The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1919-12-02
Presidents Message to Congress

growth of American business concern
ing tariff legislation, we must now ad-
just our own economic life to
changed condition growing out of the
fact that American business is full
! grown and that America is the great
est capitalist in the world.
Can Not Isolate U. S.
No policy Of isolation will satisfy
| the growing needs and opportunities
of America. The provincial standards
and policies of the past which have
i held American business as If in
strait-5acket. must yield and give way
to the needs and exigencies of the
new dayin which we live, day full of
hope and promise for American bust
| ness, If we will but take advantage Of
the opportunities that are ours for the
asking. The recent war has ended
! our isolation and thrown upon us
great duty and responsibility. The
United States desires for itself only
equal opportunity with the other ma
| tons of the world, and that through
| the process of friendly cooperation
and fair competition the legitive in
terests of the nations concerned may
be successfully and equitably adjusted
There are other matters of import
ance upon which l urged action at the
last session of congress which are
still pressing for solution. l am sure
1t is not necessary for me again to re-
mind you that there is one immediate
and very practicable question result
ing from the war which We should
meet in the most liberal spirit. 1t is
matter of recognition and relief to
our soldiers. l can do no better than
70 quote from my last message urging
this very action.
| we must see to it that our return
ing soldiers are assisted in every
practicable way to find the places for
which they are fitted in the daily
work of the country. This can be done
by developing and maintaining upon
an adequate scale the admirable or
SANITATION created by the department
of labor for placing men seeking
work; and it can also be done, in at
least one very great field, by creating
new opportunities for individual enter
| prise.
The secretary of the interior has
pointed out the way by which return
ing soldiers may be helped to find and
take up land in the hitherto unde-
,velOped regions Of the country which
the federal government has already
prepared or can readily prepare for
| cultivation and also on many of the
cut-over or neglected areas which lie
within the limits of the older states:
and l once more take the liberty of
recommending very urgently that his
plans shall receive the immediate and
substantial support of the congress-
| In the matter of tariff legislation. I
beg to call your attention to the state
| ments contained in my last message.
urging legislation with reference to
The establishment Of the chemical and
dyestuff industry in America.
Among the industries to which
special consideration should be given
is that OF the manufacture of dye
stuffs and related chemicals. Our
complete dependence upon German
supplies before the war made the
interruption Of trade a cause Of eX-
ceptional economic disturbance. The
close relation between the manufac-
ture Of dyestuffs. on the one hand
and of explosives and poisonous ga ses
on the other, moreover, has given the
industry an exceptional significance
and value. Although the United
States will gladly and unhesitatingly
Join in the program Of international
disarmament, it will, nevertheless, be
a policy Of obvious prudence to make
certain Of the successful maintenance
of many strong and we'll equipped
chamical plants. The German chemi.
cal industry, with which We will be
| brought into competition, was and may
we'll be again, a thoroughly knit mon
opoly capable Of exercising compe-
tition of peculiarly insidious and
dangerous kind"
During the war the farmer per
formed vital and willing service to
the nation. BY materially increasing
the production of his land, he sup
piled America and the allies with the
increased amounts Of food necessary
to keep their immense armies in the
field. He indispensably helped to
win the war. But there is now scarce.
ly less need of increasing the produc,
tion in food and the necessaries of
life. l ask the congress to consider
means of encouraging efforts along
these lines. The importance Of doing
everything possible to promote pro-
duction along economical lines. to I'M
prove marketing. and to make rural
life more attractive and heaithful is
obvious. | would urge approval OF
the plans already proposed to the con
gress by the secretary of agriculture.
to secure the essential facts required
for the proper study Of this question,
through the proposed enlarged pro-
grams for farm mana cement studies
and crop estimates. ! would urge