Evening star., 1915-12-11
The President at Columbus.

The Presidents address before the
Columbus Chamber of Commerce is
full of generalities, and they glitter.
A master phrasemaker, he knows how
to gain and hold the attention OF an
audience Equally with tongue or
pen, he charms.
But charm is not business, as busi-
ness men know, and hence the Presi-
dents views about business will un-
dergo examination divested OF their
charm. This is the morning after;
and business men. and others. in CO.
lumbus and elsewhere, will weigh the
Presidents words with care.
Pointing out the changes being
wrought by the war, and the oppor-
tunities for US that will grow out of
them, the President says:
mo man can say just how these
matters are going to shape them
selves, but every man can see that
the opportunity of America is going
TO be unparalleled and that the re-
sources of America must be put at
the service of the world as they never
were put at its service before.
Therefore, it is imperative that no i'm
pediments should be put in the way
of commerce with the rest OF the
world. You cannot sell unless you
buy. Commerce is only an exalted
kind OF barter. The bartering may
not be direct, but directly or indi-
rectly IT is an exchange of conlmodi-
ties and the payment OF the balances;
and, therefore. there must be no i'm
pediments to the free flow of the cur
rents of commerce back and forth be-
tween the United States, upon which
the world will in part depend, and
the other countries which she must
supply and serve
!; Then why the talk. indorsed in
cabinet circles, about anti dumping"
legislation? Soon after the war
closes manufacturing Europe will be
full OF goods, prepared at low wages
of labor, which she will want to dis
pose of in America. They will be Of
Tered at low prices, and, therefore, be
tempting. Why put ''impediments to
the free flow of the currents of such
commerce? American wage-earn-
ers will answer; and it is properly
out OF consideration for their well
fare that impediments are recon-
mended.
One might suppose from the Presi-
dents treatment of the subject that
all necessary for the upbuilding OF
an American merchant marine is for
American business men to go out and
retake carrying power they unwise-
ly abandoned. History gives the
story OF the loss OF that power in
1879 and in 1915. But the more i'm
portant point is that the nations
greatest in sea-carrying strength
when the present war began, and
which will be great again after war
closes, have found it necessary to as
sist private capital in that line of
endeavor. As they are to be our
rivals, can we hope to secure our
share OF that business without copy
ing their means?
The President is frank at all times
about confessing new opinions. Re-
minded at Columbus in private con-
versation that he had some years ago
confessed to discussing the currency
question without any knowledge OF
the subject, he explained that now
he had the knowledge He changes
readily, and sometimes swiftly, and
owns up. He changed from Cleve-
landiSn to Organism. He changed
from free passage for American ships
to tolls OF. them al Panama. He has
changed from free sugar to a duty
on that product. He has changed
from anti-preparedness to prepared
ness. Should there be any surprise
If before he quits the White House
he comes around measurably to a
protective tariff, and to ship subsidy?
Progress is the word.