Evening star., 1922-05-16

I0USINESo lEAUEno I, !,
TACKLE PROBLEMS /.
DELAYING ADVANCE
lcontinred from First PAge.)
when we shall aid. we who are most
powerful to aid in restoring stability
as IN theirs, are. asert. the greatest
ana most immediate problems before
American business today.
inat is why these problems, Eu-
ropean conditions in their effect on
american business have been made
~ would have been easier and more
agreeable to many to discuss purely
domestic business problems We shall
oe toid that the foreign commerce of
tne united States is but to 10 per cent
OF tne total Washington's farewell
aau.ess aer VIII again be chanted in our
ears as II wa were still a puny strug-
gnng nation, and rail, steamer. tele-I
graph. cable and, radio had not been,
invented and played their part in the,
interim OF over O. century. But so long.
as ~ was our earnest belief that Eu-
Rr6ateSt
nenace 70 American business, SAfneri-
can stability and American prosperity
we nave only fulfilled our duty in plac-
Lus IL perore You. To our critics let me
stve answer In the words of promi-
nent American business man, who,
AVE" ware OF the seriousness Of the situa-
.t, ..i; Is apparently devoting his life to
stuay; or the European situation and
to it. Ne"' Al fesafo
we like to call ourselves hundred
PER cent Americans and forget that
,,ias may mean hundred per cent pro-
slhciansm. and again, But if we are
20 be selfish. let us be inteIlirentlv
sensn That demands an understand
Nus o1 europe and q realization that
we are mextricably involved in world
Must Face Condition.
Approach it from a viewpoint of
gong good to others. IL you will. or
~ rom tnat OF cold, hard business fact,
you must. the serious problem is
mere. gentlemen; let us proceed to
business way"
He reviewed the organization. of
1ae 1aeo chamber from it's inception, in
iSl:. TO the present: praised those
through whose efforts the chamber
mad been built to its present stand
ing ing ana then construed ideals of
responsible for its growth.
As first among those ideals T
would place the purpose to create
~ maintain completely repre-
sentative and democratic national or
ganization of American business. No
section or part of the country was
to have predominant weight; busi-,
ness was not to be measured by size
or class; small business should have
ITS voice with big business, the re-
taller with the manufacturer, trans
portation with the shipper, the raw
banker with the insurance man. This
has given rise to discussion and
question, a feeling on the part of
one class that it was entitled to
| louder voice in the decision of some
questions than all other classes of
business put together, but the stand
ard has been maintained
AS second I would place the pur-
pose to deal openly and honestly with
the government at all times and under
all conditions and without the slight
est intrusion Of political bias. This
has meant q considerable departure
from precedent and practices Of older
organizations, the adoption Of new
and untried methods with criticism
from those trained in the old school
and believing these new methods Inn
practical and academic. It has also
involved patience in awaiting results,
but In the long run these methods
have justified themselves beyond
question and the maintenance of this
Ideal is the basis Of all the influence
which the national chamber now pos
sesses. 1 cannot at the end Of my
term Of office fail to caution those
who succeed that this structure Of
mutual confidence and frankness. can
all oe destroyed by one false step un-
dertaken in the zeal, to accomplish
something deemed Of extraordinary
Importance to American business, but
involving the use Of class partisan
methods (Which should always be dis
credited by the public) or of secret
processes whcih will not bear publica-
tion to the light of day.
Other Vital Factors.
Third I would place that open rec
ogn1tion Of the fact that business,
important factor that 1t is in the eco
nomic welfare Of the whole people, is
controlling factor. It is. as our first
president SO aptly described 1t, one
leg OF the economic tripod, the other
two legs being agriculture and labor
NO one of these factors should at
tempt to benefit itself to the preju-
organization of any one Of them
should try to usufp the functions Of
Congress as representative Of the
whole people. The ideal Of those who
laid the foundation Of the chamber
was not to create a third house, to
overawe the government, to resort to
political reprisaIs, but to place before
Congress and the executive for their
decision, after weighing the other in
terests involved, the opinions and de-
sires OF American business. This ideal
has led to the slogan that What Is
not for the public good is not for the
good for business. and this recognizes
the obvious fact that business alone
cannot be the final judge Of what is
for the public good.
"a. .As the fourth and last. I would
constructive though for the future
as contrasted with the negative
policy of opposition to change. No
one thing is more vital to the con-
tinued life and usefulness Of a busi-
moss organization, and yet to ac-
complish it means to overcome the
| natural and inherent conservatism
Of business, which views change with
forebodfng. An organization cannot
endure solely as an institution Of op-
position and at the same time WELD
influence with the government which
years with the new thought and
aspirations Of the people. Too many
business men and industrial mana
gers are. progressive in action as
well as In thought to. continue to
support and maintain an organiza- :
tion standing for the mere continu-
ance of things as they are. Change
is the order Of life in all directions
and business cannot expect to be
exempt alone from the order.
THE experience of ten years Of
the Chamber Of Commerce Of the
United States proves beyond perad-
venture Of a doubt that American