The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1914-02-16
PRESIDENT is
AN OPTIMIST
Does Not Believe There is Gen
eral, Business Depression
With Thousands of Men
Out of Work.
[By John E. Nevin staff correspon-

dent of the United Press.l
WASHINGTON, Feb. 16.--Presiden;
Wilson made 1t very plain to those
with whom he talked today that he
does not accept as fact newspaper
reports OF general business deprss-
sion throughout the country. lncf-
dentally he Indicated by his manner
that he had an idea Frank P, Walsh.
head OF the federal Industrial trads
commission, did not speak with
authority when he said there were
$4,000 out of work in New York City
alone. and an enormous additional
number in ewsry Industrial center.
The president was quoted as saying
he believed Walsh got his figures
from the newspapers and that they
have not been verified.
There was little question but that
the president was decidedly disturbed
over the breadth of the Walsh state
msnt. While he did not discuss 1t al
length, persons closely associated
with the administration, did 1t is
known that Walsh came in for severe
censure In administration circles for
making what was plainly termed a
bad break at q time whsn the oper-
alton of the tariff bill and the income
tax attachment are under a very Sc
we're fire from republicans and GER
tain progressivs leaders, notably Geo
w. Perkins.
| The president, however, contented
himself with an emphatic statement
! that all of the communications receiv
ed by executive offices dealing with
| the trade situation indicated thai
business conditions were improving
This is the usual time of the year fol
| the out-of-works, he stated, and natur
ally there are a great many In the
cities as there ire no out-of-doors en-
terprises can be carried on just now
The president believes that with thu
advent Of warm weather, bushes
4 throughout the country will receive
4 decided impetus.
So far as Mexico is concerned. TIL
president stands by his original dec
laration that there is at present M
occasion for the sending into tina
/ country of an armed American force
The action OF Great Britain in lanu
ing marines to guard its legation a
Mexico City was with the full ant
frank approval of this government
i Permission was asked and granted II
the usual way But the president doe
not believe this country will have t
land marines and he feels that the er
tire Mexican problem will eyentuall
work out without Americans or an
foreigners being in any especial Car
ger.
The president took occasion toda
to refute the report that this Soutl
American governments were alarme
over this governments policy. lnstea
he said that all responsib's govern
ments there are solidly behind TIL
United States The president ais
denied that there is any similarit
! between the Peruvian situation an
that in Mexico. Before this govern
ment recognized the provisional go'
arnment established at Lima, it inve'
tigated and found it had first bee
approved by the Peruvian suprem
court and congress. And reports tha
: the approval Of congress was secure
only through show OF arms was sal
by the president to fbe unfounded.
The president is still working o,
] the personnel of the federal reserv
4 banks and hopes to announce til
8 members not later than the first {
2 the month. He said tod1y, howeve
5 that he does not intend to name Sc
S retary of Agriculture Houston as
: member if his present plans hold goo
1 The president was quoted as sayin
: that he does not want to break u
t his present cabinet team.
The president admitted today th;
q he believes the fight on his 'fis
g brothers antitrust bills centers G
e this measure creating the inteIsta'
! trade commission. The first Is divi
& ed into two schools, he told thot