New Iberia enterprise and independent observer. (New Iberia, La.) 1902-1944, 1916-05-06
A LEAGUE OF NATIOIgS TO
INSURE MORE LASTING
PEACE AT END OF
WAR.

4 the league-Of nations movement
as embodied in the proposals OF
the League to Enforce Peace, OF
which ex-President Taft is head
has been received by the New
iberia Chamber Of Commerce.
The appeal is made in connec.
ton with an invitation to all com
mercial organizations throughout
the United States, to send dele
gates to the first annual assem-
lage Of the League, which is to be
held in Washington on May 26th
and 9th. The communication is
signed by William II. Taft, Alton
B. Parker. President a. Lawrence
Lowell of Harvard University,
Herbert S. Houston, George f.
Roberts, and Edward A. Filene. It
reads in part:
"We conceive the program of
the League to Enforce Peace to
be of vital Importance to the un-
interrupted development of com
mercial organizations, Of political
land social institutions and to the
organization, at the close Of the
war, of iJsti"e and peace -hrou"h-
out the world. The movement is
being introduced in every Amer
lean city, and it is desirable that
a group Of representative men in
each shall have that intimate in
sioht into it which will be OBJ
tanned from attendance at the
Washington meeting.''
Messrs. Filene. Houston, and
Roberts mentioned above. were
members Of special committee
of the Chamber Of Commerce of
the United States, which prepared
a report showing the effect of the
war on American business inter-
ests, and which outlined a scheme
intended to secure more lasting
peace, similar to that proposed by
the League to Enforce Peace, en-
phasizine the valre Of economic
pressure as a sanction. This plan
was submitted to referendum
vote of the Chamber of Commerce
last year. Extracts from the re-
port reprinted under the title
American Business and World
Peace" are made part of the com
munication signed by Mr.. Taft,
Judge Parker and ne others.
Some Of its more striking para
graphs follow:
All Americans are profoundly
moved by the war, whether viewed
from it's moral or material aspects.
Especially is this true of Ameri-
can Business men who, through |
their business relations, are close
lv in touch with the actual condi-
tions in Europe. Moreover, the
knowledge that war fundamena
tally Injuries the business struc-
ture and the trained power of the
successful business men to ac-
complish results has created in |,
them the will for more lasting
peace. Il
AS business men, we cannot fail
to foresee that if this war is set
tied as all previous wars have
been. without providing for the
duly constituted authority"
there will be added to its enorm- {
'us charges the still greater con-
inuous charges due to rivalry in I
and other preparations It
or the "next settlement. Is
Under such conditions. we are
'orced to believe that the Eu O.
,ean nations. after the war, will Y
'e faced with the insistent need r
or re-establishing their indus i
ries at almost any sacrifice in or
ler to keep up in the race for t
ornaments and to obtain means Of 7
citing their debts so as to keep
heir credit good for the next
var. Predictions by students of
fairs already abound that these
ecessities will cause them to
lake sacrifices of natural profits.
over their scale Of living, and
D create competition of unex-
mnled severity, a competition
-hich also would be particularly
minors for our hieher-wage mar +,
ct, that so far has suffered least {
Should a period of unrest and ,,
ncertainty follow an unsettling /
settlement. the United States :
ill not be free to determine what :
lcrease, if any. she will make in :
er armaments. but may be forced