of the kind
of peace we are going to have and
what kind of guarantees. are there to
be behind that peace, that poison will
steadily spread more and more rapid
ly, spread until it may be that even
this beloved land of ours will be dis
tracted and distorted by t..
That is what ) concerning ME,
my fellow countr.men. | know the
splendid stead!noss of the American
people, but fc'lov citizens. the
whole world needs that steadiness,
and the American people are the
makeweight IN the fortunes Of man
kind. How long are we going to de-
bate into which scale we will throw
that magnificent equipoise that be-
longs to- us? How long shall We be
kept waiting for the answer whether
the world may trust us or despise us?
They have looked to us for leader
ship.
They have looked to us for ex-
ample. They have built their peace
upon the basis Of our suggestions
The great volume that contains the
treaty of peace is drawn along the
specifications laid down by the Amer
lean government, and now the world
stands at amaze because an authority
in America hesitates whether it will
endorse an American document OF
not.
Iiberty With Peace.
"You know what the necessity of
peace is. Why my fellow country
rnIftipa1 nytet Only
when there is peace. Social reform
can take place only when there Is
peace The settlement of every ques-
ton that concerns our daily life waits
for peace / have been receiving del
egations in Washington of men en-
gagged in the service of the govern
ment temporarily in the admihistra-
ton of the railways and have had to
say to them, My friends. I cannot tell
what the railways can earn until COM
merce is restored to its normal
courses. Until / can tell what the
railroads can earn. / cannot tel
what the wages that the railroads
can pay will be. | cannot suggest what
the increase of freight and passenger
rates will be TO meet these increases
in wages, If the rates must be in
creased I cannot tell yet whether
it will be necessary to increase the
rates or not, and must ask you to
walt
"But they are not the only people
that have come to see me. There are
all sorts of adjustments necessary In
this country. / have asked represen-
tatives of capital and labor to come
to Washington next month and con-
fer, confer about the fundamental
thing of our life at present, that is to
say, the conditions of labor,
Great Cause OF Unrest
do you read so, my fellow citi-
zens, that all through the world the
one central question of civilization
ms what shall be the conditions Of
labor? The profoundest unrest in
Europe is due to the doubt what shall
be the conditions of labor. and | need
not tell you that that unrest Is spread
ing to America, ana IN the midst Of
the treaty of peace is a Magma Charta,
a great guarantee for labor. That
Labor shall have the counsels of the
world devoted to the discussion of its
conditions and Of rs betterment; and
labor all over the world is waiting to
Know whether America is going to
take part in these conferences or not,
The confidence of the men VIII /,
sat at Paris was such that they put
il in the document that the first mcot-
ing of the labor conference under th3t
part of the treaty should take place
in Washington upon the invitation Of
the president of the United States. !
am going to issue that invitation
whether we can attend the conference
or not,
'But think of the modification.
Think of standing by in Washington
itself and seeing the world take coun-
sci upon the fundamental matter OF
civilization without us. The thing
is uncomfortable but it is true. the
world is waiting, waiting to see, mol
whether we will take part, but wheth-
er we will serve and lead, for 1t has
expected us to Leaf.
ain Paris, delegations from all over
the world came to me 70 solicit the
friendship of America, Tney franklN
told us that they were not sure oil
anybody else that they could trus''
but that they did absolutely trust us
to do them Justice and to see tha'
Justice was done them.
"That is the attitude of the world
and reflect upon the reaction, the
reaction of despair, that would comt
If America said, We do not want te
lead you You must do without oui
advice You must shift without US,
GLOW are we going to bring abonl
peace for which everything waits
| have been very much amazed, ahu
very much amused, If ] could DC
amused in such critical circumstances
to see that the staesmanship of some
gentlemen consists in the very inter
esting proposition that we do moth
mo al all. | had heard of standing
nat before, but | never before hat
heard of standpatism going to the