Palatka daily news. [volume] (Palatka, Fla.) 1919-1994, 1922-05-16
National Chamber of
Commerce Hears Mat
ter Dissected
PRES. DEPRESS TALKS
Must First Aid Europe
to Get Back to Its
Feet
IBy Associated Pressl


business conditions are on the mend
in this country the improvement
throughout the world and particular
ly in Europe since the war;" has not
been sufficient to justify optimism
as to the future" Joseph H. DeFrees,
president of the Chamber Of Com
merce of the United States, declared
here today in opening the tenth an
nual meeting of the chamber. Lay
ing before the convention attended
by some five thousand delegates from
every section of the country, the key
note problem to be considered, "Eu-
ropean conditions in their effect on
American business" Mr.. DeFrees
said:
"When we look eastward to the
center of modern civilization in Eu-
rope to the markets of half our ex-
port trade, it is only the hopelessly
ignorant or the incurable optimist
who can work out any immediate as
surance of comfort or stability.
Hunger and it's kinsman, bolshev-
ism, still stalk menacingly across the
stage, wars and rumors of wars are
yet in progress, boundaries are not
fixed, governments are not secure,
finances are not in turmoil. These
things that we fought for, the defeat
of militarism and the safety of our
own and other free governments have
not yet been attained. How and when
we shall aid, we who are most pow
erful to aid, in restoring stability in
Europe in our own interest as we'll
as in theirs, are, ! assert, the great
est and most immediate problems be-
fore American business today"
BalfOur Makes Address.
The convention also addressed at
the opening session by Arthur Bal
four, vice president of the Associa-
tion of the British Chambers of
Commerce, who spoke on the econom-
ic and industrial situation of Europe.
"In England" Mr.. Balfour said,
"and in some other countries we have
seen the worst. We are reaching
economic conditions where trade on a
proper basis will again be possible,
and l am hopeful that before the end
of the year trade will begin to flow
in its normal channels.
'It is imperative that you and we,
the great Anglo-Saxon people of the
world, should stand together, work
together, with the greatest possible
harmony for the reconstruction of
Europe. 1t is not alone the recon
struction of Europe which, whether
we like it or not, has been placed
upon Anglo-Saxon shoulders, but the
whole peace of the world depends on
us, and is our natural heritage, and
we must assume the burden and face
our responsibilities together"
The program for today also called
for number of group meetings, in
cluding the domestic distribution.
fabricated production and insurance
groups, which heard addresses ON
subjects of special interest to those
fields.
The afternoon session was devoted
to a ceremonial program in connec-
ton with the laying of the corner
stone for the new home of the ma
tional chamber here for which ground
already has been broken on a site
overlooking Lafayette square on the
north. The program called for ad-
dresses by Charles Nagel, who is Sec
retary of commerce and labor under
President Taft. called the organiza.
tion meeting which led to the forma-
ton Of the chamber, and by Harry A.
Wheeler, Of Chicago, the first presi-
dent Of the chamber.