Evening star., 1916-01-05
All Branches Approve.

commerce and boards of trade in forty
states. the District of Columbia and
Hawaii filed ballots. The American
chambers of commerce in Berlin and
Milan were among those which voted.
Each organization was entitled to from
one to ten votes, according to the size
of its membership.
There were also a large majority in
favor of the special committees rec
ommendation that, for consideration of
questions which arise between ma
established rules or upon facts which
can be determined by an international
court the United States should take
the initiative in joining with other ma
tions in establishing a council of con-
ctftation.
Few Dissenting Votes.
Dissenting votes of any significant
humber were found only on two propo-
sitions as to the methods recommended
for enforcing peace. The first, that OF
bringing economic pressure to bear
upon any nations which resort to mill
tary measures without submitting their
differences to an international court,
was carried. however. by considerably
more than two-thirds vote necessary to
bind the national chamber. According
to the preliminary count, attested to by
Elliott H. Goodwin. secretary of the
chamber. 556 votes were cast in favor
Of this method and 157 opposed.
On the use Of military force in the
event that concerted economic pressure
should not be sufficient, the dissenting
vote was large enough to prevent the
chamber from being committed in
favor Of this proposition. although the
balance necessary was slight and may
be obliterated in the official recount
The bylaws require two-thirds of the
commit the chamber. Seven hundred
and one votes were cast on this recon-
mendation. of which 452 were in favor
while the two-thirds vote required 46S
Arguments for Economic Pressure.
Referring to the first method, the re-
port of the committee, of which Ed
ward A. Filene of Boston IL chairman,
says, in part:
I'm considering such a use Of eco
nomic pressure it should be borne in
mind that it already comes to pass
automatically within a more limited
area when nations go to war Warning
nations promptly boycott each other.
inns Is important to keep in mind, be-
cause confusion on this point some
tifnes prompts the argument that nom
intercourse would be a more EXPENSIVE
weapon than war as though the fact
OF gong to war in some way avoided
non-intercourse. What your committee
really means by its recommendation is
that in the future ARRANGEMENTS FOR
International enforcement of the eco.
nomlc boycott should be organized on
a worldwide scale, and that in these
;" id-Wide arrangements nations bet
ter fitted to cooperate with economic
than with military power could also
have a part in the application of the
pressure needed to preserve the worlds
prosperity and progress
1t Is the deterrent effect of orpanize.1
non-intercourse which would maka ue
less likely. since it would be a terrible
penalty to incur, and one more difyfcujt
IN u, a sense, to fight against than mill
tary measures. It's systematic organi
zation would tend to make any subse
quent military action by the co-operat-
ing nations more effective"
Others on Committee.
Besides Mr.. Filene, the members of
the special committee were P. H Gads-
den, lawyer. president of public utility
companies in Charleston, S. c.; Edward
Hidden. president of the st. Louis Busi-
ness Mems League: Herbert s. Houston
Of New York. president of the Asso-
ciated Advertising Clubs of the World.
H. A. Meldrum. president of the Buffalo,
Chamber of Commerce.; George E. Rob-
erts, assistant to the president of the
National City Bank of New York. forS
merly director of the mint, and Paul II
Saunders, president of the Mortgage
Securities Company of New Orieans
After the referendum had been or
dered the following committee was
named to assist in the preparation of
Nagel of st. Louis. former Secretary of
Commerce and Labor: Joseph H. De-
frees of Chicago, formerly president of
the Chicago Association Of Commerce:
lAf RI <yt---
ton, S. c.; Howell Cheney. manufacturer
of South Manchester. Conn, and John
Joy Edison. president Of the Washing
ton Loan and Trust Company of Wash
ington, D. c.
The latter committee filed arguments
against certain of the special commit
tees recommendations; Commenting
sure proposal. it declared finally:
Power to coerce by economic or mil
itary force, once created, is apt to be
employed. The proposed league is al
most sure to have within itself the ele-
ments of separate combinations, based
upon distinct interests and aims The
opportunities for the exercise of such
| power are innumerable. They may find
occasion in the circumstances under
| which controversies between nations
arise or are induced. in the manner in
which disputes are submitted and. de-
| termined. and, above all, in the effect
| that will be given by a majority of
| league to a councils recommended ton,
| however arrived at. 1t is not clear
that a powerful league would rest con-
| tent with the moral influence of the
proposed councils advice"
The treatment of shipping in the
course of the present war went as
| might have been expected. with the
| largest vote of the country's CONNER
| cial organizations in favor of stronger
and better defined rules for the protec-
! tion of life and property upon the high
seas. Again there was practical unap-
unity in favor of the United States
| taking the initiative in establishing the
principle of frequent international con-
| ferences for the progressive amend
| ment Of international law.
A statement of the health department