The New York herald., 1922-05-19
HARDING DECLARES
!. ERA OF PROSPERITY
ISAT HAND FOR u. S.
More Than Trade Revival;
Country Is Finding
Itself, He Says.
AMERICA Is NOT ALOOF
But Our Own Affairs Should
Not Be Wrecked to Aid !.
Other Lands.
OUR PRINCIPLES RIGHT'
Tells Business Men to Give
Example of Commercial Ma
ton With Conscience
OUR PRINCIPLES RIGHT,

WASHINGTON. May 1S.-President
Harding speaking to-day before the
Chamber of Commerce of the United
States declared that the country "at
this very moment is on the threshold
OF new era" that business is re-
viving and the country is finding it.
self"
The Government, he said. was
greatly interested in restoration OF
normal world business and economic
conditions, and he added that there
was no disposition on its part to hold
aloof from other nations. American
industry, however, he said, should no.
be destroyed to build up the com.
merce of other lands.
IF there is any one realization"
said the President, which fixes itself
more firmly than another in the mind
of one charged with great RESPONSE
bility. 1t is the conviction that the
business life of the republic is the
reflex of all its good fortunes.
think can venture to say that com.
merce and civilization go hand in
hand: and were it not for commerce
there would be no civilization.
Commerce I'm Forefront.
From the viewpoint of one in au-
thority and having responsibility
comes another consideration. Com
merce finds its place in all our con.
siderations. Undoubtedly 1t had
much to do with the bringing about
of the world war, and think / can
say just as confidently that it was
never once forgotten in the negotia-
tions of peace. 1t is so inextricably
associated with all we do that COM
merce is always foremost in the life
Of any people.
! I'VE in America-I am sure II Ia
not unseemly to say it-are CONNER.
cially great people. and we ought to
| be- God blessed us most bountifully
in resources. In the citizenship of
this republic is the blend of every
people in the world, almost. and I
like to say l believe we are unex.
celled in genius: we are incompatible
in our industry, and we have the
talent and the determination-the
righteous determination-to be com.
mercially one of the foremost nations
of the world.
This aspiration to excel is ever an
impelling one because we have
learned from our observations of
social and civic life that from the
great golden stream OF commerce
flows everything in life worth while.
Makes Life worth while.
"If ii were not for this golden
stream that comes from exchanges.
from productivity and exchanges,
there would be little of education:
there would be less of art; there
would be few OF the finer attachments
which make life worth while.
while l am speaking very briefly,
| wish to speak, ladies and gentlemen,
for commerce with a conscience.
"If | were to bring only one adj
monition to you / would like to
charge you men and women of influ
ence and responsibility with the task
OF eliminating from American COM
merce those who do not have con
science. whose constituencies prac.
tices bring that criticism which some.
htimes attends our American activities.
Something has been said, and I
think opportunely said, that we want
a period in America with less Gov
ernment in business and more busi.
ness in Government II the com.
merce of America were always con.
scientious. there never would be n
single excuse for Government in
American business.
There is not an agency in Ameri.
can life which can so quickly put an
end TO abuses and offenses in Ameri.
can commerce as those who are con.
spicuous in the leadership OF that
commerce.
1T will not do to pursue the activl.
ties with which we Americans are so
eminently connected without a mind.
fulness OF everybody involved. Com.
merce cannot be adjusted alone TO
the fortunes of the captains of indus.
try.
There always must be n thought
OF the great mass without whom there
could be no productivity on tte one
hand and little consumption on the
other.
And I beg to remind you that, the
great world war. like every o,her oar