The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1920-01-21
ny HARRY II. HUNT

NEW YORK. Jan. 81. 49, what
would l do II ] were PRESIDENT"
William q. McAdoo. sitting az his
desk In tho Equitable building.
looked out over Trinity church to
tho flat Jersey coastlino beyond.
And ho said
II think there arr things much
nearer and moro important 10 the
public welfare today than that qucH.
ton. What VIZ want 10 consider now
ia the question OF getting peace In
tho world For. until We ratify the
treaty and establish tho basis OF
peace. wo cnn have no world order.
and hence no national order no
world prosperity and hence no real
national proaperity-fo long
Under existing conditions. no
American business man can deal I'm
import or export trade while the
bases OF peace are stin undetermined
and tho International credit situation
remains In It's present chaos. and
tho economic situation In kept In "A
state OF uncertainty. An export trade
declines. 30 does national prosperity
decline The people must be made
acquainted with this fact 30 that
they viii insist that tho obstructive
tactics now employed In Washington
by the republican senators shall
cease. and world order be quickly re
stored.
our foreign trade f.. Of course.
linked up With our railroad system
and our merchant marine system. 10
that this problem Of getting peace
quickly ~ intimately connected with
tho matter OF Immediately onergiElng
our transportation systems.
Il came 60 know enough about the
railroads 81 our country while I had
tho job OF running them on "a war.
time haals-while We wcro railroad.
ing tho kaiser 60 defcat-to know
that upon their proper functionlng
depends the welfare of our people.
we have got 20 realize that every
phase OF our life. social and eco
nomlc. depends upon our transportA.
tiop system We have got 10 meet
tho question honestly as 20 whether
our railroads are now to be unified
or broken up again. and We have got
W kAAaN AAAAA 'HNN NfTN ANt1 IT,
turned 20 private control today and
operated on tho most efficient basis
possible. they would fail far short Of
meeting the necessary demands OF
this great nation.
II IL plain to those who studied
az clos, hand the problem during the
wnr. that We have got 20 provide
funds for n great program OF national
railroad Improvement. We must pro
vide sufficient freight and passenger
facilities ana enlarge our rolling
stock and motive power and. more
than all else. We mus, turn our at.
teution 60 the providing OF adequate
and efficient terminals In our great
cities. A. there are constructed and
operated today. they arc d"adcninE
constructions on tho artcriai system
% our body economic. and our trans
porution system IL our circulating
system
so far. all tho proposals for solv.
ms our railroad problem arc unHound
and unsatisfactory and Will not meet
our difficuitiea
Il asn convinced that we can ar.
rive at tho proper permanent soiu.
ton only by extending federal con.
troll for five years over tho railroads
and merchant mariue--the Internal
and external transportation systems
Of tho country In this way only.
b. providing swift. adequate ana
lhirh rvarrd domestic and outside
transportation facilities. can we meet
tho world competition for trade that
viii enure as peace comes a"
|, McAdon turned 10 tho subject OF
Industrial unrest
Much OF this. think" he said.
Is tho result Of tho unsettled state
OF the country. due TO the postpone.
neut Of peace. But I do think that
tho problem of labor and capital lH
ono OF the major problems before
America today. and that II must BE-
dealt with. and soon. and IN "a spirit
Of fine tolerance. not intolerance ON
, tho part OF any one.
Labor feels and feels ingcaEinE-
, ". tho need for larger voice IN
: framing the conditions under which
IL Il 10 work, ~ we'll aa the need for
a fairsr participation In the fruits OF
Industry. In other words. We are
face to face, IA n nation. with the
necessity Of solving tho problem OF
real Industrial democracy.
IT IL not easy. bat IL can be done
The genius OF America developed un.
der democratic institutions and dem.
ocrntc ideals IL capable 81 bringing
about eventually this great adjust
mcnt between capital and labor
which modern NE makes absolutely
Indispensable to human welfare.
And while am saying this
wish also to say that the protection
and development OF business in this