The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-10-04
Says We Arc Furnishing Com.
mercial Enemies Ammunition.
DEFENDS THE PACKERS
Believes Them All Honest, Sound
Business Men.
Tells Why He DOdges subposnaa
Of the Court.

Cleveland, O.. Oct 4.-The P1aindealer
today prints an interview with John D.
Rockefeller in which the latter com
ments on the demand for government
regulation OF so callad private indus
tries and makes a strong plea for ma
tional development
Mr.. Rockefeller is quoted in part as
follows:
If we limit opportunity we win have
put the brakes on Dur national develop
ment. VIII the individual strive for
success If he knows the hard won prize
IS to be Enatched from his fingers at the
last by his government? We are etiH
too young a nation to begin tearing
down.
I'VE must build up for years to come.
The very children IN the schools should
be taught the need OF our development
Speaking Of his recent visit to France,
Mr.. Rockefeller said
The French people hate US. arsi they
viii crush US If they can. They want
our money. They want the patronage
of our tourists. But they hate Us
They never let slip an opportunity to
take quick advantage of cur mistakes
This is a. struggle for supremacy. We
must win, they WILL and there viii
be no quarter for us If they win. And
now there is Japan, rising in the east
to a power we can not estimate. We
can not foreteu what her competition
will be, we don't know the resources OF
the new territory which she controls,
we can not guess the commercial and
industrial possibilities Of the Japanese.
AT this critical stage we are giving
the enemy ammunition TO fire at Us.
He is quick to seize this advantage.
Take the attack we made upon our
packing business for instance. 1 know
none of the men in the beef trade. ]
never dealt with them, nor was I ever
associated even indirectly with their
business for themselves. But it Is safe
to assume from the proportions OF their
industry that they are sound business
men. And 1t is safe to assume too that
no business could have built to such
proportions on such false principles or
by such unsound methods as they were
charged with.
Il was in Europe when the attack
was made at home upon these men and
their industry and could watch the
effect Of It. there at close range. Those
fellows abroad snatched at our own
charges against our own business with
the greatest glee. They used them
prominently as ammunition with which
to attack America and everything
American, especially American manu-
factured products and trade. / do not
believe there was q line OF American
goods sold abroad that was not injured
or an American agent doing business
abroad whose work was not hampered
by this.
I'VE are too young a nation for this
means secure. 1t is like repeating A.
B. c, to say that we can not consume
our total production. We must sell
abroad or do less business Reducing
the volume of our production means
less work, less wages, less business
transacted. at the very least. 1t is
checking our development instead of
1urthering it. Is 1t cOmmonsense then,
to handicap our export trade at home
to attack the good name Of our busi-
ness for the benefit of our foreign rtv-
als2
rs it common sense to tell our
young men on whom the future must
depend that they can hope for no
other reward for carrying our COM
rnerciaI flag forward, than frenzied at
their own government can pile upon
their business to satisfy the violent
prejudice enacted into law against
them 2"
Referring to a subpoena recently is
sued requiring him to appear in court
in an action against the Standard Oil
company, Mr. Rockefeller said:
while I was in active business
used to always respond. But now am
not in a position to give these tnQutr-
In gpeople the information they want.
They know that as we'll as I do. II
other men they would summon, the
men who have the information they
want. They know that also. ET1
reluctantly compelled to conclude that
It is notoriety they want rather than
information. I yield to no man IN re-
spect for law, but I am unable to see
where the little notorfety an inqutsitor
might get from putting me On rne
stand would serve the ends Of justice.
So I avoid the ordeal with its eXhaus-
ton, when I can, and preserve my
strength and quiet"