The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1918-02-17
Fletche RetireS As
President of the
Commerce Congress

Washington. Feb. 16.-Secretary
Daniels in his address before the
members and guests of the Southern
! Commercial Congress at a dinner at
J the University Club last night given
| in honor of Senator Duncan L.
| Fletcher of Florida, the retiring Presi-
/ dent OF the Congress, and Judge Rob-
] ert W. Bingham, of Louisville, Ken
lucky, the new president, said:
! I'VE have no place in this country
for those exhibiting a pessimistic at
/ titude- Such men should be put to
| stevedoring under General Pershing
! That will be the best way for them
! to regain their normal attitude to-
! ward their country. The only senti-
/ Inents we have time for now are con-
| secratlon and courage. America has
! done more TO prepare for war in six
months than any other nation in the
| history of the world. We are taking
men who never in their lives drove
n rivet and turning them into the
/ uilders of the ships which viii
transport ter million of our soldiers
to France-nay, twenty million, II
necessary, to win this war. We are
now building more torpedo boat de-
stroyers than any other nation in the
world, and the day will never come
again when American commerce wi
/ not be carried to every port on the
seas Under the American flag.
Energy Due TO Senator Fletcher.
"A great deal of this tremendous
program is due to the foresight and
energy of your retiring president.
Senator Duncan L. Fletcher. Had
other members of Congress seen the
great need of shipping as he did, and
followed his lead, the biggest blunder
the United States has made in a de
cade would not have happened. and
the shipping bill would have passed
two years before. He had the vision
TO see that we need strong merchant
ma rine.''
On his retirement from the presi-
dency of the Congress in favor or
Judge Bingham, Senator Fletcher was
presented with a silver loving cup
Welcoming his successor to the presi-
dency of the Congress, Senator
Fletcher reviewed the work of the or
ganzation saying that it has literally
united the North and the South
through the unanimity of it's aims anG
the cooperation of it's efforts.
During NY seven years as presi
dent of the congress-" Senator Fetch
er said. Il have seen the commercial
development of the South greatly en-
HANGED. A large part of this is due
to the efforts of the gentlemen here
tonight We have accepted oppol
tunities for service which were sud-
denly presented and which the found
ers never anticipated would arise. We
have reached into foreign lands, ann
our literature name and influence
went with the flag. New energy has
come to the Congress, and as one who
has shared for seven years its burdens
and responsibilities, / congratulate the
officers and members of the congress
upon the happy choice of Judge Bing-
ham. the president of the Southern
Commercial Congress"
Pledges Support for War.
Judge Bingham pledged the efforts
of the Congress unreServedly to win
ring the war in his speech accepting
the chair.
ct is not the time for fault find
ing and criticism he said. The OBJ
legations of the hour rather demand
affirmative fidelity to those who arc
cur national leaders in the contest for
humanity against Teuto nautocracy
and injustice. The Southern CONNER
cial Congress will study to serve the
president of the United States 4
every opportunity and emergency.
The Treasury Department will re
cefve our active support in all its
work, the Department of Commerce
may expect our energetic service in
the field of foreign and domestic COM
merce We will cooperate with the
Department of Labor and with the
Department of Agriculture in encour-
aging intensive production of food
stuffs for ourselves, our country and
our allies: and the food administra-
ton. in it's every department, will
have the earnest support of the six
teen states included in the territory
of the Southern Commercial Cor
gress."
Among the guests at the dinner
we're members of the presidents
cabinet senators and congressman,
and prominent business and profess