Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-02-01
BUSINESS PLEDGES
AID TO GOVERNMENT
Chamber of Commerce of U S.
Also Indorses Universal
Training Principle.
UNPREPAREDNESS CITED

Keyed up in tune with the gravity of
gates to the convention of the Cham
Der of Commerce of the United States,
representing 100000 business men of
the country. in session today at the
New Willard Hotel. resolved themselves
into a national defense conference and
adopted the report of the national de-
Tense committee of the chamber.
The convention first heard stirring
report from Howard E. Coffin of the
naval consulting board on the military
unpreparedness of the country. some of
the figures of which he asked should
not be recorded or published. and when
Basconi Little of Chicago presented the
repor: of the national defense commit
tee he declared that mo one in this
great audience, in my opinion. can have
read the morning newspapers and feel
subject Mr.. Little pointed out:
There is the necessity for earnest
ness in the consideration of this sub
ject at this time; for !his talk now. and
this situation now, Is real"
That nation is most hopeless" Mr..
Coffin exclaimed, (which most sincerely
deceives itself; and If any one thinks We
are prepared because Congress has voted
in need of a brain specialists services"
New Relations Discussed.
Our relations to the new order of
world affairs" was the theme upon which
several speakers played in the discus
sion of the report. and Mr.. Coffin. in
allusion to that, spoke sarcastically of
how we advertise to the world our ex-
tremely businesslike plans for national
defense
President Rhett announced that be
cause of the exigencies of the public
situation" Secretary of War Baker and
Maj. Gen. Leonard Wood, U. S. A.. who
were to have spoken. would be unable
to be present. Immediately after the
morning session of the convention
group luncheons of various committees
were held at the New Ebbitt Hotel,
these including the immigration COM
mittee, of which Frank Trumbull is
chairman: the foreign relations COM
mittee. of which Charles H. Sheriff. is
chairman, and the state chambers of
commerce committee, of which Homer
l.. Ferguson is chairman. International
commercial arbitration, daylight saving
and other similar business subjects are
being discussed at the convention this
afternoon, and tonight there will be an
address on industrial relations by H. A.
Wheeler, former president of the cham
Der.
Rests on Organized Industry.
During his address at the morning
session Mr.. Coffin said, in part:
1T is upon organized industry that we
in the United States must base any and
all our plans for military defense, and
in the event of trouble with any of the
first-class powers between so and 80
per cent of our industries would be CEN
tered upon the making of supplies for
the government. Every manufacturer
owes it to himself, to his stockholders
and to his workmen to insure against
prolonged shutdown of his plant.
1.-The ability to swing quickly from the
commodities of peaceful commerce to
the production of emergency materials
of war will constitute the greatest in
surance against government control,
against disruption Of organization and
against moths of community chaos
which cannot but spell physical suffer-
ing and privation to labor and money
loss to business ITSELF
Support Is Pledged.
The report Of the committee, which
was adopted. Endorsed the council of ma
tional defense and pledged the unquali-
fed support of the business interests
of the country to the government. The
report affirmed the position of the ma
tional chamber in support of the prin-
ciple of universal military training,
and the opinion was expressed that no
principle is more in accord with re-
publican form of government, no doc
trine more truly democratic than that
which asserts that every ablebodied
male citizen owes military service to
his country"