Indiana daily times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1914-1922, 1921-12-06
Text of Presidents Address
WASHINGTON Dec Hardngs message to Congress

| to execute the proposed purpose of the
! Jones act. Only one conclusion has been
possible. Frankly, members Of House
and Senate, eager as 1 am to join you
| In the ma ling of an American Merchant
| Marine commensurate with our COM
merce, the announcement Of our com
mercial treaties would involve us in a
chaos OF trade relationships and add in
descrlbably to the confusion of the al
ready disordered commercial world.
No INTENTION TO TAKE
UP PROBLEMS IN DETAIL.
Our power to do so is not disputed,
/ but power and ships, without comfy of
| relauonship, will not give us the ex-
| panded trade which is inseparably linked
over, the applied reduction of duty for
which the treaty announcements were
necessary, encouraged only the carrying
OF duuaole imports to our shores, while
| the tonnage which unfurls the flag on
the seas is both free and dutiable, and the
eargoes which make national eminent
In trade are outgoing rather than in
coming.
lem in detail before you today 1t is
desired only to say to you that the exec
utlve branch of the Government, un-
influenced by the protest of any nation,
Tor none has been made, is well convinced
/ that your proposal, highly intended and
I
| with difficulties and so marked by ten
dencles to discourage trade expansion,
that l invite your tolerance of nopcom-
! pllance for very few weeks until a plan
may be presented, which contemplates no
greater draft upon the public treasury
! and which, though yet too crude to
oHer 1t today, gives such promise Of
expanding our merchant marine that it
| VIII argue It's own approval. 1t is
enough to say today that we are so pos
sessed Of ships. and the American inten-
ton to establish merchant marine is so
unalterable that a plan of reimburse
plated in the existing act, Will appeal
| TO the pride and encourage the hope Of
| all the American people,
There is before lou the completion of
| the enactment of what has been termed a
permanent tariff law, the word 'perma-
nent being used to distinguish 1t from
the emergency act which is the law to-
day. cannot too strongly urge an early
| completion of this necessary legislation.
IT Is needed to stabilize our industry at
home; it is essential to make more def
mite our trade relations abroad. More,
| 1t is vital to the preservation Of many
| OF our own industries which contribute
nation.
a storm Of conflicting opinion about any
| tarln revision. We cannot go far wrong
wnen we base our tariffs on the policy
! or preserving the productive activities
| our national prosperity.
AGAIN REMINDER
| OF WIRLD'S AFFAIRS.
Again comes the reminder that we
must not be unmindful of world con-
! dltions, that peoples are struggling for
! industrial rehabilitation and that we can
| not dwell in Industrial and commercial
exclusion and at the same time do the
! Just thing in aiding world reconstruc-
| ton and readjustment We do not seek
| selfish aloofness and we could not
| proht by II, were it possible. We recog-
! nize the necessity of buying wherever we
| sell and the permanency of trade lies
| IN its acceptable exchanges. We cannot
sell to others who do not produce, nor
can we buy unless we produce at home
Everything relating to trade. among
ourselves and among nations, has been
expanded, excessive, inflated, abnormal,
and there is a madness in finance which
no American policy alone will cure We
are a creditor Nation, not by normal
processes, but made SO by war 1t is
not an unworthy selhshness to seek to
save ourselves when the processes of
that salvation are not only not denied
to others but commended to them.
We seek to undermine for others by
authority by which they exist; We are OBJ
ugated to permit the undermining of none
Of our own which make for employment
and maintained activities.
Every contemplation magnifies the diff
| fculty Of tariff legislation, but the ne
cessity Of the revision is magnihed with
it. Doubtless we are justified I'm seeking
more flexible policy than we have pro-
vtded heretofore. ] hope a way will be
found to make for fexibility and elastic
ity, SO that rates may be adjusted to
meet unusual and changing conditions
which cannot be accurately anticipated. I
know Of no manner H. which to effect this
flexibility other than the extension OF
the powers Of the tariff commission so
hot am q
and wholly just administration of the
law
II am not unmindfuI of the constitu-
tional difficulties. These can be met by
who could proclaim additional duties TO
meet conditions which the Congress may
AT this point I must disavow any
desire TO enlarge the Executives powers
or add TO the responsibilities Of the Of
fee. They are already too large. II
there were any other plan. should pre-
fer it.
MANIFEST DIFFERENCES
ON MERITS OF VALUATION.
There is manifest difference Of opin-
ion about the merits Of American valua-
ton. Many nations have adopted deliv
cry valuation as the valuation for collect
ing duties; that IS, they take the cost of
imports delivered at this port of entry
as the tasis for levying duty. 1t is not
radical departure, in view Of varying con
dstions, and the disordered state of
money values to provide for American
valuation, but there can not be ignored
the danger Of such valuation, brought
to the level Of our own production costs,
making our tariffs prohtbitive. 1t might
do so In many instances where imports
ought to be encouraged. I believe Con-
gress ought we'll consider the desirability
Of the only promising alternative, namely.
n provision authorizing proclaimed Amer
lean valuation, under prescribed condi-
tions, on any given list of articles i'm
I'm this proposed flexibility, author
izing increases to meet conditions so
likely to change, there also should be pro-
visions for decrease. A rate may be Just
months from today. If our tariffs are to
be made equitable, and not necessarily
burdensome on imports and hinder our
trade abroad, frequent adjustment will be
the impossiDility of modification by act
Of Congress for any one Of a score of
lines without involving a long array of
schedules. I think we shall go q long
ways toward sterilization, II there Is
recognition of the tariff commissions fit
ness to recommend urgent changes by
proclamation.
CERTAIN ABOUT PUBLIC
OPINION ON TARIFF.
II am sure about public opinion IA
voring the early determination of our
tariff policy. There have been reassuring
slump which all the world has been ex-
periencing. Our unemployment, which
gave us grave concern only few weeks
ago, has grown encourag tngly less, and
Will attend the congressional declaration
that American industry will be held Sc
cure.
Much has been said about the pro-