President Taft, at Seventh Annual Association Banquet, Discusses Progress and Administration of Panama Canal On the forty-second day of a tour of fifty days throughout the United States President Taft on Friday last reached Chicago, and for three days gave himself up to the hospitalities of the country's central commercial capital. In the committee of arrangements for President Taft's reception by Chicago was the president of this association, and the dinner to the chief executive at the Hotel Sherman Saturday evening was the city's most representative demonstration of respect and esteem for the president of all the people. At this, the seventh annual banquet of The Chicago Association of Commerce, the president spoke to a distinguished group of business and professional men not on the disputed issues of party, but on the greatest economic and military undertaking of the age, the progress of the construction of the Panama canal and the policies determined and undetermined in the administration of this instrumentality for the promotion of trade, interoceanic and foreign, and for the defense of the nation in the unknown future. Great National Business Problem Last spring President Taft accepted the association's invitation to become a guest at that function of this body most widely related to national and international affairs, and later it seemed to him that the issue of international arbitration might profitably be discussed on this occasion; but shortly before the banquet he indicated a desire to address the association about the Panama canal, and so the theme of his instructive talk was the mammoth isthmian achievement. The seventh annual banquet was served at Chicago's newest hotel, and the many details had been. arranged by the customary special committee consisting this year of— Committee Which Planned the Dinner C. L. Dering, chairman, also member of the Chicago presidential reception committee of five. S. J. Kline. J. C. Chaffer. Elmer T. Stevens. Edward M. Skinner. H. A. Wheeler, ex-officio. E. U. Kimbark, ex-officio necting rooms, namely, the large Louis XVI dining hall, and in the crystal, gray and rose rooms. The tables were round, seating ten people; the decoration was flags. The music was by Goldsmith's orchestra. There was, of course, the singing of the association's Chicago songs, and an agreeable feature of the musical program was the singing of "Illinois" by Burton Fletcher. Ten coat rooms on the mezzanine floor provided expeditious accommodation, and many police under Assistant Chief Schuettler were on duty wherever ceremony or other circumstances required. An essential condition in so large a gathering was duly accomplished-the ventilation was excellent. The committee was efficiently aided by the association's business manager, H. F. Miller. On the part of the Hotel Sherman Joseph Beifeld and assistants managed a function of unusual size and importance with taste, liberality, judgment and dispatch. The banquet was served on the second floor of the hotel, and 860 guests were seated in four con All were in attendance, awaiting the guest of honor, when about quarter past seven President Taft and twenty-four distinguished companions entered and seated themselves at the speakers' table, the waiting hundreds meanwhile rising and singing the "Star Spangled Banner." With the President At the speakers' table were: The Honorable William Howard Taft, president. of the United States. Harry A. Wheeler, president, The Chicago Association of Commerce. The Honorable G. von L. Meyer, secretary of the navy. The Honorable Walter L. Fisher, secretary of the interior. The Honorable Carter H. Harrison, mayor Chicago. of The Very Reverend Dean Walter T. Sumner, States senate. The Honorable W. S. Kenyon, United States senate. The Honorable D. U. Fletcher, United States senate. The Honorable Jos. F. Johnston, United States senate. The Honorable Luke Lea, United States senate. The Honorable J. M. Dickinson, former secretary of war. General R. D. Potts, U. S. A., commanding department of the lakes. Charles D. Hilles, secretary to the president of the United States. Major A. W. Butt, U. S. A., military aide to the president of the United States. Lieut. Commander Palmer, U. S. N.. navel aide to the president of the United States. The Honorable W. R. Stubbs, Governor of Kansas. club. William P. Sidley, president, The Union League ca. Frederick A. Delano, president, The Commercial Club of Chicago. Dr. Henry B. Favill, president, the City club. F. L. Rossbach, president, Hamilton club. John P. Mann,, first vice-president, The Chicago Association of Commerce. William Reiss, second vice-president, The Chicago Association of Commerce. Edward E. Swadener, fourth vice-president, The Chicago Association of Commerce. Howard Elting, general secretary, The Chicago Association of Commerce. The attendance of several United States senators was possible through their presence in Chicago in service on an investigating committee. The Invocation The divine blessing was invoked by Dean Walter T. Sumner, as follows: "Almighty God, whose kingdom is everlasting and power infinite, look with favor upon this whole land, and so rule the hearts of Thy servants, the president of the United States, the governor of this state, the mayor of this commonwealth and all others in authority, that they, knowing whose ministers they are, may above all things seek Thy honor and glory; and that we and all the people, duly considering whose authority they bear, may faithfully and obediently honor them. Grant them the gift to inspire others to honorable public service; to relieve oppression; to maintain justice; to protect the home and the nation from al! corruption in social and civic life; that all men everywhere may have peace and comfort, and an abundance of life, and the mind to serve Thee in all virtue and godly living. Through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen." The banquet finished, the tables were removed from the main room and this was thus converted into an auditorium for all the guests. President Wheeler,in a brief address, touched upon those great business issues which had been advocated by the association in the past year, and noted that in these national matters of non-partisan significance President Taft and the association were seeking the same great ends for the country's welfare. With President Taft rose to the greetings of friends. A strenuous day, big with important functions, including the dedication of the naval training station at Lake Bluff, had not abated his interest in Chicago nor seemingly reduced his splendid powers to do his great and incessant duties in a forceful but kindly way. explanation of his change of theme, and with a big man's praise of a big association, he entered upon the simple recital of a people's work without a parallel, a work which he knows from end to end, and has supervised both as secretary of war and president. When he finished at 11:30 he departed for much-needed rest. to the temporary White House of the United States, the Hotel Blackstone, Chicago. Thomas Ball. Geo. T. Buckingham. E. R. Fifield. A. C. G. Hammesfahr. J. L. Isaacs. S. J. Larned. H. C. Tilden. Chas. J. Vopicka. |