Evening Star Newspaper, May 3, 1931, Page 31

1 WILBUR TELLS ADVANCES OF DEPARTMENT IN FORUM Changes Necessitated by New Period of | Pioneering Described by Interior Secretary in Address. following is the text of Sec- retary Wilbur's address delivered last night in the National Radio Forum: As a Nation we have embarked o new period of ploneering. Our Natioh's frontier has dissolved in the Pacific and Teappeared in the laboratory and on the school playground. Changes have been necessary to enable this depart- ment to do its part in this new ploneer- ing, which means the wisest use of what we have instead of the conquest of new lands, new timber and new min- erals, Our people are in the process of adapting themselves to a continent. We have tried to direct the Interior artment into paths that will fit in with this idea of continental conserva- tion, or the wisest use of each of our human and physical resources. In consequence this is & period of transition for the Interior Department. The changes have included & new In- @ian policy, a doubling of the research work of the Office of Education, a sur- vey of the public domain and a fresh proach to its problems, the beginning SHOO\'N' Dam, the harnessing of Ket- tleman Hills oil field, the inauguration of an oil conservation policy on the public lands, doubled appropriations for the national parks building pro- gram, a re-established research program in the Geological Survey, the White House Conference on Chiid Health and Protection, the stimulation of a Nation- wide attack on_illiteracy, the_ transfer of the Pension Bureau to the Veterans’ administration, the creation of a new Federal Power Commission instead of an ex-officio_interdepartmental board, changes in Alaskan adm'nistration, ac- quisition of the Virgin Islands, two new national parks and many other devel- opments. ‘This survey of the past two years can properly start with the Indian Service. The Indian Service: has turned the | corner. Its new goal is to work itself out of & job in 25 years. Its new meth- ods center on splitting apart the two separate problems of the Indians’ per- sonal welfare and the protection of the Indians' property. These have been confused during our Nation’s hundred of wading in the quagmire of In- administration. Much Clerical Detail. Administering the billion-dollar In- dlan estate, scattered through many Btates, has been a job of much clerical detall. The problems of health, edu- cation and welfare were allowed to in- | tertwine with this clerical work. As a result, our Government's past treatment | ©f Indian problems has often been from & bureaucrat’s point of view. We have eoddled and pauperized one of our finest racial stocks. Today, as a result of these methods, the average Indian has neither the education, the inclination mor the ability to manage his own prop- erty. In Oklahoma today we are faced with the problems of what to do about the homesteads owned by certain mem- bers of the five civilized tribes on which the Government's protective re- strictions expired this last month. A bill to extend these restrictions passed’ the House, but failed in the Senate be- | cause of a filibuster. Our program of releasing the Indian calls for & genera- tion of new training and not for an overnight eviction. But it is confusing at times to tell whether the Indian suffers more from the exploiter or the overardent sentimental- . Both varieties find it possible to be represented_among the lobbyists in Washington. Real interest in the In- dian is appreciated; hysteria over a meal of dog or horse flesh or an occa- sional flea becomes tiresome. There is the same unevenness of habits, brains, dependability and property among the | Indians as among the rest of us. Not | even the worst Indian reservations at | their worst can beat some of the alleys | of Washington in disease or depreda- tion. Budget Increased $6,000,000. The past two years have seen $6,000,- 000 added to the Government's Indian budget. Two eminent business men, with fine social instincts, Mr. Rhoads and Mr. Scattergood, became commis- sioner and assistant commissioner. The Indian Office in Washington was recog- “ nized to put administrative responsibil- jty in the hands of directors of educa- tion, agriculture and industrial train- ing nationally known in their fields. Property questions and personal prob- lems were separated where possible, each under an assistant to the Commis- sioner. Ten hospitals were completed. An industrial employment bureau to| get the Indians jobs was set up. New emphasis has been placed on vocational | training. Indian children have been | kept in school near home instead of at | distant boarding schools, where possible. ‘The retirement age for employes was lowered. Employment standards were raised. Sweeping legislative changes in irrigation matters, trust estates, reform of penal laws, and so on were asked of Congress. Indian administration is and | always has been bound by a deadening | tangle of detatled laws, which cannot be reformed so long as attention is| given only to investigating past abuses. | We are here to help the Indian, not to | mourn for him. ‘The Office of Education has aleo seen important changes in the last two years. 1t was created as a research or- ganization to gather and disseminate information on educational methods for the benefit of the States. But in the course of time it acquired many ad- ministrative functions which should have never been loaded upon it. We have relieved it of these administrative functions. Education of the Alaskan natives was transferred to the Office of Indian Affairs, and other Alaskan re- sponsibliities given to the local govern- ment. Consequently the Office of Edu- cation doubled its research activities. | A Division of Special Problems was created to study education of excep- tional children, of native peoples, of Negroes, and of children in sparsely- | settled regions. A new division of re- search and investigations was created A third new division of major surveys | was organized to supervise work under | special appropriations by outside spe- | clalists. ‘These include a Nation-wide | survey of land-grant colleges, a national | and health of our people. These two years have seen the road and trail building _appropriation more _than double; two new parks, the Great Smokies in North Carolina and Tennes- see and Carlsbad Caverns in New Mex- ico, have been created and Isle Royale |in Lake Superior, Shenandoah Valley in | Virginia and