Connecticut western news., 1920-04-22
WOOD OPPOSES
 HEAVY WAR TAX
We Must Take ShackIes Off Our Business, He Warns, and
 Spread the Burden.

Leonard Woods career has not been that of a business man in the narrower application of that term. This means that, while business activities, in many varied forms, have been a necessary part of his duties as soldier, an ad- ministrator and an executive, he has never been factor in commercial en- terprises. Nevertheless, by looking at business through telescope, rather than a microscope, and by the posses sion of that real sympathy with busi- ness enterprise that Is characteristic of all active-minded Americans, Wood Is especially we'll qualified to speak words of wisdom upon both the larger and the minor business issues that have developed since the war ended.
 Upon excess profits tax and topics generally allied thereto, Wood says:
 "We want to do everything possible to push forward American business. We must not be afraid of encouraging good business, no matter how big 1t Is. Tn recent years, the opinion has grown up in this country among cer- tain classes. of people that big busi- ness Is bad business and should be suppressed. As a mater of fact, no matter how big. business Is, If 1t Is a good business, if it is beneficial to the people, 1t should be encouraged. On the other hand, no business Is too small to be controlled and regulated if it is bad business. It is not the size of the business which is to be con- sidered. It is the character of it. The world is going through reorganization in all lines of endeavor-an extensive organization which Is beneficial to the people should be encouraged. We shall be greatly assisted in building up business If we can spread the war burden a longer period of years. This war was fought not for ourselves alone, but for posterity, and it seems hardly just that the burden of the war should be borne exclusively by the present generation, especially the ex- cess profit tax, which has a strangle hold upon business. It tends to para lyze initiative; to restrict expansion. We do not want to do anything which hampers business expansion.
 Must Develop Foreign Trade.
 England, although bearing a tre- mendous load of debt, is doing every thing to help build up her commerce, replace her shipping, gain possession of the natural trade areas, for she realizes that upon the re-establish- ment of her trade and commerce de- bends her national stability. We must take the shackles off our business. We must stimulate enterprise and invest meAt. We have never had such an opportunity. We must develop South American and Central American trade. We must develop our Mexican trade and protect our citizens and our in- terests in that unhappy land, and we must keep an eye on the door i'll the Far East and see that it is not closed against us, for there is an immense op- portunity for commerce in that direc- tion, commerce which we will lose to an enterprising rival unless we awaken to the realization of our present oppor- tunities.
 America has been developed almost wholly by private initiative, through private enterprise, and we must look to a continuance of this policy under wise governmental regulations for our future development.
 "The naturalization of industry would mean the paralysis of private initiative and lead to national deca- dence. We must develop our indus tries und,c such protection as may be needed actually to protect those who need proteetion-not protection for the purpose of developing monopoly at the cost of the people"