The Washington herald., 1908-06-10
TRADE MAKES PEACE
So Secretary Straus Tells the
Chamber of Commerce.
GIVES INTERESTING ADDRESS
Speaker Declares Development of
Business the Highest Principle
Worked Out I'm HistOry-COmmer-
ciaI Era Greatest Achievement in
the Evolution of the Race.

Trade follows the ways OF peace. and
ever makes those ways more peaceful"
This was the keynote to an interesting
and highly instructive address delivered
by Hon. Oscar S. Straus, Secretary OF
Commerce and Labor. to the members
OF the Chamber of Commerce at its June
meeting last night at the headquarters.
in F street
In delivering these words Secretary
Straus was combating the saying that
Trade follows the flag" He declared
that commerce was no longer the reault
of conquest. but a friend Of peace. II
was no longer won at the cannon's
mouth. or forced upon an unwilling
world at the point OF the bayonet
Mr.. Straus was received by the mem
bers OF the Chamber Of Commerce stand
ing. He entered the room attended by
a member of the committee. who invited
him 20 address the chamber, was intro
duced by President Harper, and spoke
upon the commerce Of the present day as
compared with that Of other ages OF his
tory.
WOuid Convert "HOt Air"
In opening his speech Mr.. straus re-
ferred TO Washington as the center or
commercial and Industrial &C
uvity, but said that it was, OF all places. |
one OF hot air" which. II converted |
into power would make the Capital City |
one OF great energy and productiveness.
He said we have hot air when Congress |
IS in session and when Il is absent and /
this. rightly used, was probably Wash |
ngton's greatest asset in that it afford
I'd the business community great oppor.
-unites not enjoyed by other cities.
Mr.. Straus said America had been called,
n the deprecatory sense. The CONNER
'ial Nation" He felt proud in accepting
he challenge which the term implied.
1e said that from the earliest times each
nation has had its national spirit. pre-
dominant and militant. marking for all
uture ages its place IN history. He H.
uStrated this by showing the effects OF the
ecclesiastical spirit and its influence upon
ne nations OF Europe. following the ref
rmation and dominant until about the
line OF the Thirty Xears War Then an
ther national spirit was brought forward
nd the nations engaged in great strug-
lie Tor expansion and conquest. growing
len and great by power OF arms. culmi-
ating In the Napoleonic struggle for the
oundlng Of a universal empire Of the cx-
sting European states
Dawn of Commercial Era.
This Mr.. Straus declared was followed
y the era Of commercialism which was
et forth in the American Declaration uf
and had been predominant
the worlds affairs since that time. go-
ls forward and constantly cementing the
es OF universal peace. He pointed out
lat in the Declaration were two great
conomic facts. One OF them was the
rotest that the King Of England was (
riving away trade with the colonies and ,
he other was taxation without represen- I
ltion
Many thought the political principles
the Declaration OF Independence were / ,
ne most important, but Mr.. Straus
olnted out that II was coming 10 be
that commercialism was the
reatest principle enunciated In that
ocument, and that Il was the highest
rlnciple that can animate a nation. I
declared the speaker. is :
le spirit OF the United States. IS becom- )
z the spirit Of other nations, and Il has
'ne more than anything else TO cement
e nations together in an imperishable !.
ternational peace
College Men Go Into Business. q
Mr.. Straus said the intelIleence. energy T
Id thought Of the people was being cen 7
red more and more upon Industry and J
ade. College men who in a former gen
alton went into the law. medicine or d
e ministry now sought positions in q
mixing manufacturing establishments. o
ID with the great corporations. It IS Il
w, he said. the dullest men In college
asses who generally go into the pro-
ssions
Mr Straus said there never was
ne and never was a country whore the
ndttion OF the wage-earner was battar
an 1t is here in America. There Is soma
scontent. but he thought that the
eater part Of ii was the restlessness OF
ambitious man to better his condi-
m and that he declared was the essen
u element Of progress. He said here
opportunity was given 10 each and
aiiKe. Some fail some miss the on
Itunlty' because success always de-
nos and always must upon individual
ergy and industry
Grent Principles United.
dr. Straus referred to the title given TO
Department Of Commerce and Labor
ying 1t was happy phrase. because
two were indissolubly united. He
ID they were the two principles which
-6e for prosperity. wealth, and the
ppiness OF the people.
'etterment Of the masses Mr.. Strains
fined as an evolution of the prIncinles
lnciated in the Declaration OF Inde-
ldence, put into form by the fathers
the republic in the Constitution. and
rked out gradually. decade by decade
our people. He declared with ereat
'nestness that the man who sought
accomplish # by other means thar
oush the established forms set down
the laws OF the country was a traitor
a menace to his country.
4 closing. Mr.. Straus said the mer-
lnts of Washington have a great on
tunity. That. while the CAPITAL NAV
'er become the great commercial mart
the nation. its business men are spe-
ly situated TO become the leaders in
commercial development OF the
ntry. Mr.. Straus referred to the con-
ar service of this and other countries
pointed out how other nations had
ten ahead Of the United States in
at he called the cooperative effort 10
* out foreign trade where the COM
'cial community aids the state. and
versa in the search for foreign
'kets.
uld Create Commercial Council
'cretary Straus told of the conference