Mammoth Cave in Ken- tucky have been authorized as parks. | Magnificent sugarpine areas in Yo- | semite, privately owned. were bought { and given to the parks by Mr. John D. | Rockefeller, jr. ~His gifts are helping make the Great Smokies Park possible. Forty-one other private holdings have been eliminated in other parks. George Washington's birthplace, the Yorktown | battlefield and Jamestown were added | as national monuments. We are in the midst of the rounding out of the na- | tional park system. Three million | Americans each year visit our parks. These parks are the happlest contact points between our people and their Government; both gain by it. 175,000 Acres Remain. ‘The General Land Office is the agency of this Government which has supervised the carving of the public domain into individual homes. TIts ac- tivities have kept pace with the fron- tier while settlers overflower into State | after State. Unfortunately, Congress | has never given it or the States ade- }guau authority to protect the public | domain from over-grazing and abuse. About 175,000,000 acres remain, most of it valuable principally as a source of water and for grazing. Few of our | people realize the destructive effects on the water supply in our valleys which may come from over-grazing and fires in distant mountain country. When vegetation is uprooted by animals or burned by fires the balance of forces which nature has built up through mil- lions of years is destroyed. Rains, in- stead of soaking into vegetation and surface soil, run down barren slopes, wash away the surface, carry it as silt into rivers and fill reservoirs and form disastrous floods instead of per- & manent streams. The growing value of the soil is lost, homes are washed away in distant valleys where the smoke of the forest fires is never seen and the grazing animals are encountered only as mutton chops and roast beef. Dur- ing the t two years the President's Commission on the Public Domain has been studying this great problem look- ing toward effective control of the range, the watersheds and the forests of the Nation. The problem is of na- tional importance, but its solution is in- tensely local. The question is whether the States shall undertake to save their own watersheds, or whether Congress shall undertake to protect them, or whether the neglect which has prevail- ed during the past decades shall con- tinue. The commission has rendered its report, recommending that control of the surface of the public domain be given within 10 years to those States which are willing to accept the re- sponsibility, except as to forests, and providing for more effective Federal protection meanwhile. All revenues from oil and mineral leases, except 10 per cent, now go to the States and the reclamation fund, and no change in their administration was recommended by the commission. Over $70,000,000 have been thus distributed. Nation's Mineral Resources. As to the mineral resources of the Nation, this department has a large responsibility. Title to the gold, silver, copper and most other minerals is still acquired under the old mining laws by making a discovery, staking out a claim and dolng a requisite amount of work. But ofl and gas, sodium, potash and some other minerals may only be acquired under leases issued under the 1920 mineral leasing act. The past decade has seen a vast waste of our irreplaceable oil and gas resources. Oil has been over-produced and forced into competition with coal when it should have been saved for its gasoline con- tent. Gas has been blown into the air with the result that the deep ofl deposits thousands of feet underground have in many cases lost the only pro- pellent force which could bring them o the surface. The Federal Govern- ment has powers of control over the oil and gas in the public domain, but has nothing but advisory powers as to private lands. Consequently, the Sec- retary of the Interlor acts as an ad- ministrative officer of the public do- main, but only as an advisory officer 2s a member of the Federal Oil Con- servation Board. This board consists of the Secretaries of the Departments of War, Navy, Commerce and Interior. Conservation on private lands is a State responsibility, and co-ordination of such_efforts by the ofl States for the benefit of all our people is essential. As to the public domain, seven days after taking office we undertook to put a stop to speculation, over-drilling, de- pletion of our reserves and loss of Gov- ernment royalties through overproduc- tion at a time when there was no need for the ofl. Accordingly, no prospecting permits have been issued except where equities demanded it. new drilling has been discouraged and producers have been encouraged to hold their ofl in the | ground. Over 12,000 permits, or over two-thirds of those outstanding, have been canceled for non-compliance with the liberal requirements of the law. During all this conservation effort, which Frlflnluhd over 200 law suits to relax it, we were astonished to be charged, without warning, with giving away some $40,000,000,000 worth of oil shale lands. As I recall, none of it was claimed to have stuck to our fingers, but our alleged generosity was reproved in 14 syndicated articles by an ex- employe. We were subsequently able to learn that he had been paid $12,000, or 50 cents a word, to do the job, provided he stayed on our pay roll until he fin- ished it, and resigned in righteous in- dignation; $6,000 if we caught him at it and discharged him. Another case of 2 halo getting caught in a purse string. The Geological Survey. ‘The Geological Survey is the super- vising agency which sees that the oil and gas from the public domain is pro- duced without waste. Further, it classi- fes the public Jands for their wisest use, survey of secondary education, one on | such as for agriculture, for water power the professional education of teachers. and £0 on. One on the vital subject of school finances is about to start The National Advisory Commiitee on | Education. appointed by President Hoo- | ver. and operating with funds provided | y Mr. Julfus Rosenwald. is engaged in | & Nation-wide study of the relationships of the Federal Government to educa- ‘ tion. ‘Their significant report should be avallable in the Fall. Dr. Henry| Suzzallo, now president of the Carnegie Foundation of Education, is the director of this study. The department. outside of its own administrative field, has co-operated | with the National Advisorr ~-Zimittee | on Iliteracy. Adult lliteracy is a chal- lenge to the Nation's pride. Eradica- tion of it in our country is a goal which is both feasible and necessary. Adult education and new methods of bringing | schooling to isolated areas are receiv- ing the vigorous and sclentific attention of ‘this committee, appointed with the approval of the President, and with the Secretary of the Interior as chairman. Nation-Wide Study Under Way. The National Park Service does con- servation work in a double sense. Wild life of decreasing species is preserved. . The big trees in the scenic valleys of California, the geysers and mountains and wild life of Yellowstone, the and glaciers of Glacer National Park and the wonders of Arizona’s Grand ¢ Canyon all are rendered available to § our people by this bureaws work. But this kind of conservation is but a means ! 