Omaha daily bee., 1919-02-19
President of Omaha Chamber
of Commerce Outlines Pur-
poses and Aims of
Session.


come by Mayor Smith for the city
of Omaha and Governor McKelvie
for the state of Nebraska, John w.
Gamble, president of the Omaha
Chamber of Commerce, gave a de-
tailed account of the scope, purposes
and aims of the Transmississippi
Readjustment congress. Mr.. Gam
bic said in part:
when we behold the terrible loss
Of so many young lives, when we
see so many incarnations of physical
and moral vigor, of intellect and of
glorious promise, pitilessly cut off
in their first flower, we are on the
verge of dispair.
Never before have the energies
and aspirations of men been flung
recklessly and necessarily into an
abyss, whence comes no sound or
answer. Never since it came into
existence has humanity squandered
its treasure its substance and its
prospects so lavishly.
1--WE have wondered uneasily what
the state of the world would be
after the great trial and what would
be left of it and what would be the
future of this stunted race, Shorn
of the best and noblest part of it.
1--WE know that if third or fourth
of the fabulous sums expended on
determination and destruction had
been devoted to the works of peace,
all the iniquities that poison the air
we breathe would have been tri-
umphantly redressed and that the
social question would have found
its definite solution once and for all
and in a happiness which now per-
haps even our sons and grandsons
will not realize.
Two to Three Millions Dead.
"We know that the disappearance
of 100000 or 100000 young exist
ences, cut down when they were ON
the point of bearing fruit, will leave
in history void that will not easily
be filled, and as we know that among
those dead were mighty intellects,
treasurers of genius which will not
come back again and which con-
tanned inventions and discoveries
that will now perhaps be lost to US
for centuries.
Granting all this, it is a good
thing to recover our balance and
stand upon our feet. Everything is
transformed nothing perishes and
that which seems to be hurled into
destruction is not destroyed at all.
Our moral world is a vast but her
metically sealed sphere, whence
naught can issue; whence naught
can dissolve in space. All that ex-
lists, all that comes into being upon
this earth, remains there and bears
fruit and the most appalling vast
age is but material or spiritual rich
es flung away for an instant to fall
to the ground again in new form.
The Congress.
ITO put into practical suggestions
the ideas expressed in the foregoing
statements, is the work of the Trans
mississippi Readjustment congress,
which it is our pleasure and our
honor to entertain at this time.
THE initial work already has been
done. At the Atlantic City meeting,
held last December, under the aus
pieces of the Chamber of Commerce
Of the United States, the first step
was taken This was probably the
most remarkable meeting that has
ever been held in this country and
the effects of this meeting are al
ready being felt in all sections of the
country. 1t was evident to all who
attended, that while this meeting
was the first step, other steps must
follow in their logical order
The east being essentially manu-
featuring, the work that was done
had to do very large with this in
dustry. 1t went urther than
this, however, aAu TIC expression
that came out of this meeting was
the expression not only of what
would be done in this section, but
also was an expression of many
other parts of the country as to our
course of action with reference to
big national problems
THE slogan. Food will win the
war" has probably been more inn
pressed upon the minds Of the
American public than any other slo-
gan that has had to do with the
war. 1t is very fitting, therefore.
that we discusse the food prob
lens during the readiustment
period. The 18 states represented
in this congress, are essentially food
producing states and it is fortunate
indeed that Omaha has the honor of
being the means through which this
great region finds expression on this
all important question.
"The sudden transition from a
peaceful nation to a war-like nation