Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1920-09-28

BALTIMORE, September Ex-senator
Warren G. Harding's speech In the 5th
Regiment Armory here last night was as
follows:
Fellow Americans: 1t is great
privilege to meet this assemblage.
Maryland has a large place in the
consciousness of America. Your citi-
zenship has been identified with stir
ring events in our country's history
You are adding richly to our national
store of learning and letters. For
many of us the teeming waters and
fruitful shores of Maryland have long
made existence more gracious
But your city and your state nave
come to stand for sterner things.
America looks upon newly set stage
today. The old order has passed,
never to return. The world war mas
wrought changes as stupendous In
the economic intercourse of nations as
in their political relations. Our COM
merce, our trade, our agriculture, our
industry, our financial are differ
ent, in their present phase and in
their future prospect, because of the
war and its aftermath. Old contacts
: have been broken, new forces have
been aroused. There has been shift
in vital centers. and cities, like indi-
viduals. are facing new opportunities
and greater responsibilities.
1t weeds no effort to realize how
Baltimore is seeking to meet this
changed requirement A more intense
industrial life, growing population,
a larger area, a busy waterfront
forerunner of an expanding COM
merce-an alert readiness to engage
in business venture and trade enter
prise-these are the swift impress
sions which crowd upon one, coming
as l do, for a hurried visit.
Much of what you may hereafter
do will depend. as heretofore. on
yourselves-on your energy, your en-
terprise. your business talent and
your industrial fidelity. But large
part will depend on the setting
within which your efforts are staged,
on the governmental policies which
are to be initiated. on the admins
1rative practices which are to be car
ried out-policies and practices of the
government at Washington as to
finance, taxation, price levels, credit
supply. business regulations, tariff
adjustments
Unpreparedness for Peace.
This is the warrant for my presence
fere this evening. 1t is to make clear
to you-men and women of Maryland
that there are certain things-to
only very few of which I shall be
able to refer-upon which. almost to
a peculiar degree, the well being of
your city and your state and the
pend. and as to which there should
be. on the part of governmental au-
fhority, prompt, earnest and sympa-
1hetic regard
with the country'S safety at stake,
YOU, as great industrial center,
swiftly modified your resources of
men and materials in the nations de-
tense, so since the armistice you have
wrestled with the task of beating
int MIR hsb has
been a task made harder and coStlier
by the unconcern and ineptitude of
governmental practice. Much as the
present administration has to answer
even more culpable has been it's de-
1iberate unpreparedness for peace.
War, however protraeted it's length
and ruthless its course, must even
tually come to an end. Wise states
manship will prepare for the inevi-
table ending before it comes; taking
counsel as to how the passing from
a wartime to a peace-time basis
may be effected at least cost. With
characteristic farsightedness. Great
Britain appointed committees of re-
construction as far back as 1s16-ac-
tually two years before the armistice,
at time when the end of the strug-
gle still seemed far of. Others of the
allies took like measures of precau-
ton, with the most favorable re-
suits.
President Rejects Suggestion.
Only in the United States was there
neither provision nor preparation.
Not a plan was fashioned. not a pro-
vision was made, before-or indeed
after-the armistice, to bridge the
passing from war to peace. This was
no mere oversight, but deliberate
avoidance. In September, 1918, an
earnest attempt was made in the Sem
ate, under republican sponsorship. to
create by concurrent resolution a joint
conversational committee ON recon.