Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1922-06-04
By John Hay. Hammond.

| John Hnys Hammond, often
mentioned ms the worlds grcnt-
| cat engineer. md one time mem
toned ms the probable Secretary
of Commerce In Pre.ident Hnrd-
fnE'H Cabinet. II in addition TO
| being great engineer a highly
Developed economic expert md
authority on International prob
lens. HlS contentious ns out
| lined In the following article give
fooh Tor thought, md the more
| they Hre studded the more poHsI-
biiitles nre open for the average
| mnn TO absorb.
The world Just now seems TO be
| deep In the slough OF deqpond and
| nations In working out their own
! economic salvation seem TO be try
ing 70 pull themselves out Of the
miro By their bootstraps /. they
would adopt a policy OF mutual help
| tulness aud reciprocity and exert
! themselves To rXttIcato their neigh
h"rs, nations could COON again reach
terra hrma ana henccforth the road
70 thar seemingly elusive norma'cy
| 10 which "" aspire would he safe
! To trhve! with only the ordinary OBJ
! stacles Incident Ia the onward march
| OF civilization. This would be the
spirit OF enlightened sclf-intercst
which until tho coming Of tho mil
| lenium. is the only dependable motive
| for the cooperation Of nations. or
! OF individuals, and the only enduring
| basis for international or for indus
trial peace.
The spirit OF enlightened aelf-in-
| terest prcsupposes the recognition of
the principle OF economic intcrde.
pendence. one must emphasize the
qualification Of intelligent self-in-
terest. for un!ntcliigent self-interest
Is largely responsible for lack Of
remedial cooperation. There could
be no more useful campaign of educa-
ton Than 20 impress upon every
class .: every community its de-
pcndencc for wcil-heing upon IN.
general welfare. This is not
prehchmert OF nm ideal. nor merely
the cnunciatIon OF an ethical princi-
pie. but IL the aim 10 dnvelop the
power OF conception OF that great
underlying principle which !nevi-
tahiy must he tho guide in human
relations. This conception does not
In any way imply the aubordination
OF high ethical standards to expedi-
cncy.
Mutual BENEFITS
In order 10 attain cooperative en-
dcavor essential to national indus
trial efficiency, We must recognize
the interdcpe Of the Industries
OF the country and the mutually OF
| interests. We must realize for ex.
ample. tho dependence OF agriculture
! on the prosperity OF the manutac-
| turing industry. for In the manufac-
! turing ccnters II hnds its best mar
Rci. and that conversely Mi indus
| tries are benefited by the prosperity
! OF tho farmers. since more than so
/ per cent OF the countrys purchasing
/ power Is derived from the products
| Of the farms
| We must realize that the tariff Is
| an economic. and not a political,
problem, and that 1t should be
treated accordingly in ,ar.r !egisla-
zion. and that the keynote OF our
economic and fiscal legislation must
ever to to preserve unimpaired the
Integrity Of our domestic Industries
and the purchasing power Of our In
comparable home market--a market
which absorbs more than 80 per
cent Of tho products OF American
labor. In value twice that OF the to-
tai trade OF tho entire world.
We must realize that In the build
ing up OF an American merchant ma
rine. which is Indispensable to the
adequate development OF our foreign
trade, there must be no provincial
ism: that for example. our great
Midd!. West which contributes al
most one-half OF the total exports
or the United states. is as much
beneficiary OF an American merchant
marine rs are our seaboard States
An To Immigration.
I; !s important that defnitive
policy ne established. and that tho
admission OF immigrants be chiefly
determined ty the labor required to
supply the needs OF our domestic
market. plus the relatively small
percentage OF products destined for
export. II Is better in the long run
to suffer from temporary lack OF
labor than to face the danger OF a
congested labor market and conse-
quent unemployment with resulting
social distress.
There has been great Improvement,
In the labor situation. not only in
this country but abroad. within re-
cent months. Productivity has in
creased very considerably. although
by no means has IL reached the de-