The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1906-01-26
HAVE PLAN TO
BOOST AMERICA
Representa- tives of Western CONNER
oial Organizations Submit
Their Views.
WILL BE DISCUSSED TODAY
COMPREHENSIVE PLAN OF or
GANtzATiON AND PUBLICITY.

Appended is the preamble and plan
Of organization for the See America
First movement prepared by the rep
resentatives of various western com
merciaI organizations and submitted TO
the general conference yesterday. 1t
was referred to a committee, which
viii report it back this morning with a
favorable recommendation. The DIS
eussien of it will consume most of the
day.
Preamble.
"see Europe if you will, but see
America first"
Terse in form of expression, broad
as the breadth of a continent IN mean
ing, eloquent of the desire of a pro-
gressiVe people-this expression is the
best possible epitOme Of what is now
known 10 the continent as the "See
America First" movement
1t has been we'll said that this move
ment was born of patriotism" but
IN truth it goes further and means
more than this most noble of all sentl-
ments-it reaches to the very heart and
center of the Industrial and
social life of a great continent.
Even more, it comprehends the
influencing power of forces that
will make for the future greatness
q
truest ties of kinship and geographical
proximity The United States, Canada
and Mexico are one for veal or woe.
In the greater consideration of CONT
mental concern International boundary
lines must be and should be forgotten
The trainers of this statement which
is OF immediate and most vital interest
to the gentlemen who compose this
conference, assume that those here
present are familiar with the underly-
ing causes of this movement and the
circumstances leading up to its incep-
ton 1t will be permissible, however
TO review briefly these matters:
In the month of September, 1905, the
attention of the Board of Governors Of
the Commercial club Of Salt Lake City
was called to a statement made
editorially by a prominent east
ern financial publication that
American sightseers spent annu-
ally in foreign lands the great sum of
$4,000, 600. The significance Of this
constant and permanent diversion Of
home money into foreign channels,
with reference to its effect ON national
finances generally and its possibilities
with regard to western development
was quickly appreciated. A careful and
thorough investigation of the correct
ness of the statement referred to was
Immediately instituted, with the result
that the sum named was demonstrated
to be ultra conservative. It was found
that approximately $500, O0e 600 had been
spent by our citizens while abroad in
1904, but as something like 5000, 900, 900
of this had been expended in the pur-
chase Of works of art il was deter
mined, i'm order to be on the safe side,
10 take S190.0000G0 as the sum actually
diverted.
All that has so far been accomplished
has been done inside of three months.
In prospect it appeared an Hereulean
task. In retrospect it seems like a fit
full dream. But the awakening today
is made real and optimistic by the
presence here of one OF the most rep
resentative bodies of Western men
ever gathered for a genuinely public
purpose backed by an endorsement of
the newspaper and magazine press I'M
paralleled in the history of the new
world
Essentials Are Stated.
We would suggest to this conference
that there are certain essentials that
must be recognized and considered.
Briefly stated they are as follows:
FirSt-ThiS continent is annually
drained of an immense sum of money
spent in foreign travel.
Second-That it would mean much to
Jne OnlLed states, Mexico and canada,
If even a portion Of this money could
be diverted into home channels of cir
CUiatiOn
Third-That we possess scenic at
fractions surprising those of any other
portion of the world, and that scenery
and climate are assets capable of con-
version into dollars and cents.
FouTth-That the failure of Ameri-
cans TO appreciate home scenery and
climate is due largely though not en-
tirely, to a lack of knowledge of these
things.
Fifth-That it is possible, by concert
ed action of some part to correct this
condition and to accomplish thereby a
vast amount of good for the entire con-
tinent of North America.
Accepting these nremiSeS as true and