Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-12-06
CAPPER DEPLQRES
EAST-WEST BREACH
!SectionaliSm Threat Against
Nation, Senator Says in
Radio Forum Talk.

Deploring sectional antagonism and
the breach between the West and the
East, which, he said has grown in
the past few months, Senator Arthur
Capper, Republican, of Kansas, said in
a radio address last evening that sec
tionalism and lack of economic balance
are major threats against the welfare of
this Nation and its people"
Sectionalism and alignments against
the industrial East are not confined to
the Senate, he said. but are growing
throughout the Middle West, the South
and the East" Speaking in the Ma
tional Radio Forum, arranged by The
Star and broadcast over the Columbia
Broadcasting System, Senator Capper
urged that the way to remove this
growth of sectional feeling is to pro-
mote the knowledge that national
prosperity depends upon the interde-
pendence of each section OF industry
and agriculture.
Since the Democratic party has
come over and joined the Republican
party on the principle of the protective
tariff-though not on its application by
the industrial EaSt-a new division in
major political parties is threatened"
he said. II hope it will not be made.
Hopes Again Breach.
"I sincerely hope that the Republi-
can leadership has the knowledge, the
understanding, the wisdom and the
statesmanlike vision to prevent division
on sectional lines" If a division were
to come, he said. it would be the West
and South in one party and the East
in the other. IT devoutly hope it will
never, never happen" he said.
Declaring that the way to remove the
growth Of Sectionalism is to remove
its cause, a lack of economic balance,
Senator Capper said:
East and West and South industry
and agriculture must realize and admit
that each section is interdependent
upon the others; that it will not do to
try to keep or make one section
dependent upon any other, and that the
welfare and prosperity of all our people
in the long run is dependent upon the
welfare and prosperity of each and
every class of our people"
Text of Address.
Mr.. Capper's speech follows:
In his message to Congress this week
@reSident Hoover declared:
There is no fundamental conflict
between the interests of the farmer and
the worker. Lowering of the standards
of either tends to destroy the other.
well-being of the other.
Nor Is there any real conflict be-
tween the East and the West or the
North and the South in the United
States.
THE complete interlocking of eco
1omic dependence, the common striving
for social and spiritual progress, our
common heritage as Americans, and
the infinite web of national sentiment
have created solidarity in great peo-
pie unparalleled in all human history.
These invisible bonds should not and
cannot be shattered by differences of
opinion growing out of discussion of a
tariff"
Those are President Hoover's words.
Noble words. Words to which all of us
should listen and take heed. Words
that if understood by all our people
would remove the misunderstanding
that threaten more than oral arguments
on the floor of the Senate, more than
discussion and mutual denunciation in
the press, misunderstanding that
threaten more than senatorial wise
cracks from New England about the
Sons of the Wild Jackass' that come
out of the West. now peopled by the
sons OF those fathers who came from
New England itself.
Back of those words from President
Hoover is strong plea for better under
standing.
He knows. as all Of us must know
that more than knowledge is required
Of our leaders In statecraft, in industry
in agriculture, in labor and financial
circles.
knowledge Foundation.
knowledge is good. 1t is a founda-
ton. But without understanding there
can be no wisdom. And a growing sec
tional feeling in this country calls for
the greatest exercise of wisdom in
laaAarsiniEn ard In