The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1915-12-15
FILLED
WITH VISITORS
MANY NOTABLE MEN ADDRESS
SOUTHERN COMMERCIAL
MEET.

Charleston, Dec. 49, The South
ern Commercial Congress began its
seventh annual convention here to-
day with addresses on the South's
and the nations commercial and in
dustrial problems by Secretary Of
the Treasury, McAdoo, Gov. Henry
C. Stuart, of Virginia, John Barrett,
director general of the Pan-Ameri-
can Union, DR.. Nicholas Murray But
Ter, Of Columbia university, Senator
Dancan U. Fletcher, of Florida,
president of the congress and John
Temple Graves, of New York. Plans
of the congress to build a greater
nation through greater south"
were outlined by the speakers.
DR.. Butler, addressing the night
session, declared that international
problems of the United States now
overshadow domestic policies, though
the latter have not diminished in
Importance. He urged that the
United States prepare to aid Europe
at the end of the war in setting up
it's Overturned political fabric" up
on democratic principles. Gov.
Stuart, who also addressed the con-
gress tonight discussed agricultural
and commercial problems of the
south.
Senator Fletcher, in his opening
address, told what the congress al
ready had accomplished in develop
ing the south's resources. A sug-
gestion by DR.. Chas. W. Eliot, that
the Southern Commercial congress
drop the word Southern" from its
title, was presented by Senator Flet-
cher. To the suggestion the senator
replied that the congress sought to
aid the nation through developing
one of its sections, and declared the
word Southern" had no more limit
ed the scope of the congress to the
south than had the word CONNER
cial" in it's title.
John Temple Graves, speaking on
the victories of peace" traced the
south's development since 1866 and
referred to peace as "the spirit
which has wrought this modern
miracle.
Secretary McAdoo told the con-
gress than. IAN obvious duty con-
fronts the nation" The first neces-
sity, he said, was to provide for the
nations physical safety, and the se-
cond to secure its economic safety.
He asserted that both could be aided
by establishment of a merchant ma
rine. Mr.. McAdoo brought to the
congress the personal greetings Of
President Wilson. The President
also. expressed his good wishes for
the congress in a telegram.
Making a plea for closer under
standing between all American re-
publics, Mr.. Barrett declared that
after the European war the United
States would find itself "unbeloved
by all the present belligerents."
"The victor will say, we won des-
pite the United States while the los
ers will say, we lost because of the
United States" Barrett declared.
He added that the leading men
and the leading newspapers of all
twenty Latin-American republics
stood with the United States in it's
attitude towards the European BEL
ligerents and declared that the Pan
American doctrine will some day su-
Ipercede the Monroe doctrine, and
the great South American republics
will stand behind this country in its
relations with foreign nations across
the ocean, as the United States un-
der it's Monroe doctrine today would
back up its southern neighbors.
The afternoon session was given
over to the women's auxiliary.
Secretary McAdoo and John Bar
rett left for Washington tonight af-
ter attending dinner given by Gov.
Manning in honor of themselves and
Stuart and official representatives Of
other southern states.