Evening star., 1927-04-17
py WILL P. KENNEDY.

~@HAT new business era III at
hand in which Washington ls
the business capital, ana Oh
growing Importance in this re-
gard. is emphasized by the na'
tio1aI conference of many thousa nus
of business men from every State IN
tna Union from Central and South
An,arica and a number of foreign
Countries to be held here on May 3,
/ and 5. at the fifteenth annual meet
ing Of the Chamber Of Commerce OF
the United States.
Not only are the 1906 member
organiza tions in the Nationai Chahl-
her invited to send official representa-
tivae byf every one of the upwards
of 500 900 corporations, firms and in
dividual business men in their uhQer'
living membership have been urged 10
come 10 this greatest business meet
ing ever held.
entire country been focused on Wash
ingtnn regarding business leadership,
asneniallv since Secretary Hoover re-
organized the Department OF Com
nerce i'm 1921, along industrial lines
en- as to make after-the.war economic
readiustTnents of the Nations busl-
moss on longtime basis with view
10 making and keeping America pros
narous bv preserving home markets
and getting a fair share OF the world
trade by maintaining good STANDARDS
and living conditions. This program
aimed at efficiency and the elimination
of waste in industry, and brought tne
Federal Department into direct touch
with American business.
Custody of Patents.
Not only have the American manu-
farturers. i'm these days of marvellous
mechanical invention and new prec'
esses looked to the Patent Office here
as custodian of their exclusive patent
rights and for proof of their trade
mark priority. which are fundamen-
tails Of industrial activity which pro
vides steady employment to so many
hundreds Of thousands of people,
Not only has the Department of
Agriculture come into rapidly increaS-
ing importance for guidance and pro
lection Of our greatest industry
agriculture--which feeds all the TO-
600 900 inhabitants and large part OF
the world beyond;
Not only has Congress during recent
years been buster than ever before
with legislation of acute and funda-
mental Importance to the farmers, the
manufacturers and the business men;
But, because of all this and TO.
many other reasons, the business out
look of the entire hemisphere has
centered on Washington because
scores upon scores of the largest trade
and industry associations have estab-
lished national headquarters. branch
offices or special representation here,
so as to keep in closest touch with the
Government.
What really brings these organiZa-
tions here is that this is neutral
ground in the bitter inter-commodity
competition. 1t is not an industrial
city with its own local manufacturing
prejudice or antipathy. 1t is not a
producing center and so here, more
than in any other locality, the con-
fiicting jealousies of the various manu-
featuring or producing centers are
absent.
Research Facilities.
The new competition. like modern
warfare. cannot be fought with a
single weapon 1t is not enough to
tell the public to eat more Of this or
to wear more of that. Each and
every product needs research to de
velop new methods, new uses and
new markets. About each and every
not advertising fancies--on efficient
use and economical use. Here In
Washington the trade associations
find research facilities nowhere else
available They are the best to be
had--both private and governmental,
AS an illustration of the private in
stitution we have the National Re
search Council. as an illustration of
the governmental institution there is