New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-09-26
WILSON MATCHES
AMERICAN BRAINS
AGAINST WORLD
Urges Business Men to Co.
operate in Battle
for Trade.
HINTS WEBB BILL
WILL BE REVIVED
Export Combinations Are
Legitimate, He Says
Promises New Tariff.
from , s,,r cor-,yondsn. o, n. rdbun.

Iron slsr Correspondent OF he Thbuns.l
Baltimore, Sept. 25.-President Will
son, disclaiming any reference TO poll
tics, praised the Tariff Commission. the
Trade Commission and the ship pur-
chase bill in a speech before the Grain
Dealers Association here to-day
But, despite III. Presidents dis
claimer, his audience insisted on read
ing political significance into his ad-
dress. The speech was an effort to con-
ciliate the business interests Of the
country.
"The purpose Of legislation in the i'm
mediate future in this country MIR.
Wilson declared, sis going TO be TO re-
move all ingenious constructions and
make It perfectly clear what the lloer-
ties as well as what the restrictions
Of trade are in this country"
Wants Americans TO Excel.
"My dream u.s." declared the Presi-
dent, chat America will take her place
in that great field in new spirit which
the world never has seen before-not
the spirit Of those who would exclude
would excel others. want to see
America pitted against the world, not
in selfshness, but in brains.
"The only thing | have been ashamed
OF in America is the fear and trembling
Of Americans in the presence of for
eign competitors. An American should
not be afraid to pit American business
men against any competitors any
where. Enterprise. the shredwness which
Americans have shown, the knowledge
Of business they have SNOWFALL these
things are going to make for that peace
full and honorable conquest of foreign
markets which is our reasonable ambi-
ton"
To the cries OF 1--WE want wilson,"
the President replied:
II feel that We should divest our
selves Of the consciousness that we are
in the midst of a political campaign"
Friend of Business.
The President also dwelt on the
change in government attitude toward
business in the last four years. From
being an antagonist, he declared. 1t has
now been transformed into a friend of
business.
"A few years ago" said the Presi-
dent, american business men took up
their morning papers with some degree
of nervousness to see what the govern
ment was doing to them. l ask you if
YOU take up the morning paper now
with any degree of nervousness.
at has always been a fiction that
there was a contest between the law
and business. There always has been
a contest in every government between
the law and bad business, and | do
not want 10 see that contest softened
in any way. But there has never been
any contest between men who intended
the right thing and the men who ad-
ministered the law"
Regret that politics might interfere
with the discussion Of problems facing
American business was expressed by
the President at the outset. He de-
clared he had "a supreme contempt for
partisan action" although believing IN
"party action" He continued:
zone Of the most interesting circum-
stances Of our business history is
this: The banking laws of the United
States mean the Federal banking
laws-did not put the national banks
in a position to do foreign exchange
under favorable conditions, and 1t was
actually true that private banks and
sometimes branch banks drawn out of
other countries, notably out of Canada,
were established at our chief ports to
| do what American bankers ought to
/ have done.
at was as if America was not only
unaccustomed to touching all the
nerves Of the worlds business, but was
| disinclined TO touch them, and had not
prepared the instrumentalities by which
j. might take part in the great com
merce Of the round globe"
Through the Federal reserve act, hc
said. American national banks now may
rerve Americans any place in the world
the same as British. German and Other
/ banks had been serving their mer'
/ chants. lie continued:
"The most that we can supply our
selves with just now is not the detailed
programme of policy, but the instru
mentality of gaining thorough knowl
edge of what we arc about. Every mar
OF US must for some time TO come 81