10 the real objective of the nark service, . which is the recreation and education (pay for their ewn clp(ge. A river country are to be displaysd. for mineral development, for timber, | ete. 1t also carries on the great work | of making topographic maps of the United States. Its outstanding work this last year was helping to arrange a plan of unit operation for Kettleman Hills, the world's greatest oil field, in California, thereby putting brakes on a potential production of gasoline which would have swamped the industry. ‘The Bureau of Reclamation has cre- ated over $1,000.000,000 of wealth for the Nation by its score of reclamation rojects throughout the West. These ve turned deserts into prosperous em- pires in the Salt River Valley in Ari- zona and on the Rio Grande, the Col- orado, the Columbia and on lesser streams. These new American com- munities consume millions of dollars of Eastern products each year, and their own products are of such a character and come on to the market at such a time that there is little competition with the great farming area of the East. We have n a plan of local manage- ment, operation and responsibility wher- ever ible. Reclamation is & wise na. tional policy. It is self-supporting; all construction is financed from a re- volving fund which the settlers repay. Ninety-six per cent of all maintenance charges 94 per cent of all construc- tion charges re paid last year. To- day we are ehgaged on the ,greatest reclamation project of all history, the building of Hoover Dam on the Colo- rado River. Through sale of electric | power, already contracted for 50 years. | the falling waters of the Colorado will | | THE SUNDAY STAR. WASHINGTON, D€, MAY 1931—PART TWO. European Chaos Foreseen Former German Chancellor Assails French Attitude in Customs Union and Cites Perils of Attitude. BY WILHELM MARX, Former Chancellor of Germany. ERLIN.—The present French for- | eigh minister, Aristide Briand, is doubtless the most, striking and most interesting personality in public life today. The number of cabinet positions he has held is in- numerable. * He is an orator who is al- ways heard with the greatest attention. During the discussions of the League of Nations he proved himself a statesman who invariably recognizes the demands of a situation, adjusts himself to it and eventually masters it. He does not worry if his opinion is not always the same. Why should other persons have too good & memory? Briand is what one may call an adaptable politician. One leading principle alone dominates unchangingly all his political actions— France's security in the world is the main thing to be striven for. Every- thing else is subordinate to this ruling idea. Is this security of France menaced first of all by Germany? Whether Briand himself believes an affirmative answer is in order is beside the point. Perhaps he asserts the belief because he knows that the majority of Frenchmen | unfortunately still credit the fact. This mental attitude of so many of his coun- trymen is undoubtedly ~decisive for Briand. It became decisive for him when the idea of the formation of a federation of European states, which | naturally was not to be aimed against| other continents, appeared to find an| ever more favorable reaction on the part of the state participating. Briand Proposes Pan-Europe. In view of the increase of financial and economic distress among European countries, which has steadily 8p- proached more closely to a general catastrophe, European opinion felt that a closer union would cpen the way to economic—and thus also political— salvation, especially in the states of Central Europe. Briand realized the soundness cf this view, but feared at the same time that France's im- perialistic and hegemonic strivings might be impaired. And lo! The idea of pan-Europe, decades old, suddenly became Briand's idea. At the session of the League of Nations in Septemoer, 1929, he favored the world with one of | his most brilliant orations, and a mem- orandum pointing out the value of European union was sent to 27 Euro- | pean countries. This union was first of all to be aimed at an understanding re- | garding economic and financial mia’- it is proposed to go about the task of | long time past. ters. Earlier, it is true, Briand had placed political understanding in the| foreground. ~Now, however, it seemed DR. WILHELM MARX, FORMER CHANCELLOR OF GERMANY creating a_pan-European compact. Briand feels easfer. It is true that some countries accepted the memo- It realizes that open | opposition would not be practical. A | first trial 1s made with the assertion that such a treaty is contrary to the more practical to emphasize the ece- | randum with strong suspicions and |treaties of peace, and especially the nomic side. proached rejected the plan. | ‘What has become of it? Most coun- | cial sharpness concerning certain ten- | Italy and Czechoslovakia. But 7‘.1)}: at- tries in Europe, but especially Germany | and Austria, see the danger of an eco- nomic collapse coming steadily nearer. The_ Bolshevist monster in the East reaches out his claws ever more men- acingly. Bolshevist secret agents work- ing like moles undermine ordered gov- ernment, and not merely in Europe. And in the face of this gigantic danger | how is the pan-Europe question being | dealt with? Like many other lofty plans of the League of Nations, it is occupying the time of a great number of committees and subcommittees. The commissions will in May perhaps re- port to the Council of the League how None of the countries ap- have answered it with sweeping reser- | Geneva protocol vations. Italy has spoken with espe- dencies toward hegemony. But