Ffbriasv 1, 1Q20.] 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



Twentieth Annual 



Dinner of The Rubber 

 America, Inc. 



Association of 



WITH 1.060 MEMBERS AND GUESTS presciit, an exquisite menu, 

 throe prominent speakers, and excellent music, the dinner 

 at the Waldorf-Astoria on the evening of January 5, 1920, 

 was a distinct success. 



Despite the prevailing drought, this being the first dry hantiuct 

 in the history of the association, there was no lack of enthusiasm. 

 Indeed, all present made light of the matter, the speakers cap- 

 italized the situation and several humorous allusions to the 

 advent of national prohibition created considerable merriment. 



Prior to the dinner the members and their guests assembled 

 informally in the various reception rooms, renewing old acquain- 

 tances and making new ones. Upon the opening of the grand 

 ball-room doors the banqueters took their 

 allotted places in the beautifully decorated 

 hall to the tune of a spirited march by the 

 orchestra. On account of the greatly in- 

 creased attendance the mani floor proved 

 inadequate and twenty-five tables had to 

 be placed in the first tier boxes. Each guest 

 was provided with a tasteful souvenir pro- 

 gram and menu bearing the seal of the 

 association. 



During the banquet popular selections by 

 the orchestra lent added zest to the choice 

 viands, and after the diners had done full 

 justice to the final course the assemblage 

 was called to order by the toastmaster. 

 Homer E. Sawyer. Meanwhile the bal- 

 conies had filled with ladies come to wit- 

 ness the animated scene and to hear the 

 speeches. 



After a standing toast to the President 

 of the United States had been drunk to 

 the air of "The Star Spangled Banner," 

 the toastmaster gracefully waived the more 

 or less customary presidential address in 

 order more speedily to present the distinguished guests of the 

 evening. He had prepared an elaborate address on industrial 

 relations, he explained, but Mr. Schwab had very kindly offered 

 to take it off his hands. However, as president of the association, 

 Mr. Sawyer bespoke the gratitude of its members in behalf of 

 the Traffic. Statistical, Legislative. Foreign trade and Divisional 

 Committees, whose good work in connection with the standard- 

 ization and conservation which were undertaken during the war 

 will be of equal benefit in peace times. He also complimented 

 Mr. De Lisser and the Dinner Committee upon the complete suc- 

 cess of their arrangements for the evening. 



SENATOR EDGE'S ADDRESS. 



Honorable Walter E. Edge, United States Senator from Tren- 

 ton, New Jersey, spoke on reconstruction policies. Referring to 

 the dilatory tactics of the Senate, and asserting that this country 

 is practically waiting on Congress, his address was in part as 

 follows : 



Emerging from a war but a little over a year ago so success- 

 fully, with the plaudits of all the nations of the world, the admir- 

 ation and the respect even of our enemies, the entire world 

 speaking of .America's part with pride and appreciation — to-day, 

 successful in war. we have not demonstrated the same ability to 

 be successful in times of peace. Business has been hesitating, 

 conditions have been uncertain — continued strife between capital 

 and labor, and all the diflRcuIties, apparently, before us, are yet 

 in great part to be solved. 



Sen.mor W 



GOVERNMENT MUST COOPERATE WITH BUSINESS. 

 The question is, what is the solution? Fundamentally, my view 

 of the solution— and I will pass over the question very rapidly— 

 fundamentally my view of the solution is simply this: that the 

 government of a nation just as the government of a state, should 

 not enter into a business, but should cooperate with liusiness. 

 A government that has plainly demonstrated that it cannot run 

 its own business successfully, cannot run the business that has 

 been run by the business world. The only thing the Government 

 can do in my judgment to bring the Government of the country- 

 just as we tried in a modest way to do in Xew Jersey— to bring 

 the Government where the people may have control of it, is to 

 take advantage of the Constitution— and it is a mighty liberal 

 d.K-umc-iit— and to cooperate with business: regulate 'business 

 where it is necessary — do not overregulate 

 it— but choose the great powers of the Gov- 

 ernment and the great powers that are 

 centralized there and have them encourage 

 business and initiate an- e'nterprise and en- 

 ergy that in the past has made the country 

 fjreat and has given us the position that we 

 occupy to-day among the countries of the 

 world. 



I have been somewhat interested in a 

 modest way to try to help solve some of 

 iliese problems, in seeing if it were not 

 IKissible to pass legislation to enable us to 

 il'i a larger business abroad. You are in- 

 terested in exportation. You will have to 

 lie interested in exportation if your business 

 is going to develop. We have built a mag- 

 nificent merchant marine, and you have at 

 your table tonight the one man who is 

 mainly responsible for the making of a 

 businesslike merchant marine. 



What in the name of heaven is the good 

 of a merchant marine if we are going to 

 send it abroad filled with ballast? We have 

 abroad filled with .American goods and products, 

 might just as well be scrapped in Hog 



Edge. 



got to send 

 or the merchant 



Island or Cramp's, or some of the other shipyards of the country 

 We can't exist in this country to-day — we occupy a position 

 at the head of the council table of all the nations of the world, 

 we occupy it and it is up to us to keep it — we can't e.xist in this 

 country to-day simply manufacturing goods and selling goods 

 to ourselves. I have absolutely no patience with the thought and 

 the idea that there should be an embargo on .American products 

 — at times perhaps on some specific food supply or another, yes — 

 but as a general policy or proposition that there should be an 

 embargo on .American products, far from it. The way this country 

 is going to prosper and continue to broaden and hold the position 

 that it has gained is by doing business with all the countries of 

 the world and by using the merchant marine that Mr. Schwab 

 aiid his associates brought together, so that the .\mericin flag 

 will go to every port in every part of the world — the only way 

 that the country can possibly prosper. 



BANKING FACILITIES MUST BE ENL&HGED. 



.And we are met with this condition : that we can't send goods 

 abroad unless we are going to be paid for them. We are still 

 business men. We have a good lot of humanitarian feeling and 

 we demonstrated that, and I hope we shall always have it, and 

 we are ready to help rehabilitate Europe, but at the same time 

 it must be a business proposition. We can't to-day send your 

 rubber goods al)road unless we give one or two or three ycar<' 

 credit, as a rule, that is, in big supplies. Thcv have not the 

 money. They have only securities. We have the goods. We have 

 the ships. We want to do business with them. Then the natural 



