Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1920-02-25
WOODS PLATFORM
WOULD SPREAD
BURDEN OF WAR
Favors Encouraging Business to
Increase Production and Aid
ing the Farmers.
WOULD HAVE SMALL ARMY

ton of the Republican Party Tor Prcslden
of the United States. While his speecl
covered practically all the topics whicl
Americans are discussing just now, h,
placed the labor question first in his dis
cussion and dwelt upon it at greater lengtl
than on any other point.
at is no time now for rash experiment:
or untried ideas,p said General Wood
ave must hold on To the policies anc
methods of established worth. which ex
perience has shown to be sound. We
must progress but we must know where
we are going.
'We must do all we can to encourage
good business, whether it be big business
or small business If it is good business
and beneficial to the public, it is worthy
of encouragement: if IT is bad business
we must control it and regulate it. Good
business means prosperous labor, and this
means increased production and nothing
must be allowed to interfere with ample
production. 1t is the real remedy for the
high cost of living. Limitation on pro-
duction is an invitation to disaster-dis-
aster w. ich strikes first the poor but
eventually affects all.
'.We cannot consider business and
labor separately. They are interlocking
and interdepcndent.
eve must spread the war burden over
much longer period of years than at
present contemplated. The present cx-
cess income tax is paralyzing initiative.
1t is strangle hold upon the throat of
business which must he relaxed if Amerl-
can business is to have that initiative
which will be necessary to give us our
share of the worlds trade. We must do
everything we can to help on good busi-
ness, for on it depends national prosperity.
LABOR AND CAPITAL.
Labor and capital in this country must
work together In order to meet the prob
lens which are going to follow this World S
War. We do not wish an autocracy OF
either capital or labor but real democracy
in both, characterized by a spirit of CO.
operation and helpfulness. We must in
iect more of the human element into our
relations with those about us, whether
they be our associates or our subordinates
more gathering about the table and
discussing matters fully and frankly.
We must recognize that the worklngnan
is neither a machine nor commodity,
but that he is a collaborator with capital
Individual capacity and ambition must
receive encouragement and recognition
The employer must recognize the dignity
and status of the worker and give him
possible contact and the fullest under
standing should be maintained between
employer and empioye. Arrangements
for the adjustment of grievances must be
provided which Will work smoothly and
promptly.
I'VE must all do what we can to improve
the workers living conditions, to make his
surroundings decent and attractive to
himself and family. His hours of work
must be such As to give him an opportunity
for reasonable recreation with his family
during the hours of daylight. He should
receive wage that not only permits him
10 keep body and soul together, but en-
abes him to lay by something for the
future. IL these conditions arc to be OBJ
tanned and maintained labor must recOg-
nize that high wages can only be main
tanned under conditions of high produc-
tion and high efficiency. Capital must
be paid in accordance with the risk of the
enterprise. Those who direct and plan
must be paid ADEQUATELY, labor must be
adequately paid, and after this, if anything
remains, comes the question of an cquIt-
able distribution. Many of the more
progressive, intelligent and far seeing men
are already beginning to give to labor
participation In this surpius-a share
varying with its amount.
I'VE must impress upon all, both labor
and capital, the words of Abraham LIn-
coin. for they embody a sound doctrine
which must govern: Let not him who is
houseless pull down the house of his neigh
bor; but rather, LET him strive diligently
to build one for himself, thus, by example,
showing confidence that his own when
built shall stand.
General Wood told of his experiences
with labor groups in recent months and
declared he had found 95 per cent of
American labor square and straight.
''Where they have had trouble" said
he. mime times out of TENT has been due to
alien leadership of the type | have been
urging that we get rid of IL tins country"
FOR MERCHANT MARINE.
In developing our business we must
build up a merchant marine, the General
declared, adding: eve have got the ships
now through the tremendous building
activities OF the government during the
war. Let us see TO 1t that, to as large an
extent as possible, they remain In the
hands of Americans and serve as the
foundation for merchant marine which
will put our flag again on the seas. We
need such merchant marine for the de-
velopment of our commerce and the dis
tribution of our products. We have the
opportunity now; let us take advantage
of it, The government will have to sell
It's ships at considerable loss. The main
thing is to see that they are sold to Ameri-
cans and remain under the American
flag"
Conservation along reasonable lines"
WAS urged by General Wood, who re-
ferred to the need of reforesting deforested
areas, safeguarding sources of power, fer
tilizing Of soil, and protection of game,
birds and fish.
General Wood advocated "a highly
efficient. but small regular army, 200
600 or 100000 men, sufficient for the
peace needs of the nation, and first
class navy, always ready"
PREPAREDNESS AND TRAINING.
'We must have q definite and we'll
established policy of national prepared
ness, he continued. "Never again must
we permit America to be caught so utterly
unprepared and unready as we were In
the great World War. We psid for this
lack Of preparation In blood and treasure
We grant universal suffrage; we must
demand universal obligation for service
IN peace and war whenever the nation
calls. To fail TO do this is to deny the basic |
principles upon which the Republic rests, |
equality of opportunity and equality of OBJ |
legation within the limit of our powers
The Army of the Republic should be |
NA. IL