The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-09-25
CONGRESS- TAKES UP SUBJECTS OF WORLD WIDE IMPORTANCE The Fifth International Con- gress of Chambers of
 Commerce Meet CALENDAR REFORM
 MAKES PROGRESS President Reports on Movement to Make Months of More Uniform
 Length and Fix the
 Easter Date

1 or World-Wlde importance, reform or
 the calendar and establishment of an
 international court of arbitration for
 suits between individuals and foreign
 states. commanded attention of the l fifth International Congress of Cham bers of Commerce. which began its ses- sions here today. The communication of Louis Canon Legrand of Mons, Bel gium, president of the international congress, fayoring calendar reform, was indorsed by the delegates. Alfred Aslett of Barrow-in- Furness, England, said in discussing the cal
 endar report that while the religious aspect of the question had to be faced, 1t fought not to stand in the way of the adoption of some measure of call | endar reform whether in regard to
 months or days or by fixing the date for Easter.'
 The proposition to establish an in- ternational court advocated by Dr. Max Apt of Berlin, Germany. was commend ed by some delegates. A suggestion was made that the United States gov ernment call conference of nations to consider the matter
 Brotherhood as an essential in perfect ing international trade relations and world wide peace was dwelt upon today by Secretary of Commerce and Labor
 
 to the visiting delegates.
 What we want to establish" said MT. Nagel, lis such a relation so intimate commercially and substantial socially that
 no country a party to your congress will permit controversy because it cannot af- ford to have it'
 The international movement to reform the calendar is making excellent progress. said Louis Canon LeGrand today in his address at the opening of the M. Canon LeGrand, who is president of the congress- is also the head of
 it's permanent committee president of the Chamber of Commerce of Mons, Belgium. and president of the Federation of Com
 mercial and Industrial Associations of that country.
 The principal purpose of the new call endar movement, he asserted. was to make the months of more nearly uniform length and to establish a fixed date for
 Easter. He pointed out the benefit of such | a reform from banking and commercial standpoint.
 To Hold Conference To take formal action in the matter, he reported, the permanent committee has induced the Swiss government to invite | the various governments of Europe to an | international diplomatic conference The American government, he added, has not yet been sounded, because it was consid- cred advisable first to make sure of the official cooperation of the governments of Europe.
 'The basis of the reform is the in-
 genious idea of withdrawing from the reg ular course of the weeks the first day of January. The first of January would
 be New Years Day. This day is already, according to our customs throughout the civilized countries, devoted to quite diff
 ferent occupations from those of other days of the year; it therefore possesses a peculiar character and deserves to be distinguished from all other days.
 Tn leap year, day would be inter- polated. to be known as leap year
 which would be placed, according to some. after the 30th of June, or. accord ing to others at carnival time. This, of course. Is a mere detail.
 "If we therefore concede that the day following New Years Day Is to be
 January 1, we can then divide the year into four equal periods of three months each. each 91 days long. and, by happy coincidence. each of these quarters would consist of exactly 1S weeks"
 Present Laws Inadequate
 The inadequacy of the present state
 of the laws on the subject of disputes
 between private persons and foreign governments was urged as sufficient reason for advocating court of in- ternational arbitration for the settle
 ment of such cases by pr. Max Apt, representing Die Aeltesten der Kauf- mannshaft von Berlin.
 The report embodies tho same points brought out in a memoir to the chan cellor of the German empire September | 30. 1910, in which 1t was stated: That the means at the present time are not sufficient to protect persons who ap- peal to the law in opposition to foreign governments"
 After reciting various cases in which legal authorities held that private per- sons were not accorded impartial Jus tice, the report adds: Meanwhile a cer- tain disinclination, quite comprehen- sible, to appeal to foreign courts against the government itself is often met with and particularly in the bus mess world. This circumstance, to- gether with other reasons above stated. is however enough to demonstrate that an action against an indebted state be- fore its own courts does not offer sufficient protection"
 Continuing the report finds that the protection of claims of private persons through diplomatic intervention fre- quently fails to obtain justice. Then, too. the report says. intervention de- bends entirely on the willingness of the government approached to accept the case for settlement. Further. it Is urged that diplomatic intervention can
 not settle judicial disputes