Briand remains unworried. He will master the situation. Peace of Mind Shattered. But what have we here? Suddenly Germany and Austria appear on the scene, with the intention of creating a_customs union of the two countries. This looks as if serious intentions are cherished of bringing about also & polt- fcal union of Germany and Austria. But this must not be, in any circum- stances. Briand's peace of mind is shattered. The foreign office in Paris exhibits an activity not observed for & of October 4, 1922, signed by Austria, England, France, | tacking party itself feels that al- | teged juristic position is extremely weak. Quite apart from the fact that it has nothing to do with Germany because Germany did not sign the pro- tocol, no vulnerable point of attack | against Austria can be found. In this | ryotocol Austria merely obligated her- | s¢lf “not to surrender her independ- ence; she will refrain from every ac- tion and every economic or financial obligation which could be adapted to prejudice this independence, either di- rectly or indirectly. Austria was also expressly empowered to conclude com- mercial and customs treaties with other countries, but she may not “grant any state any special system or ex- clusive preferences adapted to endanger this independence.” But nothing of the kind is contem- plated by either of these states. At the September meeting of the League of Nations in 1930 Dr. Schober, the Austrian vice chancellor, pointed out that a better organization of Europe's whole economic life must begin with regional understandings. The treaty under consideration carries -out that idea. As both governments have de- clared they are ready to ‘“enter into negotiations concerning the same kind of an arrangement with any European country willing to do so.” But the “basis of all negotiations is the preser- vation of the complete sovereignty and l?dependence of the countries in ques- tion.” ‘What we have here is a preliminary treaty which contains details for a cus- toms union treaty to be concluded later. Hence, although no juristic objections to such a treaty can tenably be ad- vanced, the two countries have neve: theless declared their willingness to a cept England’s proposal that the legal permissibility of the proposed treaty shall be again considered at the session of the League of Nations in May. Both countries naturally reject most decis- vely any political consideration or crit- icism of the treaty. They are sovereign and not subject to the political decisions of other nations. But Briand has a second iron in the fire. He immediately gets in touch with Poland and the states of the Little Entente, in order to forge with them his plan of opposition, which is to block the way for any extension of the Ger- man-Austrian agreement. This plan will create difficulties even for the statesmanship of a Briand. In any event, he will not be in a position to prevent the two contracting countries from carrying out their arrangement, which is so advantageous for their eco- nomic situation. Another Problem Presented. But, quite apart from this, a tion presents itself here which is of de- cisive importance not merely for France and the two centracting parties, nor even alone for other European states, but in the last analysis for the whole cvilized world. It is this: How long will creditor nations suffer this dam- aging conduct on the part of France, which desires in every way to place hi drances in the path of the conquered states, now coming ever nearer to eco- nomic collapse in their steadily increas- ing struggle for existence? | Is it not realized that the economic | and financial collapse of Germany and | Austria would make these countries wel- | come booty for bolshevist revolutionary | plans? Through their customs union | these two countries desire only to do their part in giving a strong impulse to the idea of an economic union of European coun! There is nothing to prevent these other countries from | joining the customs union thus formed. It is a way—and just now the only ‘way—m ward off the catastrophic con- | sequences of the economic collapse in Europe generally. Ever and again a solemn warning must go out to all con- cerned! The situation is one of the gravest danger. Unless economic wisdom can gain an early victory over French nar- row-mindedness, the menace of Euro- pean chaos, whose consequences are unforeseeable, becomes ever more real and urgent. which is now a threat to hundreds of thousands of acres of farm lands in Arizona and California will be con- verted into a steady stream of about the volume of the Hudson River at Troy. 1t will carry commerce, water thousands of acres of arid public lands and fur- nish drinking water to a dozen cities. Power contracts already signed allocate this energy among three States, 12| cities, the great metropolitan water district which will build an aqueduct from the Colorado to the Southern Cali- fornia plain and four utility companies serving the agricultural areas outside the municipalities. A wide regional benefit was sought and obtained. Ari- zona and Nevada may claim over $100,- 000 horsepower each, whenever they can use it, within 50 years. Surplus rev- enues, of which there will be millions, | also are divided among these two States and & fund to build more dams in the Colorado. All the funds used for con- struction will be repaid by power con- tracts, with interest. The construction contract for the dam itself was signed on April 21; work has been under way on the railroad, highway and construc- tion camp for months. Alaska Rich in Resources. The Territory of Alaska is big enough and rich enough to deserve the fullest possible development. Its resaurces will still be available for our grandchildren even if used to the utmost now. The Alaska Railroad was an experiment de- | signed to help this thinly populated | country to grow. It costs nearly a mil- lion dollars a year to run it, but the in- | vestment will Justify itself in the future of this empire. Our present problem is | to develop present industries which can furnish traffic to help bear the burden of opening the country. We have avail- able a quarter million dollars to make & study of the mineral and other re- sources of the region near the railroad. Hawall is & self-governing Territory | with a favorable balance of trade and & stable future. We share responsibility there with the War and Navy Depart- ments. The Virgin Islands are a new sibility of this department. We have there ‘the task of economic rehabilita- tion. When the United States acquired the islands from Denmark in 1917 the population had steadily declined for 40 years and industry was at a standstill. The islands’ loss of importance as a coaling statlon, due to the widespread change from coal to oil as a fuel, and their loss of importance as a port of call for cable instructions due to the universal use of the radio have since decreased the sources of support for the residents. They must seek a livelihood from the soil and the sea. Function Satisfactorily. ‘The welfare institutions administered by this department are functioning sat- isfactorily. St. Elizabeth's Hospital for | the Insane, Freedman's Hospital and Howard University, the two latter of particular benefit to the Negroes, are all in the midst of new building programs. Columbia Institution for the Deaf con- tinues its unique work. S0 much for the individual activities of this department. 