New-York tribune., 1919-09-06
Fears Restriction
OF American Trade

Ot American Trade
81 suppose that most of you realize
that it is going to be very difficult
for the other nations that were en-
gagged i'll this war to get financially
on their feet again. l dare say you
read the other day the statement of
Mr.. Herbert Hoover's opinion--an
opinion which | always greatly re-
spcct-that it will be necessary for
the United States imme >.iately to ad-
vance four or five billion dollars for
the rehabilitation of credit and in
dustry on the other side of the water,
and ! must say to you that | learned
nothing in Paris which would leave
me to doubt that conclusion. And I
think the statement of the sum is a
reasonable and conservative state
ment.
eff the world is going bankrupt. if
credit is going to be destroyed, if the
industry Of tie races of the world is
going to be interrupted, our market
is confined to the United States,
trade will be impossible except with
in our own borders. If we are to
save our own markets, we must save
the financial situation of the world
and rehabilitate the markets of the
world.
Germany can't pay for this war
unless her industries are revived, and
the treaty Of peace sets up great
commission known as the reparation
commission in which it was intended
that there should be member from
the United States. as we'll as from
other countries, and the business of
this commission will be in part to
see that the industries Of Germany
are revived in order that Germany
may pay this great debt which she
owes to civilization. That repara-
tion commission can determine the
currents of trade, the conditions of
credit, of international credit; it can
determine how much Germany is 60
ing to buy, where it is going to buy
and how it IS going to pay for it,
and if we must, to save ourselves,
contribute to the financial rehabili-
tation of the world, then, without
being members of this partnership,
we must put our money in the hands
of those who want to get the markets
that belong to US,
u. S. Would Play
A "Frozen-Out Hand"
"That is what these gentlemen call
playing lone hand. 1t is, indeed,
playing lone hand-it is playing a
hand that is frozen out. We must
contribute the money which other ma
tions are to use in order to rehabili-
tate their industry and credit, and we
must Lake them our antagonists and
rivals and not our partners.
Il put that proposition to any
business man, young or old, in the
United States and ask him how he
\ l.,
that a useful way for the United
States to stand alone. We have got
to carry this burden of reconstruc-
ton, whether we will or not, or be
ruined, and the question is shall we
carry it and be ruined anyhow, for
that is what these gentlemen propose,
that at every point we shall be en-
barrassed by the whole financial af-
fairs of the world being in the hands
of other nations.
"The men who propose these things
do not understand the selfish inter
ests of the United States. Because
here is the rest of the picture-hot
rivalries, burning suspicious, jeal-
ousies, arrangements made every
where, if possible, to shut US out be-
cause if we won't come in as equals
we ought to be shut out
IAS IL StdllUS IlOW, cFcIN udtIOn
trusts U.s. They look to us They
long that we shall undertake any
thing for their assistance rather than
that any other nation should under
take it. And If we say we are in this
world to live by ourselves and we get
what we can out of it by any selfish
process. then the reaction will change
the whole heart and attitude of the
world toward this great, free, justice
loving people, and after you have
changed the attitude of the world
what have you produced? Peace?
Why, my fellow citizens, is there any
man here or any woman, let me say,
is there any child who does not know
that the seed of war in the modern
world is industrial and commercial
rivalry?
"Ladies and gentlemen, don't say
it because l am an American and my
heart is full Of the same pride that
fills yours, with regard to the power
and the spirit of this great nation,
but merely because it is a fact which
l think everybody would admit out
side of America, as we'll as inside Of
America-the organization contem-
plated by the league of nations, with
out the United States, would merely
be an alliance and not league of
nations. 1t would be an alliance in
which the partnership would be be-
tween the more powerful European
nations and Japan--and the other
party to the world arrangement, the
antagonist. the disassociative party
the party to be standing off and to
be watched by the alliance, would be
the United States of America.
Must Have Great
Army, He Declares
This war was commercial and
industrial war 1t was not polti-
cal war. Very we'll, then, if we
must stand apart and be the hostile
rivals Of the rest of the world, then
we must do something else-we
must be physically ready for any
thing to come We must have q
great standing army. We must see
to it that every man in America is
| trained to arms. We must see to
| it that there are munitions and guns
enough for an army. That means a
mobilized nation. They are not only
laid up in store. but they are kept
up to date so that they are ready
to use tomorrow. And what does
that mean? Reduction Of taxes? No.
Not only the continuation of the
| present taxes, but the increase of
the present taxes.
ut means something very much
more serious than that. We can
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