The New York herald., 1921-12-01
KAHN ATTACKS ALL
BLOCS IN CONGRESS
Selfishly Promote Class Adj
vantage in Business, AS
serts Banker.
ECONOMICS BIG PROBLEM
Stresses Need Of Spokesman to
Present Side Of Capital to
the Public.

All bloc activities In Congress are
condemned as pernicious by Otto H.
Kahn. banker, in a letter to the Com
rnittee of American Business Men. In
Nhich he accepts membership in the or
'anization. The committee is opposed
o the agricultural bloc in Congress.
Mr.. Kahn declares that business at
the present time stands In need OF a
'pokesman and an organizer one to pre-
sent to the public the side and views
Of business, to correct misinformation. to
meet attacks and spread the lessons OF
economies; the other, to marshal the
scattered forces of business and make
effective their legitimate influence in the
nation.
by that I do not mean business
bloc in Congress-" he says.
"All bloc activities, all sectional OF
class affiliations for political purposes
are pernicious and not comformable tc
the genius and the very underlying con-
ceptions Of our institutions. I mean an
intelligent and effective representation
of the aims and ideas of business In
public affairs. and a corresponding atti-
tude in primary and electoral campaigns
not In order to promote selfishly and
narrowly any class advantage OF bust
ness or capital. but, indeed. to prevent
the ascendancy of selfish and narrow
class and sectional interests, of crude
notions or demagogic appeal, and thus
aid in furthering the welfare and prog
ress of the nation.
Marrow visioned obliuuity. intracta-
BILE prejudice, opportunism. trimming
yielding to sheer vocifnration are at
tributes of too many politicians. These
are not attributes OF the American peo-
pie. Business can safely put its trust
in the masses of the people, provided IL
will go to the trouble to state Its case
clearly and fully"
Mr.. Kahn points out that the most
pressing problems of the day are not
political. or even primarily social, but
relate to matters OF practical economics.
ga fact which, though ignored, forgotten
or disregarded by the makers OF the
peace treaties of Versailles, has been all
too fully attested and brought home by
the painful experience of the past two
years"
Expert opinion must be given due con-
sderation In this country in order that
these problems of economics may be
solved. he asserts, adding: 'It is In
congruous and detrimental to legislate
on business matters without consulting
and needing business men, just AZ II
would be incongruous and detrimental
to legislate on farming problems with
out consulting and needing practical
farmers. 1t is sheer folly, and malig-
nant folly at that, TO think 1t is possi-
BILE TO shackle and hamper business, pen
slze success. disturb the delicately ad-
justed machinery of commerce and IL
rance. impede the flow of capital and
interfere with the free play OF economic
forces without causing harmful conse-
uuences to the country as whole and
to every section and calling.
There IL no confiict-on the contrary
there is identity Of interest-betweer
business and the rest OF the country
Business cannot prosper unless the rest
of the community prospers, and vice
versa"
This letter was given out yesterday by
Wil'iaIn Forbes Morgan. president o'
the Committee of American Business
Men, WHO announced that more than 50t
of the ,ading men Of the country have
Joined the organization among them
being Henry w. De Forest, Charles NJ
Schwab. John T. Pratt. Howard Elliott
Thomas A. Edison, Charles b. Seger
Charles A. Peabody, Cleveland n
Dodge, Adolph Lewisohn -enry Rogers
winthrop and Percy II. ohnston.