1t is adapting its conservation work to new problems in many fields. Despite its wide range, it is but one of the many departments of the Government, and serves only a part of the needs of our people. The co-or- dination of all these departments and establishments is a great task. Thelr powers are derived largely from acts of Congress and their adaptation to chang- ing conditions, therefore, can not be made overnight. The Department of the Interior has embarked on a period of change of which these two years are only the beginning. The next 25 years should see a complete transformation in the Nation's relation to its human and physical resources. We have tried to chart out a course for our own activities which will start us in the right direction. World Ffli;i;l Peiping Being Planned for 1933 | SHANGHAL—Foreign nations are to be invited to participate in an interna- tional industrial exposition to be held in Peiping for six months, beginning April 1, 1933. The exposition is being arranged by the ministry of Industry, and native products from all over the | but acted as a ba WORLD BUSINESS MEN TO SURVEY TRADE Great Changes Have Been Wrought in| Methods of Doing Business Today. (Continued From First Page.) ings of the chamber afford the best op- portunity for the business men of the different nations to become acquainted with each other and to work together not only for material prosperity, but also for peace and happiness. There will be discussions of different views be- tween these men of many nations, but much more important will be the friendly personal contact, the oppor- tunity to know and understand the difficulties, trials, hopes, aims and as- pirations of each’ other. Real Life Tlustration. May 1 give a homely illustration from real life of what such an assem- blage may accomplish in dispelling mu- tual distrust, softening bitter rivalries and ending hatreds? Once there lived in a small Tllinols town two merchants whose business rivalry extended to and embittered their personal relations. In those days busi- ness competitors were much more than that; they were enemies, to be nodded at only distantly on the street, to be avolded or suppressed in every actiuity outside of business. The limit of their ambition was to %I‘t the other fellow out of business. at was business in the old days. In this particular instance one of the merchants fell ill with typhold fever. He had no grown children to conduct. the business, and his wife, who had helped him in the store, had to remain at home to nurse him. There was nothing left to do but to close the store. The other storekeeper, of course, felt an immediate benefit. For one day only that increase of business brought gratification. This faded somewhat that evening when his wife remarked, “I wonder what we'd do if you fell sick?"” At noon the second day the healthy merchant knocked at the door of his sick rival's house, the first time he had ever mounted those steps. When the merchant’s wife responded he sald: “I can get along alone at my store if you want to borrow by nephew to run yours while John is sick.” The offer was accepted. The town again had two stores, and it never afterward saw the old rivalry that not only bred hatred r to progress. I have heard of still another instance of the spirit wrought by misfortune— the new spirit of business in time of crisis. Within the last few months the plant of a large city daily newspaper was destroyed by fire. While the fire was still burning the owners of the op- posing paper offered the use of part of their plant for the printing of the rival publication. This notwithstand- ing the fact that they stood to benefit greatly from increased advertising while the opposition was homeless. The offer was accepted and for a time the two papers were published from the same plant. How_different that spirit from the one which animated many editors of a generation ago! Business men could, of course, con- tinue to deal with each other at long range and make things as uncomfort- able as possible for competitors in other countries, even though they in turn were made equally uncomfortable in their return dealings. They could stir up all the ill will and pre; “‘”mrgu sible against “foreigners” and nurtu the seeds of international misunder- standing, distrust, strife and jealousy out of which might grow another war. That was the old conception of inter- national trade. A new conception came into being in 1919 at Atlantic City. ‘There representative business men of the United States proposed to repre- sentatives of Great Britain, France, Bel- \glum and Italy that an international association of commerce be formed. At Paris the following vear the constitu- tion of the International Chamber of | Commerce was approved. Five countries constituted the original membership. Forty-one more have since been added. Nine hundred and fifty- nine commercial and trade organiza- tions are members of the International Chamber. They represent an under- lying membership of more than 1,500,000 business men throughout the world. To gn{: five general congresses have been eld, Benefits Are Discovered. Our business leaders discovered the benefits they derived when they at- tended the previous sessions of the chamber. They learned, for example, that f. 0. b. means one thing in the United States and may mean different things in other countries; that to make a contract in any country other than thelr own without learning its trade terms, laws and customs might spell disaster. They learned that many in- dustries are afraid to