Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-09-27

Otto Fl. Kahn, Of Kuhn Loeb q Co., OF
Neto York. made an address before the
American Rankers' Association in Chicago
today. from tDhich the follotoing pertinent
paragraphs are taken:
WHAT is the underlying cause for the
w phenomenon that our boys. taken from
the most diversified walks of life. brought
up in surroundings and in a spirit when
are the very negation of martial disposition,
became in an incredibly short space OF time
soldiers OF frst-rate efficiency: that our busi-
ness men. farmers, mechanics. college boys
are making competent, indeed excellent OIL
GERS: that our West Pointers, taken from
small army posts or office positions in WASH
ington, were found qualified generally not
only to m large bodies Of troops, put
that among them were discovered men htted
when the emergency arose to plan and exc
cute the business undertakings of war on
a stupendous scale with a high. degree Of
organizing and administrative ability?
HAVE heard this debated a good many
times lately, both in England and France
and the consensus of replies Ia this: You
in America have always been a natlon ot
nriyate enterprise and individual inltiatVe'
Won have no caste. or fixed class. either aris-'
fNNravlC III
almost unlimited, perhaps too unlimited
scone to ambition, ability. force. magma.
t;on. hard work. Under the stimuIus ol
these conditions you have produced a race
daring, keen, ~quick-witted. adaptaoie' sen
rel,ant. The American Of today, as we see
hin, in the officers and men of your forces
and in the business men We have mes, Is
,ha nroduct of generations Of sturdy indt-
vidualism." N. I'D ,.
The Frenchman. would point out that
-, f--x-t>roo. NJ hnran nrrarv.
governmental Capitalization and paternaiism
Co. several generations, That system mad
famed enterprise, atrophied commercial OAR
ing retarded the development OF the couh-
trv In Russia bureaucracy and paternalism,
n,,s weak. corrupt and inefficient autocracy.
~ - ,.d 10 revolution, chaos and anarchy.
In Germany bureaucracy and paternalism.
Mus militarism and junkerism, mad resulted
in bringing untold misery upon the world
at large and inevitable, disaster IN the end
to the German people.
yET II cannot be gainsaid that there are
good many persons in France, as in
80, britain and America, who hrmly be-
,,aye that the era of individualism, or, as
INV nrefer to call 1t, capitalism, has come
to an end and that an entirely new Kinu
NJ social structure will be reared after the
war.
They. are very active, jealous and eager,
tbesc militant preachers of a new day. They
nossess the fervor of the prophet allied olten
~ the plausibility and cunning of the dema-
gogue. -
WYE HEAR a good deal nowadays OF Inc
w War After the War" That discussion
TO an extent, 1t seems to me. is premature.
But there Is one war after the war Tor
which the lines are now being drawn, and
which. indeed, the attacking party has al
ready started, although 1t was the country's
General understanding that until the war
against our external enemy Is won Internal
| conflicts should be postponed: That Is the war
of the motley army against those who believe
that the accumulated wisdom OF centuries
of human experience is wisdom still ana
who see in individualism the soundest and
most effective instrument for the advance
ment and the happiness of humanity .
THE individualism we believe In gives in
centive 70 every man to put forth his best
effort, while at the same tinre 1t recognizes
fully the right and the duty of the State
to impose upon business reasonable super
vision, restraints and regulations to take
measures destined to raise the general level
of popular well-beins.
Indivldualism frankly denies that the world
can be run on a theory which presupposes
the existence Of mental. moral and physical
equality between men. Equality before the
law, equality OF political rights-yes, equal
ity of'opportnnlty, as far as humanity pos
ii you fsaiIr. that II ali incomes above