Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1914-07-28
PRESIDENT TALKS
ABOUT BUSINESS
Finds Only a Minor Operation
Necessary to Adjust Con-
ditions of the Nation.

Washington. d. c.. July 2s.-Presi-
dent Wilson spoke as follows recently
before the Virginia Editorial associa-
ton at the White House:
think it is appropriate. ladies and
gentlemen, in receiving you to say just
a word or two in assistance of your
Judgment about the existing condi-
lions. You are largely responsible for
the state OF public opinion. You fur
nish the public with information, and
Ia your editorials you furnish IL with
the Interpretation Of that information.
We are in the presence OF a business
situation which is variously interpre-
ted. Here in Washington, through the
bureau OF commerce and other instru-
mentalities that are at our disposal
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 bus
mess better than those can judge who
are at any other single point in the
country; and l want to say to you that
as a matter of fact the signs OF very
strong business revival are becoming
more and more evident from day to
day.
want to suggest this to you: Bust
ness has been in a feverish and appre-
hensive condition in this country for
more than 10 years. i will not stop
to point out the time at which it be-
gan TO be apprehensive, but during
more than 10 years business has been
the object of sharp criticism in the
United States, criticism growing in
volume and growing in particularly;
and as a natural consequence, as the
volume of criticism. has increased bus
mess has grown more and more anx-
ions 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 operation will not be capt.
tai operation. AS a matter of fact, as
the diagnosis has progressed IL has
become more and more evident that no
capital operation was necessary; that
at the most a minor operation was nee
essary; to remove admitted distem-'
pers and evils. The treatment is TO
he constitutional rather than surgical.
affecting habits of life and action
which have been hurtful. For on all
hands IL is admitted that there are
processes of business or have been
processes of business in this country
which ought to be corrected; but the
correction has been postponed, and in
proportion to the postponement the
fever has increased,-the fever OF APP
prehension.
There is nothing more fatal to bust-
ness than TO be kept guessing from
month to month and from year TO
year whether something serious is go
ing to happen to il or not and what in
particular is going TO happen to it If
anything does. II is impossible 10
forecast the prospects of any line OF
business unless you know what the
year is going 10 bring forth. Nothing
Is more unfair, nothing has been de-
rlared 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 ad-
ministration which for the first time
had a definite program of constructive
correction; not OF destructive correc-
ton, but of a constructive correction
of admitted eVil.-a very clear pro-
gram, disclosed, so far as possible In
general program. in it's particulars as
we'll as in its general features. And
the administration proceeded to carry
out this program.
First, there was the tariff, and bust
ness shivered. I'VE don't like TO go
in; the water looks cold" but when