New-York tribune., 1916-04-28

sbated and all minor conflicts forgot
+ ten.
THE military mobilization will take
place easily and need not be upon
magnificent scale in advance. The IN
/ dustrial and spiritual mobilization
ought 10 be constant and as VIDE as
the country Both arc useful-nay IN
dispensable in peace as well as IN
war"
Secretary Baker commented on the
work of the press in developing CO.
! herence Of national thought and &C
tion. -.
Otto Kahn. speaking on High Fl
rLnce." said that. on the one hand, IL
+ Nas time that the people should have a
/ clearer conception OF what finance
means. ami that, on the other hand
r.eat business should make itself felt
more consistently IN the political coun-
,els Of the nation.
Definition of Financier.
"I would define a fnancier," he said.
"ss man who has some recognized re
lation and responsibility toward the
/ larger monetary affairs Of the Republic,
either By administering deposits and
!aening funds or BY being II wholesale
OF retail distributor Of securities"
Finance. he said, most emphatically
F l,e rs not mean fleeing the public nor
fattening parasitically of the industry
,nd commerce Of the country. most IN
stances Of its falling from high stand
ards being during transitional period
when things were entirely permissible
which are since becoming TO be looked
inon as crimes TO this change o.
standards. he said. finance has readliy
conformed
"1n this Connection ! would add ne
raid. that II would be difficult 10
imagine anything more unfair than the
theory and method of the investigat
Of finance a all too frequently con
CLcted. The appeal all too often is 70
he gallery, hungry for sensation. To
innocent transactions II is sought 20
aive n sinister meaning. What lapses,
,aults or wrongs may be discovered are
liyen exaggerated portent and slgnih-
canoe
Frankness Toward Public.
T.eaving aside practices formerly no.
rncommon.' he said "but which mod
c,r laws and standards OF morality
! ave made impossible. 1T may he SAID
generally that business IL dong too
1uch kicking and not enough fighting
In fact. almost the only instance which
! can remember OF business asserting
itself effectively on a large scale and
hy q genuine effort for its rights, It's
legitimate interests and its convictions
was during the Mckinley Bryan cam
ifign. BY which ! do not mean to IN
corse some OF the methods used in that
campaign.
objectionable methods and practices
sometimes resorted 10 in the past by
corporate interests have been aban-
doncd. 1t is only fair that with them
should he abandoned the habit Of poll
ticians TO denounce as lobbying every
organized effort of large business TO
oppose tendencies and propositions
deemed by il inimical to the best in
terests Of business and o. the country.
Congress has done little to indicate
that IL recognizes the urgency and big
ress and significance OF the momentous
situation which confronts the country.
Nor does It seem inclined TO pay SER.
Gus heed TO the views 81 business. and
ly that ! do not mean the views of
business magnates, Int the consensus
e opinion Of business men in general.
such as has been expressed by four
ffths Of the commercial bodies consti-
tuting the United States Chamber Of
Commerce in respect OF the pending
slipping bill.
Let business then become militant
rot 20 secure special privileges. but 10
secure due regard for its views and
its rights and its conceptions as 10
what measures will serve the best IN
forests of the country and what Will
harm such interests
Patrick Francis Murphy was toast
master. and interspersed some OF his
gently cynical philosophy as a leaven
10 the weightier speeches. "The news
papers are looked upon as so many
columns Of news, whether there is any
news or not" he said. "lf there is
none, they make up for IL by printing
extra editions.
Calls Human Frailtes News.
Human fralties make up most of
the news. The misconduct Of one
woman makes more noise than the
good deeds of a thousand. We take
almost as much pleasure in reading
about the misconduct Of others as we
do in indulging in our own. The Gov
ernor, sitting beside me here, says, It's
Governor Whitman said that the
newspapers represent the greatest driv-
ing force in national life. whether
one likes II or not, whether IL is con-
dition that safeguards democracy or
menaces it-and there is much that can
be said on either side of that question
the fact remains that the press to-day
is the most powerful influence IN
America"
"In the eyes of the law each one OF
YOU represents private business, and
YOU are entitled under the law TO fol-
low your prejudces and your profits
without larger regard for the general
welfare than may be exhibited by any
individual. but, whether you will or no,
YOU represent a public utility just as
much as a lighting corporation or
transportation corporation.
No Gag at Crisis.
"A time of stress, when tremendous
determinations are 70 be made, is more
than ever a time for free thinking and
free speaking. To assume that any crisis
should put instant gag upon the speech
Of the nation is 20 free those in power
from restraints properly imposed upon
democracy
Other speakers were DR.. V. X. Well
ington Koo. Chinese Minister to the
United States: Daniel Willard, presl-
dent Of the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad.
and Charles VI. Schwsb.
A telegram was read from President
Wilson proposing as toast 70 the
American Newspaper Publishers Asso-
citation, "May its influence always be
for fair play, right understanding. and
the peace, prosperity and glory OF
America" In answer Herbert Budgman,