The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1919-03-08
Cadillac Head Makes
Optimistic Forecasts
For Reconstruction

II was wise man-probablv an
lrishman-who first said that most CT
our troubles never happen. And it
must have been a friend OF his who
added the sage advice: Never sell
short on the United States"
As a manufacturer. / feel disposed
TO face the future with both of these
maxims in mind. The reason / look
forward with a feeling Of confidence
Is that I can see nothing in the situa-
ton to warrant any other feeling.
When a nation has most of the money
in the neutrality-suspicious. speak
ing-and the world owes it a heavy
debt besides. ] should say that il &C.
cupied an advantageous Position.
II you find, in addition to this, that
the same nation has on hand No sur
PLUS or oversupply OF any essentials.
it would seem to me that this con-
stituted another heavy asset. Look
ing around. 1 am not able to find that
we are overstocked in anything Of
conseouence-wheth il be locomc
tives or freight cars, wheat, fuel. or
What-not In other words, il would
look as though we were facing a huge
future with clean stocks and empty
shelves, and an enormous capacity I"
produce.
Two Splendid Crops.
We have had two magnificent crops
in succession, and are promised an
ether; our supply of essential mir
erals is as far from exhaustion as
ever; and bank balances and savings
hank accounts are mounting steadily
higher and higher in spite of the
enormous popular investment in Gov
eTnment securities.
This nation may. for aughU know,
pass through another panic in years
TO come. But as I study the situation
I am forced to the conclusion that il
a panic ever does come, il will have
TO be produced by some new cond,-
ton that does not now eXist-by some
cause that has never created a panic
before.
If wanted to sit down and WORK
at it. suppose l could have as many
doubts and misgivings about the So
called reconstruction of America as
the next man. But, in the face OF the
facts have just cited end a volume
OF other evidence I cannot even touch
upon in this review, am not able t.
bring myself to the point of doing IT.
Moreover, I never did like that eX
preston about facing a crisis" Ct
Solved Nv C,rarIIing.
Ny experience with problems is
that they cease TO De p~oblcms a.
soon as you stop confronting. auI lie
gin to grappIe. Fortunately. most
American business men feel the same
way, and not only feel that way. but
act that way, which j. a SrcI- deal
better. For instance. ii il only 4 few
American business men who sat down
to lunch together, seemed to be :c--
ribly exercised over the precise man.
ner in which we were all going 10
resume business" Some Of US grew
very heated. and predicted dire cal
amity unless the War Industries
Board agreed 10 act as nurse TO
American business for AT least a year
10 come. Others took the opposite
side-and painted a picture just as
black, and just as gloomy.
The truth OF the matter was that
all Of us were "resUming' Just IS
hard and fast as we knew how. while
we were still talking about il in our
spare moments. The only spare mo-
ments an American business man has.
by the way. are during the lunch
hour, and the talk he INDUCES in at
o
is often just his way OF enjoying
himself.
Pays 10 PE Deep.
Seriously. isn't il a fact that most !
Of our national problems are solved 1
before the editors Of the monthly mag /
zines ever get a chance to talk about (
them? It's all right to discuss the !
conditions Of today-they should be 4
Inf
manufacture. that il pays also 10 try 4
10 dig a little deeper. If I find my
self inclined to be Hurried by some |
= hing somebody did yesterday. or /
threatens to do tomorrow. ] try TO /!
take a long, deep breath. count ten. /
and repeat TO myself: Never sell /
short on the United States"
How are fundamental conditions IN /
America? Are they wholesome and \
sound, and do they look as though /
hey furnished a solid foundation for |
The future? That's the main ques- Z
Tion-in fact the only one For In /
stance, ] seem 10 discern. just now. |
a certain fear Of too much radical 4
thought in America Now, I've got /
a stubborn idea that. as q matter Of 4
fact. we are one OF the most progress !
sively conservative peoples on the I
face OF the earth today. II wouldn't .
surprise me If we We're actually more /
conservative in the long run than our
good friends in Great Britain. When /
] say that, ] am thinking OF the rule I
aBd not the exceptions ] am think /
ing OF the homes, and OF the bulk Of (
the people, and not the groups. ] am 4
linking also OF useful instrument 1
known as the Constitution.
Good Natured People.
But I am thinking above ell, that,
taking by-and-large, we are a we'll
:ntentioued people, and a good ma I
fured people, We don't always do
The right thing by each other. but
we've got the disposition TO ia, IT.
and that's long step toward the So