exhibit at inter- | national or world fairs because their | designs may be copied or their inven- tions stolen through lack of patent and similar protection. They learned how irksome it may be to cross international boundaries, how high consular fees in connection with shipments may be, what difficulties there are with bills of lading covering shipments across boun- dary lines. Such conditions as these may not worry Mr. Average Man or Mrs. Average Woman, yet anything that unnecessarily interferes with trade be- tween nations affects the welfare of every one. I do not wish to be understood as saying that there are no legitimate trade barriers, such as tariffs. Yet in the meetings of the chamber we have frequently discussed and condemned those barriers which were and are a serious menace to world trade. These are some of the things that will be discussed in the meetings of the International Chamber of Commerce. ‘The business brains and enterprise of the world are meeting to discuss those things which affect the jobs and P‘y and happiness of hundreds of millions of people in every quarter of the globe. It is & new and better spirit of busi- | ness which thus brings together the | industrial leaders of nearly 50 countries. The whole world has been—and, I re- | gret, to say, still is to a degree, at least “in the trough of a great business de- pression which has resulted in a vast amount of human misery. It is general- ly thought that the principal cause of the present world-wide condition is overproduction or underconsumption, as you prefer. Yet it is argued that in the final analysis there can be no overproduction when there are millions of people in the world dying of starva- tion, people who are in dire need of food, clothing, housing and everything that goes to make for their very ex- istence, to say nothing of their peace and happiness. Conditions in Many States. ‘This condition is not confined to the less fortunate countries but, as you know, due to the depression and the unprecedented drought, hunger and want prevail in many of our own States. It is asserted that it is more accurate to say that the reason why the whole economic world is depressed is because production is not properly synchronized with consumption. In other words, the machine is out of order. ‘The situation is anomalous. Although there is plenty of food, plenty of raw material, plenty of capital, a super- abundance of labor and of productive capacity, yet never before, in my time, at least, has there been so much un- employment, not only here, but throughout the world generally; nor has unemployment been so widely spread uwmg all classes. In attempting to guess—and at best it is a mere guess—when we shall get out of our present condition, we must survey the whole world situation and not that in our country alone. n we may be able to decide what are the contributing causes of existing condi- tions and endeavor to solve the problem. This is the underlying purpose of the International Chamber of Commerce and will be the keynote of the meeting. In every meeting of the Interna- tional Chamber the economic interde- pendence of all nations under modern conditions is recognized and empha- sized. While we of the United States, by reason of our great diversity of cli- mate and natural resources, can live “on our own” perhaps better than any other country, it nevertheless is obvi- ous that ultimately no one nation can continue to enjoy a standard of living and prosperity measurably higher, all things considered, than other nations. I belleve that the mere bringing to- gether in Washington of so many people from the different nations will have an enlightening and alleviating effect. At a recent meeting of the council of the chamber in Paris, held for the pur- pose of arranging the program for this sixth biennial congress, it was decided that the responsibility for bringing about an improvement in the economic status of the world rests primarily upon the business men and financiers; that governments cannot do it; that we have come out of all crises in the past by persistent work, economy, patience, courage and the re-establishment of confidence in the stability of business. ‘To assist in the accomplishment of the result, the council at the Paris meeting proposed to investigate the present situation carefully and, follow- ing the meeting, the experts of the chamber gave intensive study to the world’s economic problems. The result of these efforts will be submitted to the congress this week. Prom every viewpoint it is gratifying to us that so many representative for- eign business men have come to the meeting. They will find the leaders of American _ business, like themselves, eager to find some means to readjust the world's economic machine. Other Nations’ Wheat Problems. The nations of Europe and of other continents, like ourselves, have wheat problems, overproduction, dumping, high prices, low prices and no prices at all. Our friends from over the seas have given and are continuing to give assidu- ous study to all these conditions, but I submit that no amount of "individual study can be so fruitful of results as actual contact with and discussion of the problems in a general world con- ‘ess. grOl‘Ae of the most ominous clouds that overhang the whole economic world is the dumping upon the world markets of large quantities of grain, raw mate- rial and semi-finished products by So viet Russia at prices less than the nor- mal cost of production. This a factor in the situation the duration and extent of which cannot accurately be measured. Some of the speakers at the Paris council meeting advised discontinuance of extending credit to the Soviets. On the other hand, it was argued that if | the buying power of Russia were in- creased by the development of indus- tries she would be a greater potential | market. Among the important subjects of dis- cussion will be the silver problem, the agricultural crisis, mass production and distribution, transportation, double tax- ation—almost every subject that en- gages the attention of the business men and financiers in every country. ‘The congress which meets tomorrow cannot hope to solve all of the world's economic problems, but I predict that the contributions made by some of the world’s greatest thinkers will be of in- estimable benefit not only to the mate- rial welfare of all the people but to the peace of the world. —e Tree planting on a large scale has been recommended by expert observers as a way to