Letters
Media
Part of The American Chamber of Commerce Journal
- Title
- Letters
- Language
- English
- Year
- 1936
- Rights
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- Fulltext
- 14 THE AMERICAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE JOURNAL February, 1936 LETTERS Richard T. Ely —School of Land Economics, 551 Fifth Avenue, New York. “Thank you so much for the two very gratifying and heartening letters. I have had some encouraging letters and com ments upon The Great Change. How ever, the book seems to have attracted very little attention and has been entirely neglected in reviews by the New York papers. Sometimes I feel a little dis heartened and wonder if after all I did a good job of work. Whenever my friends write to me like you do it heartens me and helps me. “It seems to me that a small clique of New Dealers and radicals control very largely the review pages of the New \ork press and I believe they do not like me very much. The publishers are encour aging and the book may make its way through word of mouth arid the activity of friends. I had hoped it would have a very large sale because in that case the royalties would have been a help to me in doing some things I very much want to do. “I am sending under separate cover a copy of The People’s Money with an article which I wrote on the Social Security Act. I trust it may meet with favor on your part. “I am revising my Outlines of Economics and hope to have the manuscript in the hands of the publishers by December 1. In that I discuss international trade in the way the oldtimers would not regard as very orthodox. Perhaps you will like it. At any rate, I am glad to have your sug gestions.” (Ely’s Outlines is his wellknown textbook, necessary in all economics reference collections and libraries. His The Great Change in collaboration with Bohn is the best book on current America. Everyone should read it.—Ed.) Victor S. Clark —Consultant in Economics, Washington, D. C. “I found your Romney portrait of myself awaiting me on my return Satur day and hasten to pour forth my gratitude. Thank you also for the September issue of the Journal. I hope the Library of Congress is receiving it, as it is the best compendium of information about the Philippines that we have in periodical form. I am looking into that matter now. “I had a very interesting time in the Malay States and India but the subject is too big for a letter. A few days in Italy, two of which were in Rome, indicated no war excitement. Perhaps the people have warmed up since their recent victories. The President Johnson was four days late, largely on account of heavy freight move ment due to the war scare. It was the first time in my memory that I have traveled on a boat that was below her water line and had cargo crowding the covers out of the hatches.” Marquis James —Author of The Raven, a life of Samuel Houston, now doing a much more ambitious set of volumes about Andrew Jackson “I have seen a picture of Temple Houston, but after searching my memory I am unable to recall just where. I am so busy now with other things I cannot undertake to look it up or indeed attend to a good many things I would like to. Would suggest that you write to Samuel Houston, 3rd, in care of Skelly Oil Com pany, Tulsa, Oklahoma. At least that was his address'the last time I heard from him. He is a son of Temple Houston. “Bernard M. Baruch is writing his memoirs and I am helping him to put them in shape. This will keep me busy until next spring probably. Then I want to finish the second volume of the Jackson biography. All this has rather restricted my ability to correspond.” (At Enid, Oklahoma, James and ourself wen * among the school boys who crowded the courtroom when our hero, Temple Houston, appeared as counsel for the defense in criminal cases from the Pan handle counties, and made his remarkable pleas to the jury. He was General Sam Houston’s youngest son, a baby when the empire-builder died in the midst of the Civil War. One of his impromptu jury pleas is quoted in extenso in the book of courtroom eloquence, Great Sayings by Great Lawyers. James’s biography of his father, The Raven, the Cherokee’s name for General Houston, is crammed with dramatic interest and historic accuracy. Temple was done to death by the Jen nings boys; if memory serves, the fatal shot was a treacherous one. In the short life he lived—-lie must have been murdered before he was 50 years old—he was never able, with all his native ability and strong character, to raise himself above the level of the hazardous fortune of a border lawyer—often with desperadoes for clients. Contrast this neglect of Houston’s family by America, with England’s unfailing recognition of men who render her out standing service. She wanted Texas, Houston could have let her have it and gained fortune and honors. But, France anxiously hoping too, he kept Texas for the United States. He gave up the gover norship and faced infamy and death, rather than subscribe a bill of secession from the Union; and at the time he died he was about to win Texas away from the Confederacy. That such men may not be specially honored and rewarded materially is a glaring defect of the American system, we believe; and far from exaltation of democracy, it debases it.—Ed.) Hal O’Flaherty —Director of the Foreign News Service, Chicago Daily News. “It was good of you to think of sending me the letter on the first flight of the China Clipper. It happens that I am making a collection of first flight covers for my young daughter and this one will be highly prized. The reduction in time between Manila and the west coast is of far greater importance than any of us can now appreciate. “Thank also for the copy of the invita tion to the White breakfast which I know must have been a great success.” Carroll Binder —editorial writer of the Chicago Daily News. “I have been so swamped with the press of news from abroad that my correspond ence is in arrears. Hence this belated letter of appreciation for the charming book on Old Manila which you so generously sent me. I have turned over its pages with great pleasure and look forward to reading it in toto. Meantime, I am sure that it will add greatly to my understand ing of a part of the world which has always fascinated me. “My thoughts are in Manila today as the new regime gets under way. I published an editorial on the subject yesterday which may interest you. I shall be interested to see what efTect the visit of the editors and congressmen has upon future Filipino-American relations.” Anonymous —Anent the S23,000,000 golddevaluation refund proposed to be granted the Philippine government. “Even your contributor George H. Hayward misses the point in his argument, in January, that the Philippines arc not entitled to the §23,000,000 gold-devalua tion refund from the United States. The point is, 12 years ago or more General Wood when governor of the Islands was authorized to sell bonds in the United States for, as one purpose, rehabilitating the gold-standard exchange fund. He did so, and 840,000,000 was set up in the fund. The bonds were gold bonds, but under subsequent legislation they may be paid off in America’s devaluated dollars. Con gress so made the law, the Supreme Court does not'grant redress against it. Having this privilege, the Philippines suffered no loss when Congress devaluated the dollar: no 823,000,000 (nor that many cents) are due them from the United States.” “A borrows 100-cent dollars from B and agrees to repay B in the same kind of dollar's, the gold clause in the bonds. A puts the dollars in various banks of the United States. Congress devaluates them to 59 cents, but with these 59-cent dollars allows A to pay B back. A suffers no loss.”