Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1915-05-24
In Opening Pan-American Finan-
cial Conference He Tells of
Existing Relations
WANTS MORE MERCHANT SHIPS
Says Government Must Provide
Vessels IF Private Capital Is
Not Available
BY Associated Prsss

Washington. May 24.-President
Wilson speaking at the opening of the
Pan-American Financial Conference
here to-day expressed the hope that
the Americans might show the world
the path to peace. The President was
loudly applauded by the delegates as
he entered the hall of the Americas in
the Pan-American Union Building
where the meetings are being held.
On the platform were members of the
cabinet while the audience included
many high government officials in ad-
dition to the representatives of South
and Central American countries.
President Wilson spoke as follows:
There can be no sort of union or
interest If there is purpose of eX-
ploitation on the part of any person
connected with a great conference of
this sort. We are not, therefore, try
ing to make use of each other, but
we are trying to be of use to one an
other.
1t is very surprising to me, it is
even a source of modification that
conference like this should have been
30 long delayed, that 1t should never
have occurred before, that it should
have required a crisis of the world to
show the Americas how truly they
We're neighbors to one another. If
there is any one happy circumstance,
gentlemen, arising out of the present
distressing circumstances of the world
1t is that ii has revealed us to one
another; it has shown us what it
means to be neighbors. And l cannot
help harboring the hope, the very
high hope, that by this commerce of
minds and one another as well as COM
merce in gods, we may show the world
in part the path to peace.
Show Way to Peace
1T would be very great thing If
the Americas could show the way TO
permanent peace. The way to peace
-ior us, at any rate, is manifest. 1t is
the kind of rivalry which does not
involve aggressions. 1t is the know
ledge that men can be OF the greatest
service to one another and nations of
the greatest service to another when
the jealousy between them is merely
jealousy of excellence, and when the
basis of their intercourse is friendship.
There is only one way in which we
wish to take advantage of you and
that is by making better goods, If we
can, than you do them, and so spur
ring you on, if we might, by so hand
some jealousy as that to excel us.
I am so keenly aware that the
basis of personal friendship in this
competition in excellence that I am
perfectly certain that this is the only
basis for the friendship of nations, this
handsome rivalry, this rivalry in
which there is no dislike, this rivalry
in which there is nothing but the hope
or a common elevation in great enter
prises which we can undertake in
common.
Favors More Ships
There is one thing that stands in
our way among others-for you are
more conversant with the circum-
stances than L am; the thing | have
chiefly in mind, is the physical lack
of means of communication. the lack
of vehicles. the lack of ships, the lack
of established routes of trade-the
lack of those things which are neces-
sary II we are to have true commercial
and intimate commercial relations
with one another; and l am perfectly
clear in my judgment that if private
capital cannot soon enter upon the
adventure of establishing these physi-
cal means of communication, the gov
ernment must undertake to do so.