The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1914-06-26
Delivers Address as Final
Answer to Opponents of
Trust Programme
EMPHASIZES WORDS
WITH CLENCHED FIST
Says Administrator Is Working Upon
Advice of Men Who Understand the
Business Situation-DOes Not
Refer to Claflin Bankruptcy

Washington, June 25.-under new
constitution of freedom for business,
given by antitrust legislation soon to be
passed by Congress, President Wilson
today promised the country the greatest
business boom in its history. This was
the Presidents final answer to opponents
of trust legislation at this session of
Congress and to prophets of evil times,
delivered with determined expression and
every word emphasized with clenched
fist
I'VE know what we are doing" said
Mr. Wilson. I'VE purpose to do it under
the advice of men who understand the
business of the country; and we know
that the effect is going to be exactly
what the effect of the currency reform
was, a sense of relief and security
Speaks to Editors
The President spoke to a group of Vir-
glnia editors at the White House, but
his assurances We're intended for the
country. There was every Indication that
Tile SDttCn was iitdiit " NC oiiO VI NiA~
most important of the administration
News of the failure of the H. B. Claflin
company in New York had reached the
White House earlier in the day. but the
President did not mention the incident.
= think it is appropriate, in receiving
you," the President said. ito say just a
word or two in assistance of your judS-
ment about existing conditions. You are
largely responsible for the state of public
opinion You furnish the public with
information and in your editorials you
furnish it with the Interpretation of that
information. We are in the presence of
a business situation which is variously
interpreted. Here in Washington. through
Observation-Disclosures that are at our dis
posal and through a correspondence
which comes in to us from all parts of
the nation, we are perhaps in a position
to judge of the actual condition of busi-
ness better than those can judge who
are at any other single point in the
country: and l want to say to you that
as matter of fact. the signs of very
strong business revival are becoming
more and more evident from day to day
Business Anxious Ten Years
Il want to suggest to you: Business
has been in a feversh and apprehensve
condition in this country for more than
10 years. | will not stop to point out the
time at which it began to be apprehen-
sive, but during more than 10 years bust
ness has been the object of sharp criticism
in the United States, a criticism growing
II. volume and growing in particularly;
and as a natural consequence, as the
volume of criticism had increased. busi-
ness has grown more and more anxious
Business men have acted as some men
do who fear they will have to undergo
an operation, and who are not sure that
when they get on the table the opera
tion will not be capital operation. AS
a matter of fact, as the diagnosis has
progressed 1t has become more and more
evident that no capital operation was
necessary; that at the most a minor op-
GRAFTON was necessary to remove admitted
distempers and evils. The treatment is
to be constitutional rather than surgical
affecting habits of life and action. which
have been hurtful. For on all hands IT
was admitted that there are processes OF
business or have been processes of busi-
ness in this country which ought to be
corrected; but the correction has been
postponed, and in proportion to the post
ponsment the fever has increased-the
fever of apprehension.
There is. nothing more fatal to busi-
ness than to be kept guessing from month
to month and from year to year whether
something serious is going to happen to
1t or not and what in particular is going
to happen to it If anything does. 1t is
impossible to forecast the prospects of
any line of business unless you know
what the year is going to bring forth.
Nothing is more unfair. nothing has been
declared by business men to be more
harmful, than to keep them guessing
THE guessing went on, the air was full
of Interrogation points for 10 years and
more Then came an administration which
for the first time had a definite pro-
gramme of constructive corrections; not
of destructive correction. but of a con-
structive correction of admitted evil-a
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