The New York herald., 1921-10-27
Attacks Solid South The
ory, Also Lining Up Blacks
as G.. O. P. Adjunct.
CLASS IGNORANCE WRONG
President Warns SOutherners
to Avoid Driving Away Col
ored Population.

eDecial Despatch TO THE NEW YORK HERALD
BIRMINGHAM, Ala, Oct. 26.-Presi-
dent Harding to-day at Birmingham,
the greatest industrial centre of the
South, enunciated new policy. so far
as the Republican party and the ma
ton are concerned, on the race issue.
The President without equivocation
and with great emphasis declared to
IN audience, which so far as its white
components We're concerned was hos
tile to him politically, that the black
race could not and should not aspire
TO social or racial equality, and that
1t must and should have political and
economic equality.
In his address the President cast
aside political considerations and ran
counter to the advice and suggestion
of some Of the ablest workers in the
Republican party.
The effect of the address is problem
at.csl, but 1t fell cold upon the largest
audience Mr.. Harding has addressed
since he took the oath Of Office. Biz
,ningham, celebrating ITS semi-centen-
nial turned out an enormous crowd.
which gave to the President a welcome
AT every one of half a dozen functions
in honor of the Chief Executive and OF
the city. Because of the crowds size
AMI the unfavorable situation 1t was
manifest that thousands did not hear.
j. was significant that the races were
segregated in the audience by the local
committee on arrangements.
Social Equality Phase.
The President said "Mcn of both
races may well stand uncompromis-
lrgly against every suggestion Of social
equality. Indeed it would be helpful
to have that word equality eliminated
from this consideration; to have It ac-
copied on both sides that this is not a
question of social equality but a ques-
ton of recognizing fundamental.
eternal and inescapea Bile difference"
,t Il was significant that the Presidents s
principal speech prepared in advance
and delivered from the text almost
without variation, was addressed to
"aIr. Mayor. Citizens Of Birmingham
and All People of the South HIs
principal speech here to-day follows in
full:
seen the Birmingham district and the
marvels of this regions industrial de-
velopment, whether any of us have yet
quite realized the significance OF the
fact that Birmingham has been called
The Magic CITY, The basic charac-
teristic industry on which modern civili-
zatlon rests is iron and steel, and Bir-
bingham is the worlds last word in de-
velopment Of the iron and steel indus
tries.
1--WE have come here to pay tribute
TO the marvellous achievement of n
brief half century to which this city
and its industries stand as a monu-
lnent. They testify to us how far the
South has progressed in a single genera
ton: the generation since slavery was
abolished and the rule of free labor and
unfcttered Industrial opportunity be-
came the rule of all of our great re-
public.
Somewhere my attention has been
called to the legend, possibly his
torical fact, that when Fernando de
Soto was leading his expedition of ex-
ploration and conquest from Florida TO
the Mississippi, some of his metal work.
ers not only discovered the wonderful
deposits of coal. limestone and iron ore
jn this area and told De Soto that here
was an even greater treasure house
than that which he was seeking; not
IN El Dorado of precious metals, but
the opportunity for making the worlds
dominating iron industry. have been
told. I do not know whether 1t is lit
orally true. that the first reduction of
iron in this district was actually ac-
complished by members OF the De Soto
party who supplied certain Of the ex-
peditions needs by smelling some of
these wonderful ores. But De Soto was
led on by the mirage which filled his
vision and instead of the pot of gold
he sought. ne found the mighty Missis-
slppi and in 1t his grave.
Used by Andrew jackson.
80 far as concerns more modern de-
velopmert. II appears that Gen. Andrew
jackson also utilized your mineral and
metal riches. When he was on his
march TO New Orleans for the great
battle in which the yeomanry of the
South won the single notable land VIC
tory Of the War Of 1912, his metal
lurgls.s discovered that from these
easily smelted ores they could supply
their requirements OF iron. of which
they stood in great need. Accordingly,
they erected rude furnaces and reduced
considerable quantities OF iron. From
that time on there appears to have been
more or less sporadic and intermittent
utilization OF these deposits, and during
the civil war they provided a consid-
erable part Of the needs OF the South.
"In shis connection have many times
wished that there might be a wider ap-
probation OF the energy. resourcefulness
and genius for Industrial development
'yh'ch the people OF the South demon
strated during that war. Essentially an
aristocratic agricultural region. the
South suddenly confronted the need to
turn out iron and steel, and vast
complexity OF their products which were
absolutely essential to the conduct OF
the war. Not only did they arise to the
Continued on Pare EOur