Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-01-15
SPEECH BYEL|HU ROOT
Declares for a Maximum and
Minimum Tariff.
FOREIGN TRADE CONVENTION
One Means of Meeting Fair Treatment
and Retaliation.
COMPARATIVE STATEMENTS
Proceedings at Session Today-Age Of
Combinations and Of So-Called
Trusts.

Sucn action lS necessary, Elhu RoOt Sec
rotary of State, in a speech before the
national convention for the extension Of
foreign trade this morning fairly carried the
convention off it's feet into enthusiastic in
of the country.
In all its actions yesterday the con-
vention somewhat ponderously gave
voice to the semi-united statement that
the meeting was not tor the purpose OF
tariff discussion. but the "stand-pat' doc
trine and doctrinaires received several
rude jolts at the hands of various speak
ers. who. leading up to the very brink
of criticism of the instrument bearing
the name of Mr.. Dingley, stopped sud
denly and retreated with the excuse that
this was not the place to discuss the
tariff So 1T was this morning with the
Secretary Of State-ne would not dis
cusS the tariff" but he, nevertheless, en-
of interesting comparative statements
concerning the possibilities under a by
pOthetcal reciprocity an equally sup
posititious maximum and minimum tar
if' and the unbending, e-treatment-
for-all schedule under which the United
States is doing it's export and import
business at the present time. What 1
have said about the tariff" the Secre-
tary of States Interested. lis merely my
personal view, and I may be wrong, but
1 think the time has gone when this
great and growing country should be
able to reciprocate when %ther countries
hold out the hand of iellowNhip in trade
and I also think that maximum and
minimum tariff schedule will Meet pres
ent needs.
Mr.. Root Principal Speaker.
Mr.. Root was the principal speaker at the
morning session and was accorded an ova-
ton. his remarks frequently being inter
rupted by prolonged applause and cheers.
He gave resume of the trade relations of
the United States practically with the en-
tire world and what was needed to secure
greater commercial advantages for this
country.
ITO my yiew." he said. 'the country Is
advancing. and for that matter the whole
world is advancing. Our relations contin-
ually grow more reasonable, more sensible
and kindly with Europe, with out virorogs
and growing neighbor to the north, with
our rapidly advancing and developing
neighbors to the south and with the nations
that face US on the other side Of the Pa
ci1c. Little occasions for controversy, little
causes of irritation and little incidents Of
conflicting interest continually arise as they
do among friends and neighbOrs in the
same town, but the general trend of inter-
national relation is toward mutual self-re-
spect. mutual consideration and substantial
good understanding"
Secretary Root then entered into an ex-
haustiye discussion of the resources of the
Latin-Amercan republics. and made plea
for closer trade relations with them. These
republics he said. are now on a stable ba-
sis aud in a position to give protection to
American enterprise and property.
Construction of Pan-American r. r.
Construction of the Pan-American rail-
road Secretary Root prophesied. will be an
accomplished fact before the lapse of many
years. SO that it will be possible for pas
sengers and merchandise to travel by rail
from Maine to Buenos Ayres within the
lifetime of men of the present generation.
One of the objects of the Rio conference
last summer was to further the interest of
the building of that road, he said, and
added that many branch lines. all destined
to be units of the one great system, are in
operation at the present time. The speaker
severely criticised the steamship service
between this country and South American
ports and declared that subsidies alone, to
meet the cheaper wants and living expenses
Of foreign steamship lines. can bring about
a proper American merchant marine.
He said 1t is sad commentary that dis
patches from the State Department to
South America as a rule are forwarded via
Europe. poor is the service direct. Speak
ing of the smaller countries about the Ca
ribbean. and particularly the West Indies.
Secretary Root said they have had I'D
times. continual revolutions making 1t diff
ficult for them to maintain stable govern
ments.
Poor Cuba" he exclaimed with her
wonderful climate and richness of soil, has
suffered. We have done the best we could
and We mean to go on doing the best we
can to help her. The attitude of the United
States toward those countries can be put in
three sentences: First, we don't want to
take them ourselves; second, we don't want
any foreign nation to take them for them
selves and. third. we want to help Them
and We will" There was he said. much
talk about annexing Cuba but, said he.
never SO long as the people of Cuba do
not themselves give up the effort to govern
themselves"
This brought him to discussion of the
San DOMINICAN question, and he went over
done to help that country with its creditors.
Treatment Of San Domingo.
He declared amid loud applause that the
treatment of San Domingo. like the treat
ment of Cuba. was but "a part of the policy
which shall in the years to come determine
the relations of this vast country with the
life and enterprise of other countries of the
world-the policy of peace and righteous
ness
On the subject of reciprocity treaties, Sec
rotary Root said there were some countries
with which he would like to negotiate such
treaties, and this led him into a discussion
of the tariff question. in the course Of which
he favored a maximum and minimum tariff
TO which he said the country was coming
He closed by calling attention to the new
system of consular appointments by which
he said the government will be able to get
not only efficient consuls, but efficien, ad-
ministration.
President McCarfroll several times called
for Former Secretary of State John W.
Foster. but the Latter was not present and
DR.. Jacob G.. Schurman, president of Cor
nell University, Ithaca. n. Y, was intro
duced to make the only other set speech
OF the morning.
Due to Big Organizations.
we hear much of the evils of giant cor
porations and trusts at the present time"
declared DR.. Schurman. but to my mind
much OF the increase in trade and exports
has been due to these same big orsaniza-
tions. This is the age of combination and
OF the so-called trusts and We cannot
help their existence. We should use them
and not complain because one man or one
class of men amass billions. when the
masses are benefited in proportion" and
the speaker coined an apt epigram when he
said: 1t is not swollen fortunes we should
criticise. but stolen fortunes
DIR. Schurman made three general sue-
gestionS: That the needs Of the country
should be met by tariff adjustments
which Will enable us to join competing
nations on equal footing; that young men
OF the country should be prepared for con-
sular service by special education and for
the advancement Of our trade abroad by
equipment with the languages of the peo-
pie with whom they come in contact. and