improve the climate of Lisbon. Cold winds and dust clouds rush down on the city from the bleak hills _wherp once was thick forest | growth. LATIN-AMERICAN POLICY CHANGING UNDER HOOVER Stimson’s Memorandum on Attitude in Nicaragua Regarded as Turning Point. BY GASTON NERVAL. ! FUNDAMENTAL change in the | policies of the United States to- ward Latin America is taking place under the Hoover admin- | istration. The new attitude to | be observed in Nicaragua, announced |only & few days ago. is a final evidence of that change. Despite the later memorandum of Secretary Stimson, ex- plaining and qualifying the State De- | | partment’s stand on the Nicaraguan problem—which he may have deemed nec ry to soothe the alarm of con- servative elements—his previous mes- sage following rebel activities in the Caribbean republic has been interpreted here and throughout the continent as a | turning point in inter-American rela- tions. Ever since, three years ago, Herbert Hoover, as President-elect of the United States, visited the lands on the other side of the Equator and promised the Latin Americans a greater respect for thelr sovereignty as independent states, a favorable turn in the policy of the White House toward the rest of the continent had been expected. That they were not very much mis- taken who termed the Hoover good-will | tour of South America the ‘stepping- stone” of a new Pan-American under- standing was later proved through the | interest shown by the Hoover adminis- tration in promoting better inter-Amer- fcan relations and the care with which the problems left by previous govern- ments have been dealt with by the State Department. Such interest may be found specifi- | cally in the appointment since 1928 of the best qualified men in and outside the Diplomatic Service as ambassadors and ministers to the Latin American governments: in the constant efforts of the Washington authorities to promote greater trade relations and increase all kinds of economic links with the South- ern republics; in the really earnest at- tempts to aid in the development of cultural interchange and facilitate a greater knowledge of each other between the Americas of Saxon and Latin or- igin; in the assistance lent by the United States for the celebration of a number of Pan-American conferences | which have been meeting in Washington during the last few years, endeavoring to solve technical, educational and agri- cultural problems of an international character. The New Policy. Politically, this new Latin American policy of the Hoover administration has resulted in a different attitude toward internal politics in the Latin American | countries which the State Department has developed in the last three years. The outstanding indications of this new attitude are two—one, the reversion to | the old Jeffersonian theory of recogni- tion of revolutionary governments in Latin ica, and, second, the con- iistent refusal to mingle in any way with internal politics in Panama, Haiti, Santo Domingo, etc., when the action of the Washington Government was requested by nationals of those countries. The latest case is that of Cuba, where even now the State Department is receiving daily suggestions as to taking a hand in the political situation. ‘The reversion of the State Depart- ment to the Jeffersonian theory, as op- | posed to the so-called Wilson theory— which denied recognition to Latin American regimes bdrn of revolution, thus implying more or less a passing upon their internal problems by the Washington Government—was received with particular rejoicing in the editorial solumns of Latin newspapers throughout the continent. The Wilson theory, de- nying them the right to revolution, was considered by the Latin Americans as tantamount to a denial of self-govern- ment, and had therefore created con- siderable 11l-will toward its promoters. Instead, Secretary Stimson announced that now “any government which is the | expression of popular will, even if born of revolution, and which is able to as- sure internal order and protection to foreign lives and property. will be rec- ognized by the United States.” It is according to this theory that a number of new regimes which seized power in various Southern countries by revolu- tionary means have been recognized by the United States in the last 12 months. ‘These recognitions, which implied treat- ment of the Latin American nations as sovereign, self-governing states, caused a very favorable reaction on the other side of the Rio Grande, and gave the first actual impression of a radical change in the Latin American policy of the White House. The Final Evidence. And now comes the final proof. Sec- retary Stimson’s announcement that the United States will not protect with armed force the lives and property of American citizens endangered by rebel activities in the interior of Ni gives a final assurance that the Hoover administration is determined not to in- terfere with the domestic affalrs of Latin American countries. No matter how hard conservative minds mjght have tried to minimize the significance of this pronouncement, it is evident that it implies a different at- titude than that which would have been usual under the same circumstances only a few years ago. It is true that American warships were ordered subse- quently to Nicaraguan waters, but there is a vast difference between emergency action to save lives, such as the dis- patching of ships to stand by or take off foreigners actually in peril, and the landing of an expeditionary force to oc- cupy and pacify the country. ‘The declartion of the Secretary of State is very plain. The Government of the United States, it says, “cannot un- dertake general protection of Americans throughout Nicaragua with American forces,” and then it recommends “all Americans who do not feel secure under the protection afforded them by the Nicaraguan government, through the Nicaraguan National Guard, to with- draw from the country” This declara- tion emphasized the fact that it is the exclusive task of the Nicaraguan gov- ernment to deal with rebel and bandit activities in the interior regions, and that foreigners must not expect protec- tion other than that afforded them by the local Nicaraguan Guard. ‘Thus the problem at Nicaragua is admitted to be an internal one, which the Nicaraguan authorities alone must confront. is in accordance with the principles that Latin American statesmen have been maintaining for more than a century, and is a tribute paid to the sovereignty of a small but independent Central American republic which for years has been claiming her right to govern herself. 