The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1913-06-03
LAWMAKERS PLAN
TRADES DISPLAY
WOULD UTILIZE THE NAVY FOR
GREAT COMMERCIAL ADVANCE
MENT-BOOST INDUSTRIES.

Washington, June 2.-One of the
most unique trade promoting schemes
that has come to the attention of the
present congress is the proposal OF
Representative W. S. Goodwin of Ar
kansas. He has introduced a bill
providing for regular floating
chamber of commerce, converting the
country's warships into miniature
expositions to be opened up in every
foreign port at which these battle
ships might be ordered in the fu-
ture.
The bill directs the secretary of
the navy to report to the secretary
of commerce the amount of space in
all of the ships Of the navy that
would be available for temporary use
in exhibiting American manufactured
products and other articles of COM
merce.
Exhibition Allotments.
The secretary is to allot the space
il the battleships among the exhib
itors so as to obtain the widest pos
sible scope in variety of products
included in the exhibit as well as
including ali sections OF the country
Boards of trade and commercial clubs
are to be permitted, under the Ark
ansas statesmans plan, to participate
in these battleship eXpositions for
show purposes in foreign lands.
In discussing his rather remarkable
scheme, Congressman Goodwin said:
Opposed to senseless multiplied
ton of useless battleships, l see no
reason why those we have built at
so great expense should not be used
IN advancing American trade before
they rot and become junk. Oar
strength and security lie not in bat
tleships and dreadnoughts so much
as in our isolation, the absence of
entangling alliances and our peace
full pursuits. All people are looking
TO the United States to take the
first step toward disarmament.
The Critical Moment.
This moment, when Europe is an
armed camp and England equips even
merchantmen with compliments Of
guns, would, to my mind, be a proper
time to set the wholesome example
of converting costly and menacing
engines for war to the peaceful mis-
sion of displaying American handl-
craft in the worlds eager markets.
From the latest available reports
on movements of our navy it appears
that much time is spent by battle
ships, cruisers and gunboats in for
eign ports. Yet trade reports show
how comparatively unknown are
American goods in these same ports
irequented by American warships.
ITO work our details is a task LEFT
entirely with skilled experts and
engineers of our navy department.
They are familiar with every cubic
inch of space of every vessel and
know to what extent and for what
employed.
Aid by Consular Service.
Then practical business sense Of
our commerce department will CO.
in this work. The regula-
tions formulated would set out the
nature of exhibits and conditions up
on which such exhibits would be re-
ceived; so those who would vail
of the service could obtain full in
formation as to how, when and
where to make application for allot-
ments of exhibition space. The con-
Sular service would cooperate to bring
to the attention of foreign merchants
this innovation and arrange for prop
er publicity.
The commercial organizations
throughout the country will, l am
positive, appreciate readily the pos
sibilities of the proposition. Friends
of big navy would do we'll to anal
we this plan carefully if they would
take seriously the recent remarks of
Secretary Daniels on the Importance
1f making the navy a popular in
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