Norwich bulletin., 1922-05-19

apply that to nations And just now the | American republic finds itself in an un> usual situation. Out of the critical coT- i ditions existing during the world war we builded ships and ships and ships. We expended billions to enlarge our shipping to meet the war need and peace came and found us the owners of the second largest tonnage in the world. We found government in business, not for tunately in business either so far as the merchant marine is concerned and so we are asking the congress to give us merchant marine law under which we hope to put government out of the shipping business and under which we hoe to put America conspicuously on the pathway of the seas.
 Essential For America Defense.
 'eThis is essential, not only for ex- ! banding connTnerce but 1t Is exceedingly essential for America defense. I hope | the day will never come when we must resort to war again. I do not believe 1 we would have ever been drawn Into l the war, I do not hesitate to say doubt if there if had ever been world war if America had, prior to the war. commanded a merchant marine com mensurate with our commercial import ance in the world.
 1 1T know you are interested in world restoration So is your government, l But I beg to remind you we must al- l ways be right at home before we can be very helpful abroad. We do not mean to h3ld aloof; we want to play a 1 great nations, aye, a great peoples part
 in the world. I do not know of any l thing that would help more than to give 1 the world an example of 8 commercial nation with an abiding conscience.
 1 "Did you ever stop to think how com merce originated? Primitive man was not concerned about it. He only dug into the soil which nature left at hIs
 disposal and produced sufficiently to sus
 tain himself and those for whom he was
 responsible. In little while, one mar
 found that he could produce conven- ientll more than he needed for himself
 along some lines. Another produced something else more effectively than h.
 needed for his own consumption. Tn,
 one over here exchanged his surplus fo' the surplus of the one over there ant there commerce had its beginning witl primitive man.
 Want to Trade With the World. g eff they had started exchanges in tn r things that each produced alike, noth ing would ever have been accomplished n So 1t is in international trade. W e 1 want to trade with the world. I believ t it Is possible to trade with the worl 7 without any destruction of America ,. productivity. I wish for such an ar a rangement. Let us sell things tha T Americans can produce advantageous = to those who cannot produce them. Le
 us buy the things that they have to SC a to us and which we do not produce Gu t of such exchanges comes righteous re + lationship and balances of trade an y the continued forward movement of tn
 great runnan procession. While we ar
 marching in that procession, it is alway | wise to keep in mind those who hay
 difficulty in maintaining the pace; an the forward moving army must be on of contentment and continued good fol tune. If we may have in America cor dftions under which men may produc and enjoy life with something of luz urv as well as the necessities we sha have 8 contanted citizenship: and or Of a eontented citizenship comes patr otie citizenship. In the combination ( these things I hope to see our Americ
 go on as a nation producing not ju. hundreds of billions but nation SUI
 passing our possible dreams, a prospe
 ous happy future where men may 2:
 ther around the camp fires at night ar
 sing their sons of rejoicing and awake
 to their tasks and resume their narc
 with that hope which Is the righteous i,
 heritance of free citizenship in tn
 republic"