Evening star., 1919-07-27
CAPITAL
FOR TRADE OF WORLD
Near Future to See Commercial Destinies
of All Nations Directed From
This City.

lands. Frances, Italy's. from fifty to
100 years each.
Then President Taft, with Secretary
Nagle and fifty of the business lead
ers Of the country, organized in Wash
! ington what is now the Chamber OF
| Commerce of the United States, the
| largest and most substantial bust
ness organization in the world. 1t is
! federation, not an association; or
ganiZed like the federal government.
working through its l,177 affiliated
| organizations as the federal govern
ment works through the several
states. The United States Chamber of
| Commerce now has an underlying
! membership of $4,000 of the most
| progressive business men in this
country, and that means the keenest
| business men in the world
Put Washington on Map.
1t is the United States Chamber of
Commerce that has put Washington
on the map as business capital of the .
| United States and soon-to be business
capital of the world. 1t was the
| United States Chamber of Commerce
that arranged for the international
trade conference here in September. 1t
represents the business force of the
entire United States
| When the United States went into the
war to finish it-and finish it quickly
vast supplies of all kinds were
wanted in quantities that had never
before been dreamed of. New indus
| tries had to be developed; some of the
old industries had to be converted;
all industrial life had to achieve
maximum production and then multi
ply it. In order that there might be
| superlative 100 per cent or better CO.
operation between the government
and industry. the United States Cham
Der of Commerce was asked to or
ganize, for intensive, specialized work
with the war industries board. war
service committees representing the
various industries. There were $40
of them put to work. The economies
effected and the speeding up of pro-
duction amazed the world and made
victory possible. l5 'ff
Those war service committees are
still at work, helping to dispose of
surplus stocks, and helping now to
foster and preserve the greatest bene-
fit to American business and to ma
tional life that came out of the war
time partnerships better mutual un-
derstanding. Hsl7
Memorial to Business.
There is soon to rise in washing
ton great memorial to business in
the war, not mere beautifully chased
marble, but great headquarters for
business. 1t is to be erected at Con
necticut avenue and H street, where
has stood the old Daniel Webster
home. The building is to cost $1,000
600. and with fittings s2,50O,o0o. 1t
is to be the home of the United States
! Chamber of Commerce. Here will be
preserved the spirit of confidence that
within the last three years has grown
up between the government and in
dustry-between officials and big busi-
ness. e..r....
1t is still undecided whether sixty
of seventy trade organizations which
1
will be given space in the new build
ing. But at any rate it win gather
/ about it and attract to Washington
, the home Offices and headquarters of
all the worthwhile industries in this
country. Assurances have also been
given that located here will be head
| quarters for commercial missions
| from many other countries, quite IA
| few of which have already come to
Washington negotiating for a share
| of American commerce.
The financial interests of the~o Old
world as well as of the new are turn
| ing their attention to Washington and
arranging for cooperation with and
through the United States Chamber
of Commerce. The American Bankers
Association has made arrangements
| to make headquarters here. Trans
portation, insurance and the other
| important branches of business activ-
| ity are all establishing their head of
| fees here to be in touch with the
business capital.
Joined in Fighting Foe.
What this building. erected as a
| memorial to business in the war
really means sentimentally can per-
| haps best be grasped by reviewing
| the names of few business leaders
| associated with what had heretofore
| been considered "soulless corpora
| tions," whose very names were anath-
| ema to the federal government-who
helped the government win the war
| by unifying business for 100 per cent
service: Charles NJ. Schwab, director
general of the Emergency Fleet Cor
poration; Bernard NJ. Baruch. chair
man of the war industries board, spe-
cial adviser of the President at the
peace conference and presumably Sc
lected for even more important re-
construction work; A. c. Bedford,
president of the Standard Oil of New
Jersey, who was chairman of the ma
tional petroleum war service COM
mittee; Henry p. Davidson, chairman
of the war council of the American
National Red Cross; Edward r. Set
tinius, assistant secretary of war, and
others too numerous to mention.
The government disliked and dis
trusted the business system which
these men followed in private enter
prise and sought to curb and cripple
chafed by red tape" in the govern