The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1915-04-16

ferent proposals they have in mind for
settlement. There would develop in
the minds of the masses on both sides
of the Atlantic a comprehension of the
fundamental bases of a more lasting
peace.
dation, and wrought by such processes,
will be less likely to carry in itself the
seeds of future wars. 1t will have it's
base in the judgments and feelings of the
masses of people, who in belligerent
countries have suffered so much directly,
and In neutral countries, have suffered
indirectly.
My experiences of the past year in
Europe have left me very optimistic as
to the possibilities of attaining a higher
degree of international cooperation. Since
questions of trade and commerce are al
ready recognized as among the chief UNI
DERIVING causes of war, any organized
movement to deal intelligently with these
problems will be striking at the very
roots of the evil.
What has been DONE for instance. by
the International Congress of Chambers
of Commerce furnishes a good illustration
of the possibilities in this direction, even
under the old conditions.
I went to Europe last March to at
tend the meeting of the permanent coun-
Gil of the International Congress of Cham
bers of Commerce. At that meeting, in
Brussels. the council voted against my
proposition to submit all the eontrover-
sial international business questions of
sufficient Importance to warrant such
treatment to an international referendum.
My plan was to refer all such issues to
the chambers of commerce in all the
countries represented in the international
body for their opinion and vote. Tt pro-
vided for the establishment of a perma-
| l. I'll,
questions might be submitted to the con-
stituent organizations, and their responses
received and collated.
Business Men and Internati0nalism
I was convinced that the adverse vote
at the Brussels meeting did not repre-
sent the real opinion of the majority OF
the organizations behind the delegates
who voted against the plan AS the BIZ
ennal meeting was scheduled for June,
in Paris, l spent the intervening months
in criss-crossng Europe, laying my prop
osition before the leading business men,
government officials and publicists in the
+, various countries
The results of this campaign justified
I believe, my faith in the possibilities OF
world wide cooperation and proved that
the business men of the leading nations
are ready to play their part in a pro-
gramme of constructive internationalism
At the Paris meeting we got the necessary
votes, and when the war broke out in
July, I was in Brussels. where we were
preparing for the first international bust
ness referendum the world had ever seen
The subject of the first referendum was
'disloyal competition" say In
this country, unfair competition II
dealt largely with the Justification OF
trade marks Justification of points of ORR
gin and similar unfair practices which
have had a far greater influence in caus-
ing and keeping alive international preju-
dices and distrust than is commonly I'M
derstood. This first referendum, which
was, of course, interrupted by the war,
was to have been followed by the sub
mission of other and even more important
issues to the business men of the world
through their chambers of commerce.
What these referenda might in time
come to embrace, after the world had
recognized the possibilities that lie in
such a medium for gathering and digest
ing world opinion, is indicated by the fact
that the International Congress of Cham
bers of Commerce. at it's meeting in Bos-
ton, in 1912, went on record in favor OF
the arbitration of controversies arising
between governments.