Evening star., 1931-12-31
Everybody's
Business
Many Business Leaders
Believe That 1882 VIII
Be a Year of Recovery
But Fsp VIII Make Any
Public Staten ent.
BY DIR. MAX WINKLER.

Special Dispatch to The Star.
NEW YORK, December 31.-Fewer
prophecies are ventured at the thresh-
old of the New Year than on any
previous occasion. The problems await
ing solution are so many and varied
that predictions today are too hazard
Gus. Furthermore, events move with
such rapidity that an opinion expressed
at one time may, regardless Of its
soundness, prove of little or no value
at later date.
It is for this reason that even those
who are accustomed to make forecasts
| when the New Year commences, Go not
wish their names associated with the
prophecy which they give out. One of
the Nations foremost financiers is very
definitely Of the opinion that by tho
end OF 1882 the United States will be
| we'll back to the level of business activ-
ity which preceded the crash"
RockefelIer's Opinion.
A prominent statesman thinks that
"the American people are becoming
more and more conscious of the effort
President Hoover has made to lead the
country out of the business depres-
sion"
I'VE have reached the peak of the
depression" John D. Rockefeller, 93-
year old oil millionaire, says. Things, "
he continues, will now get better.
Everything possible is being done to
promote prosperity, and I think it Is
about to arrive"
W. o. O'Neil, president of the Gen
eral Tire and Rubber Co., predicts
that business in 1892 will show de-
1T ~aI will y
1881" Mr.. O'Neil bases this forecast
ON the accommodating unsatisfied needs
of persons, on improvements in many
types of goods, and on the Debated
commodity prices. He concludes his
observations by stating that the COM
ing into the market of people who
actually need merchandise because Of
price, style or necessity, increases the
earning power of those persons who
are unemployed today" and that
earning power helps to stabilize credit
situations"
History has shown" says w. H
Minor, head of the Canadian Manu-
facturers' Association that after q
three-year period of hard times, things
get better. 1t may be that we are just
at the end Of that cycle. Perhaps we
have even started to climb. But busi-
ness will start to improve again"
Norman Dawes, president Of the
Montreal Board of Trade, while finding
it difficult to forecast the future, states
that experience has always shown thai
the world comes through every depres-
seen the worst of this" Mr. Dawes
illustrious fellow countryman, Charles
Duquette, head of the Montreal Cham
Der of Commerce, looks for better timet
in 1892, with the aid Of Divine Provi-
dence."
Disarmament Conference.
Viscount Cecil British statesman anc
one of the founders of the League o.
Nations, is of the opinion that a great
deal will depend upon the outcome o.
the international disarmament confer
ence scheduled to convene in two
| months.
IF it succeeds" says Viscount Cecil
'it will mean that we have deflnitel,
turned our backs on war and we shall
have given positive evidence OF our de
termination to make the Kellogg pac
| a reality, and we shall have bequeathet
to our successors the greatest gift tina
man can make"
Another Britisher, Sir George Paish
| who has been identified with all sort!
of dire prophecies for many years, ha'
adopted radically different view from
that he has held for some time. Sil
George has no doubt that I'VE are going
into the greatest period of prosperit!
the world has ever seen-if the neces
sary measures are taken" Among tht
measure to be taken Sir George list!
those which will cause trade to move
freely, basic products to recover anc
| generally to increase the worlds buying
and selling power, thus enabling all ma
tions and all peoples to meet theh
obligations.
One of Americas leading diplomat.
and authors is Of the opinion that "tht
United States cannot expect to prosper
If the rest of the world is depressed
Although protectionist, I have little
sympathy for the high tariff duties i'm
posed by the recent tariff act, which
came at time when we needed foreign
markets and foreign goods more thar
at almost any other time in our his
tory. Faith and good will are al
! essential to prosperity as good bank
ing and industrial leadership"
War Debts Factor.
"The problem which confronts us
today" says leading American states
man and former UnderSecretary o1
State, is world problem and not g
national problem, and I cannot see any
constructive recovery until the nations
recognize this fact and adopt politica
policies which accommodate themselves
to economic laws and necessities"
A prominent American induStrialist
and financier has this to say: There is
no doubt that the huge debts created by
practically every civilized country in the
world as result Of the World Wal
have crippled the purchasing power OF
all peoples. Until that purchasing
power is improved and restored to nor
nal there will be in some countries
underconsumption and in others over
production. If means could be found
to bring about an equilibrium be-
tween these two factors it would result
in normal and prosperous conditions
throughout the world
What 1882 has in store for the world
is in the lap of the gods. The problems
confronting the various countries are
not insolvable. 1t is hoped and ex-
pected that the nations will approach
them in the right spirit and the road
cleared for a revival of business and a
return to DrOSperity