1f, on the other hand, the standards of the old Latin American policy of previous administrations had been fol- lowed in this case, the State Department would have landed a new contingent of “bluejackets” on Nicaraguan shores, in the meantime announcing once more to the world that it felt its duty to police the domestic affairs of the inexperi- enced nations. Instead, it has made public its decision of keeping “hands off” the Nicaraguan internal troubles, thus fulfilling the promises of the Hoover administration not to interfere with the domestic affairs of foreign countries. The Old Monroe Doctrine. In this way the Washington Govern- ment has avolded a new intervention- istic adventure which would have only added to the ill-will created by previous ones, and to the propaganda of “Yankee imperialism” and “dollar diplomacy” which have accompanied them. Inter- vention by the United States is the one big remaining source of fear, suspicion and hatred standing in the way of closer relations between the peoples on both sides of the Rio Grands. By a series of mumterp(etauwm, the blame of which should rest with both American and Latin American states men, the Monroe Doctrine has been the principle under which that intervention has been practiced. Originally the Monroe Doctrine was not intended to . justify United States intervention in the Latin American countries. It was meant to keep the European powers out of the American continent and to afford pro- tection to the young. unorganized Latin American republics against the ambie tions of those powers. Later on. however, as the doctrine barred the meddling of European coun- tries with the domestic affairs of the still unsettled Latin American nat it was thought that it gave the U States certain obligations to protect the lives and property of European citizens living in one of them when endangered by internal disorders. If the United States, by means of the Monroe Doc- trine, forbade the interference of the European powers, she should afford pro- tection to the Europeans living in Latin America. ‘This theory developed fast, and gradually the Monroe Doctrine was converted from a merely protective pol- iey into something entirely different, under which the United States was un- derstood to be justified in protecting and obliged to protect the lives and property of foreigners in a Latin Amer- ican republic. ‘Then came the interpretation—or rather misinterpratation—of the doc- trine by President Roosevelt, the famous , “Roosevelt corollary,” which specifically stated that the Monroe Doctrine im- * to exercise an | force” 1n the Caribbean region. Since then the terms “Monroe Doctrine™ and “policy of the big stick” have been as- sociated in the minds of most Latin Americans. The misundersf the Monrce principles by both Ameri- cans a‘;ld l‘fl:'\h:meflflm ;:filn.m ine - creased, and Monroe - came for the former Mflufi‘o’n‘ to covering all interventions in the Caribbean zone and for the latter & ~ menace of foreign interference and even , Entirely misconstrued, the Monroe Doctrine had thus been, and still is, the greatest obstacle in the way of a better inter-American 3 cally, if the Pan-American is to be converted into reality in our days, the next step is to_take that obstacle . out of the way. Either abolition or modification of the Monroe Doctrine, under which intervention is erraneously practiced, appears necessary. This would be the only logical corol of the Hoover-Stimson already doing more prestige in the rest of the continent than many years of diplomatic efforts - and renewed pledges of friendship. The New Monroe Doctrine. If the United States is to give self. in role of police Caribbean, who is to take over role? It is undeniable that of a protection should be given eigners, and even neutral natives, in a Central American civil war and anarchy are the count it is, when government has lost control of sif ation and its international | political control. Ay & 8 7 i i ¥E¢ interests which the law of nat poses upon all civilized states. going to provide this protection region where crises occur as Central America? ‘The answer, ad some Latin American statesmen, all of the American republics, in concert, should perform the tive function which the United }}.\therw has !I;thl !g; ‘l’.u!l ice power on 4 the United States has WM Snd practiced of bebalf o an on ideals rather than interests. 1If H L g Bog ; E ] i B§7EE Pevchological atmosphere psyc! cal af tirely different. ‘The out-of-fashion and distorted Monroe_Doctrine should be and a Pan-American doctrine of joint responsibility muuzwmw. g 8 mt govern. ments on this of the Atlantic. Latin Americans in general have always been opposed to the Monroe as 1t stands w?d&nu on the other hand d obligations, indorsed by all the side one of the traditional “corner her foreign policy. The only solution, then, is the adop. tion of an all-American doctrine which - would satisfy at the same time the pride of the Latin Americans and the in- - terests of the Saxon Americans, and also serve to tect international obli- gations and juse of humanity that only peace, mutual confidence and co- operation can afford. The Occasion. On July 4 next Government officials of the United States and diplomatic representatives of foreign countries will~ pay respect to the memory of James Monroe. On that date, the centenary of the death of the - dent, elaborate ceremonies and official acts will be held at the University of Virginia. The occasion seems espe-. cially appropriate for the Governmens of the United States to make a final declaration as to the meaning and pres- - ent status of the Monroe Doctrine, so, capriciously misinterpreted and so littie understood. ‘What homage could be memory of James Monroe a formal* declaration from the P!t:MAnt of the ting significance and scope of the Monroe Doctrine in its original form, and thus removing for- ever mi: lerstandings, suspicions and ;mx’\gnenu which kave grown up un- er it? A complete abandonment of the Mon- the Latin Ameri ican politics, which very few statesmen. in this country would dare to . But such an abandonment is not neces-" sary. All that is required is a formal decla- ration from President Hoover stating. that the Monroe Doctrine in 1t simple principles—a against continuation of nation in the American conf proclaimed, and therefore the corol- (Continued on Fourth Pw