Evening star., 1921-03-01

! the debt" he said. The American
| people Will not tolerate such policy.
Delegates and Guests.
! Delegates from sixteen southern
states and Latin American diplomats
as guests of honor. attended the
opening session of the twelfth an
nual convention Of the congress.
| which was presided over by Thomas
X. Preston of Chattanooga. president.
| In addition to Senators Fletcher and
! Willis. Mr.. Preston also delivered an
address dealing with national policies
! All three speakers warned of dangers
| which the incoming administration
! must avoid if America Is to return to
a condition of normalcy.
! Senator Willis championed Mr..
! F'. rding's policy of nationalisrn.
I'VE need now, as never before.
policy of nationalism,' he declared,
! 'Americanism must not give way to
| nternatonalism; if the nation is TO
live and prosper it must be self-con-
| scious and self-reliant. 1t must un-
| der no circumstances surrender it's
| sovereignty. and with all its power 1t
must stand for justice and progress
among the nations Of the earth
A. to CnnceIing of Debt.
AS to his suggestion for the cancel
lation of the European debt. Senator
willis said.
There is no DISPOSITION to deal
harshly with tn" allied nations who
are our debtors. but they must recog-
niZe the binding force of their obli-
cations. Their West Indian posses
sions would be of greater value to
this country than to any other.
We have no disposition to be ag-
gressive or to take any territory con-
trary to the wishes of its inhabitants.
Our course N Cuba is the best proof
of this. but these islands, which are
the natural protectors of the Panama
canal route. geographically belong to
the United States rather than to Eu-
ropean powers. From all reports the
vast majority Of their inhabitants
would welcome such control over
their affairs as is exercised by the
United states over Porto Rico
senator FIetcher's Address.
Senator Fletcher's address dealt al
most entirely with the merchant ma
rine and questions related to the de-
velopment of American commerce. He
traced the history of the growth of
the merchant marine and declared
that great program was formulated
by the shipping board which the ar
mistice alone prevented from being
completed.
'"The Shipping Board and Fleet Cor
poration achieved a triumph mat will
be historic he declared q
Senator Fletcher said that the gov
ernment now owns 1876 merchant
vessels and that we are carrying in
American bottoms 40 per cent of our /
overseas comnerce-some months as
much as 60 per cent He advocated |
sai. to foreign countries needing them
of our wooden ships, which cannot b"
economically operated in ocean trade. |
The SHINING Rna r0 he continued 1
should not Immediately give up oper-
ating the government ships remaining
on hand. The seventy seven vessels
in Latin American service, $4,000
increase the trade which competitors
will endeavor to take from US.
The immediate call of the whole |
country is he declared, Ito see to it |
thai our shipping shall not pass to
the control of foreign interests and, |
Of a few big concerns. who will con- f!
centrate all traffic in one or two parts |
of the country, receiving and deliver |
ing cargoes only at such centers.
If either of these things come to !
pass we will have thrown away our |
golden opportunity: our commerce |
and industries will suffer immeasur- !
ably; America will again revert to the |
humiiating and embargoed trafficker /
Oh the seas
President Preston Opens Convention. I
President Preston, in his address
opening the convention. discussed the !
tremendous responsibility" confront
ing the next administration.
The country expects" he declared, |
Immediate repeal Of all war legis- !
lation and the conclusion of peace !
without delay: it expects the United /!
States to take leading part in the
laudable effort to make future wars |
improbable. if not impossible. The in |
coming administration must drastical- |
ly retrench and continue to do so; to |
spend as we have been spending for
the past two years invites bank |
ruptcy. Sound and efficient methods !;
should be adopted in every depart |
ment. Needless duplication. needless |
employees and needless expenditure !
should be at once diminished" !
Above all, Mr.. Preston continued, the !
government must take it's "blighting
hand off private business. He said:
"If it properly attends to it's own af- ;
fairs it will have no time for anything |
else. The broad proposition Of whether
or not the government shall invade the |
rea I'm of private business has, it ap-
pears to me, been answered in the |
negative for all time by the manner |
in which our railroad, airplane and !
shipping interests have been conduct
ed. The fragrant waste and inefficiency
show how incompetent and ill-prepared
the government is to conduct private
affairs. A few more years of such
ma nagement as we have witnessed and
the bottom of the taxpayers pockets
will have been reached"
A resume of the accomplishment of
the Southern Commercial Congress was
presented by DR.. Clarence J. Owens,
director general of the organiza ton,
at the beginning of the morning ses-
sion.
At the afternoon session of the con-
vention addresses will be delivered by
Senators Owens of Oklahoma, Rams
dell of Louisiana and Edge of New
Jersey. Tonight a reception and grand
bail will be rendered the officers and
delegates at the New Willard Hotel.
mnMEN TO FIGHT II g