Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1922-05-17

Present and former secretaries Oh
the Department of Commerce and
leading men of the United States
Chamber of Commerce participated
yesterday afternoon in impressive
ceremonies accompanying the laying
of the corner stone of the chambers
proposed s2,50o.0O0 home, which will
rise at tho northeast corner Of Con-
necticut avenue and H street north
west.
Auspicious weather conditions. COM
bined with the natural interest at
taching to the occasion. attracted
large crowd of spectators. among
whom were government of1icials.
prominent citizens of Washington and
delegates to the annual meeting OF
the chamber. now in session here.
Joseph H. Defrees, president of the
Chamber of Commerce. deftly welded
the small beribboned silver trowel
which cemented the block in place.
marking new era In the growth Of
the great association of Americas
representative business men.
On Webster Home Site.
Standing on the site of the old home
Of the White House, Secretary of
Commerce Hoover. former Secretary
Of Commerce and Labor Charles
Nagel. L. s. Gillette. chairman of the
building committee. and Harry A.
Wheeler. first president of the cham
Der. pointed in glowing terms to the
accomplishments of the organization
since it's formation. ten years ago. and
predicted bright things for its future.
According to Mr.. Wheeler, the lay
ing of the corner stone was a step
In the direction Of industrial peace.
MI oil
ferences of opinion among men, but
there need not be antagonism.
In this new home of business" he
said, agriculture will hnd a sympa-
thetic understanding Of its problems:
labor will flnd consideration of those
itself. and the government will find
helpful counsel"
Hoover Expresses Qualification.
Secretary Hoover expressed graft
f1cation that he should have had the
honor of being Secretary of Com
merce during the laying OF the cor
ner stone, which signified a develop
ment Of the chamber OF commerce
along the line Of permanence for the
the stone placed yesterday was only
natural step following the real
foundation laid a decade ago by Mr..
Nagel. who. with the permizpon of
President Taft. called together the
conference which marked the birth
of the chamber. Mr.. Hoover said
that the relations between the gov
eminent and the chamber had always
been of the warmest nature, and he
characterized the growth of the in
stitution as prime example of the
continuity of self-government of the
American people.
Mr.. Nagel recounted incidents
which led to the formation Of the
chamber of commerce during his
regime as Secretary of Commerce and
Labor. The idea for such an organi-
cation was not even then a new one,
he said. explaining that before the
Constitution the first suggestion of
chamber of commerce was made.
This matter. he went on. had been
kept in the foreground for hum
dred years, but it was only during
the last decade that the movement
crystalliZed.
Will Aid Government.
while it was necessary to tear
down a house of traditions to make
way for the chambers new home Mr..
Nagel pointed out, the spirit of DAN
iel Webster will not be lost in the
modern structure. and in its struggles
with the problems Of every phase OF
life which may confront the organi-
cation will be preserved also the
spirit of Lincoln. whose motto was
no liberty without respect for prop
erty. The Chamber of Commerce shall
be an arm of assistance to the gov
eminent in the problems faced by the
Department Of Commerce"
The ceremonies were opened with
an invocation pronounced by Bishop
Mcdowell Of the Methodist Episcopal
Church Mr.. Gillette, as chairman OF
the COMMITTEES which arranged for
the purchase Of the site for the
building and for the drawing up of
plans. then formally turned over to
President Defrees the ground and
drawings. Cass Gilbert. the architect,
witnessed this fonmality.
With the conclusion of the addresses
workmen hoisted the giant stone
with a Handkerchief to its resting
place, covering a copper box about
eight inches square, which contained
priced records of the organization.
had been completed President Defrees
stepped forward and smoothed sew
eral trowelfuls of mortar into the
crevices. He complied with requests
Of photographers to repeat this proc
ess a number of times. while shots
were taken from various angles. A
benediction by Bishop Mcdowell. ask
ing Divine blessing on the work I'M
dertaken by the organization, con-
Guided the exercises.
Many Records in Box.
In the copper box which was sealed
within the block of granite were
placed the following:
Minutes of the national conference
held in Washington, D. c., April %
and %. 1912. at which conference the
Chamber of Commerce of tho United
States Of America was organized.
Minutes Of first meeting Of the board
Of directors. April % and "a. 1912.
Minutes of sixty-sixth meeting of
the board of directors, April II and
IL. 1922.
Bylaws as adopted by first annual
meeting, 1913.
Bylaws as amended by fifth annual
meeting. 1917.
Bylaws as amended by eighth an
nual meeting, 1920.
Bylaws as amended by referendum
which closed January 10, 1922.
Year book. containing resume of
the chambers activities up to and
the fifth annual meeting.
held in 1917.
Annual reports of the board of d.