Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1916-10-31
HUGHES ANSWERS
N SPEECH OF WILSON
Presidents Own Official is
Quoted in Reply to State
ment on Effect of War.
PROTECTION IS NEEDED

East LlVeIpooi, ", oSt. oo'--SHdiies
Evans Hughes replying further to
statements in President Wilson's Gin
cinnati speech told an audience here
today that the S2,000,000,000 increase
in American exports last year was due
almost exclusively to the demand ere
ated by the European war aud cited
statement by Chairman Hurley OF the
Federal Trade commission, to uphold
the claim that America is mot pre-
pared for post bellum> competition
with Europe"
That $2,0OoOOO,0OO increase" Mr..
Hughes said, represents almost ex-
clusively the demand created by the
European war. What are we to do?
There is but one safe cou<se. 1t is
idle to talk about conditions of work
if there is no work. And you can't
have any lasting basis for prosperity
unless you apply the protection to
American industries.
81 was amazed the bther day when
the spokesman for the opposing party
told the people that we were ready.
He said intsubstance that the nations
engaged in this struggle are so wasted
by war that we need not fear their
competition.
That is very serious mistake if
you want to know what the facts are
Let those who speak for the opposing
party take the words of the federal
trade commission, spoken almost at
the same time, as result of their own
inquiry. What is the use of having
sotcalled expert bodies if we do not
pay any attention to what they say?
This is what Chairman Hurley of
the Federal Trade commission said
last week in New York on this very
subject, and I commend it to the very
serious attention of those who speak
for an opposing policy. He says:
"'While in many respects we know
little of what is going on in the war
ring nations, we do know that within
sound of the guns, ALMOST within
reach of the falling shells, Europe is
reawakening its industries :
"He says, further: Under the
stress of life and death struggle ev-
cry effort is being made to attain the
highest efficiency in the production, in
the distribution and in the use of COM
modities of all kinds He adds:
New processes are being discovered,
new inventions are being made, and
new forms of organization are being
created, and that war has compelled
Great Britain to make thirty years of
industrial progress in thirty months.
Must Increase Efficiency.
r"'If our industries are not to be
caught slow of mind and fabby Of
muscle we must improve Our business
organization and increase our manu-
featuring and merchandise efficiency,
and must keep pace with every step
in Europe.
"That is the statement of the board
by the chairman of it, with respect to
increased efficiency abroad. They
have got organization. They have got
better knowledge of themselves.
They have got better discipline and
efficiency in production than ever b.
fore. The economic basis of the pro-
duction has not been affected. Even
the waste of the men, in view of the
numbers coming along year by year
into industrial activity leaves them
with more men today to enter into
production than they had before.
Protection Also Needed.
+ "Now these are facts for American
business men and American working
ment to think carefully over. When
it is said here we need organization
| agree. When it is said that we need
development of alertness and power, |
agree, but there is one thing that was
not said: 1t is the thing which our
opponents, in view Of their principles
cannot we'll say. 1t is thing that We
do say, and that is, whatever your
organization, whatever your alertness
you have got to have your markets
protected against the competition Of
labor that is paid less than you are
I'VE propose to protect American
industry. You cannot run this country
on the principle of tariff for revenue
only. we want to build up Ameri
can industry, protect the American
wage scale and lay the foundation fol
social Justice
Mr.. Hughes spoke in the open all
here before a crowd which was SC