Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-07-16
COMMERCE BODY HEAD
DEFENDS BIG BUSINESS
Indiscriminate Attacks on
American Enterprise Con-
Gemned at Frisco Meeting.

san FRANCISCO. July iG-..To aid
every administration by cordial co-opera-
ton: to draw together i'm common bond
the business men of America in defense
of their good name. and in the creation of
an instrumentality through which they
may speak whole with authority 10
the executive and to Corgress relative
to the things which business needs: To
create force comparable in every
spect to the organized forces of labor.
and of agriculture are the objects
of the Chamber Of Commerce OF the
United States now being formed. out
lined by Harry \. Wheeler of Chicago.
president OF the organization.
Mr.. Wheeler. expounding his theme
here Monday night before the San Fran
cisco. Chamber of Commerce and other
commercial bodies. said frankly that,
aside from natural evolution. another
reason for the organization OF d national
body at this time is the indiscriminate
attacks made upon business generally.
upon the public platform and in the
daily and periodical press Of the country.
Now of Wider Scope.
THE popular prejudice. which was first
reused against the railroad has extended
its line of attack to include the industrial
life of the nation and the profession OF
banking" he sad
Popular sentiment has it that all who
have been successful in the accumulation
OF wealth. have become so by predatory
means, and that rottenness underlies the
entire commercial fabric of the nation
To be popular with the general public
upon the platform has been to give voice
TO violent attacks upon these interests.
To popularize the periodical press, state
ments having little foundation. often
have been made. or an isolated example
of evildoing was made to bear upon an
entire industry
LAS an argument for the larger gov
ornamental regulation of business, one of
the candidates in the last presidential
campaign repeatedly declared that the
business interests of the country We're
engaged In a chaotic struggle to devour
each other. and that all were combined
in an effort to enslave the workingman.
Alleges Misrepresentation.
For ten years this campaign of mis-
representation has been going on with
little or no contradiction on the part of
business, and the Chamber of Commerce
Of the United States enters the field to
present legitimate defense against these
unjust attacks.
Ninety per cent of business is honest.
The American business man stands in
the forefront of those who adhere to the
highest principles. of honor and integrity,
but single-handed he has been power
less to present a proper defense"
Other objects touched upon by Mr..
Wheeler were the assistance of Con-
gress in enacting reasonable legislation
for the regulation of industrial corpora
tions the development ia merchant
marine, the enactment of monetary leg
islatioD making the banking system more
stable and allowing for branches in for
eign ports, and the encouragement of
reciprocity.
The organization, he said. was being
effected not for the purposes of warfare.
but that compromise and arbitration
might take the place Of open antagonism.
For Non-Partisan Tariff.
Plans to bring about the appointment
Of a permanent non-partisan tariff COM
mission by the government were discuss
ed yesterday at the business meeting of
the directors of the Chamber Of Com
merce Of the United States.
They voted for an appointment of
special committee to submit the views
of the chamber to President Wilson. Sec
rotary of Commerce Redfield and Chair
man Underwood of the House ways and
means committee.
1t was announced that the attitude of
the organization toward the currency bill
would be declared only after the queS-
tons involved had been submitted TO a
referendum vote of the commercial
bodies making up the membership.