Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1915-02-05
TELLS BUSINESS MEN
TO AID LEGISLATION
WILSON URGES COOPERATIVE
PLAN TO WIN FOREIGN TRADE
PREDICTS PROSPERITY,

WASHINGTON, Feb. 5.-Co-oper-
alton between business men and the
government in framing laws for the
benefit Of all the people was urged
by President Wilson Wednesday in
an address before several hundred
representative business men here at
tending the annual convention of the
Chambers of Commerce Of the United
States. This was the companion
speech to the one he delivered before
the American Electric Railway asso-
citation last Saturday in which he
made another confident prediction
that the country will enter upon q
new era of enterprise and prosperity.
In his speech Wednesday the pres
ident declared that 1--WE must all pool
our interests" in order to discover
the best means for handling public
problems. He advocated the creation
in the United States in time OF peace
Of the same kind of united spirit
which moves nations during wars and
remarked that when peace is as
handsome as war there will be no
wars" and when me engage in the
pursuits of peace in the same spirit
Of self-sacrifce as they engage in
wars, wars will disappear"
Food Shortage Growing.
The president predicted that while
there is shortage of food in the
world now. the shortage will be-
much greater later. He pointed out
that under the guidance Of the de-
partment of agriculture efforts must
be made by farmers in the United
States to grow more grain, in order
that the world may be fed.
Speaking Of the foreign trade of
the United States the president asked
that business men devise some way
of allowing exporters in the United
States to combine to secure common
selling agencies. and to give long
time credits in such way that these
cooperative devices may be open to
the use of all. He declared that ap-
parently the antitrust laws prohib-
tied such combinations now, but he
would favor a change il a method
fair to all could be found.
He spoke of the work being done
by the bureau of foreign and domes-
tic commerce In surveying the
world" for the benefit of all business
men. Business men themselves are
to blame If intelligent laws affecting
them are not framed. the president
asserted. He added that they should
come out into the open and use their
knowledge of conditions to bring
about fair laws to prevent business
evils.
The Mexican question was men
toned by Mr.. Wilson as an example
Of the difficulty he had in getting ac-
curate information.
In discussing the question Of for
0S8u tTduo luo PICSluCuI o0Aus
"Our antitrust laws apparently,
say apparently because see the at
torney general is present. and I am
sure I am right-the antitrust laws
Of the United States apparently make
1t illegal for merchants in the United
States to form combinations for the
purpose of strengthening themselves
In taking advantage of the opportuni-
ties of foreign competition.
Reach Out for Trade.
THAT is very serious matter. for
this reason: There are some corpo-
rations, and some firms, for all
know, whose business is great enough
and whose resources are abundant
enough to enable them to establish
selling agencies in foreign countries,
to enable them to extend long credits
which in some cases are necessary In
order to keep the trade they desire;
which enables them, in other words,
to organize their business in foreign
territory in a way which the smaller
man cannot afford to do. His busi-
ness has not grown big enough to
permit him to establish selling agen-
cies.
"The export commission merchant,
perhaps, taxes him a little bit too
high to make that an available COM
petitive means Of conducting his bus
iness. The question arises. there
fore. How are the smaller merchants,
how are the younger and weaker cor
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