New Britain herald., 1916-02-11
PRESIDENT OUTLINES
 NEEDS OF NATION
Chamber Of Commerce Delegates
 Hear Talk on Neutrality
U. 5. ON RIGHT COURSE
Naerch"h' Marine, Tariff Board and federal Reserve Act Also Taken Up "s Ni'ici Executive at Concluding Meeting of Annual Convention.

'S "i annual Convention.
 Washington, Feb. 11-Dolcyatcs to l the annual convention of tho cI,a,,bor ol commerce ot the United States left for their homes today carrying with them message from President 1 Wilson, the outstanding feature Of ! which was his determination to keep l the on'ted States out of the, Europ- can conflict, although he declared that the nation merely held that trouble at arms length.
 The president was speal1ng on nen- trality at the annual banquet of the Chamber which was a concluding feature of a three days convention. The president also spoke of the need of a real scientific tariff board ard merchant marine.
 ''No Quarrel of Ours,
 Tt is cruel thing said the presi- dent, ito have it supposed, as it is in many quarters that we have kept out of this war simply because we wanted to keep out of trouble and simply because we wanted e profit bv the trouble of others; and yet mis- understanding for the time being are not to be reCkOned as against the consciousness that we must our selves have that we have pursued the right and only serviceabie course l am not afraid for one of the slow verdict of history With regard to the neutrality of the United States and ] believe that we are justitiel in ex- of in making it clear what our position is and how sincerely we are detcrr1ined not to allow this quarrel to become part of ours.
 Troubled at Arms Length
 II have only this to say, though: We hold this trouble at arms length and keep or attempt to keep our own judgments cool; but the rest of the world is hot and it may be that any time without our cooperation and without our ability to stop il :he flame may extend to us. And thcrc- fore, am glad that the |. S. has been in d position to mOHiIiH" it's financial resources and [" get iHt" the position which it must "t ;HSt get into, whether it wants to or not
 If only we can keep this great nation at peace-there is an infinite prospect of happy prosperity before the United States; not because others have suffered but because the United States is ready to serve the rest Ot the world with her resources. l be- lieve that she will serve the rest or the world in handsome and gallant fashion, not taking advantage Of their necessities but only taking advantage of the legitimate opportunities which the circumstances have created.'
 Federal Reserve Law Praised
 The president spoke of the federal reserve law, saying: "When you re- fleet what might have happened 1f our banking system had at the out set of this war been clumsy and anti uuated thing it was three years ago, you will realize that not only might we not have escaped disaster, but that disaster might have been so pro- longed that it would have been impos- sible for the United States to occupy the position she now occupies
 The president told of the necessity of a scientific tariff board and said he thought the nation would get it.
 'I want to say,' he continued, that before the whole face of affairs was changed in the economics of the world by the war, I was not in favor of a tariff board. because the pur- pose of it then apparently was to keep alive an unprofitable controversy am not interested in the doctrines of protection; l am not interested in the doctrine of free trade. I have been a college professor and know why I am not, because there is nothing in either doctrine. The only thing that is in teresting 'is the facts of commerce and industry, and the only thing that it is right to deduce from the fact is something that has nothing properly to do with party politics at all.'
 The president expressed the confi- dent hope that legislation creating a merchant marine would be passed by congress as soon as possible.