Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1916-12-12
SPEAKERS DISCUSS
PROBLEMS FACING
COUNTRY TODAY
Main Topic of Addresses
at Southern CONNER
cial Congress.
RELATIONS WITH NATIONS
AT WAR TOUCHED ON
Comptroller Williams Sounds
Warning Against Posi-
BILE Aggression.
TRADE CONFLICT IS FEARED
Driving Rain Fails to Prevent Pa
rade, One OF Features OF
Opening Day.
RELATIONS WITH NATIONS
AT WAR TOUCHED ON
TRADE CONFLICT is FEARED
Driving Rain Fails to Prevent Pa
rade, One OF Features of
Opening Day.

Ry Associated Press
NORFOLK. VA. December ll-rroh-
lens which tho United States faces in
its relations to the warning nation.
Tcc"nstructi"n after peace. were tho
dominant notes Of tho discussion her.
Today at tho opening sessions of tho
eighth annual convention Of the
southern Commercial Congress. The
sneakers Included Senator Duncan l..
Fletcher Of Florida. prcsidcn, of the
congress. john Shelton Williams
Comptroller of the CURRENCY; Cover
nor stuart, Of Virginia: y. \. Alder
man. president Of the University Of
Virginia. and L. : Brigham. commits
sioher or agriculture. OF Vermont
Comptroller Williams warned his
hearers that this country must pre-
pare TO defend itself from aggression.
and that IL must be ready to lend the
great wealth II has piled up AT the
wars expense to the rehabilitation of
Europe and To finance the world lts
succor 10 tn. needy Ia the nations at
war he said, had been uiggardly. and
It's Efforts to maintain its neutrality
and 10 enforce the laws OF nations has
earned for II the cumiiy OF most of
the warning nations.
WOULD PREPARE: NATION
FOR TRADE. WAR
Senator Fletcher asserted that meas
ures already passed by tho national
Congress and the enactment Of those
pending, such the shipping bill arf
the Webb bin to permit combinations
OF exporters, would prepare the ma
ropean conflict. The farm loan act. lie
said. had placed the farmers on q foot :
ing where they might develop the
Eountry's agricultural resources to a
degree never before known. while the
laws to prevent rate discrimination,
biacklisting and the dumping OF cheap
foreign products on this market would
protect the manufacturers He though,
that the time Was now ripe for tho
country 10 dcve!op commerce in Latin
America and China.
Or Alderman saw In tho result OF
tho war vast development In the
feld Of education. Commerce and in
dustry. he said. would play a greater
part In future world history. and his
belief was that soon there would be in
America universities which. in al
tion TO teaching the sciences and
classics would provide courses on
commerce and industry which would
react these into professions and en-
able them 10 take their places as
forms OF public service"
Public forums at which delegates
may express their opinions on Oues-
tions facing the nation. and more par
ticularly the South. were not held to-
day. but il was announced that they
would begin with to-morrow's sessions
and continue until the convention
closes on Thursday night.
Favor SCATTERING
NEGRO POPULATION
Opportunity for the presentation Of
resolutions was given. however. and
several were offered one by Judge
Francis y. Winston. OF North Carolina
would place the congress on record
as saying that the complete industrial
intellectual and social development OF
the Southern States can he secured
only when the negro race becomes n
part OF the citizenship of our sister
States. and that we will encourage all
movements tending to an equitable
distribution of our negro popula ION
among the other States of the Union"
This resolution, which will go to the
resolution committee when that body
is named tomorrow. was offered pri-
vately. but Judge Winston later gave
out a statement that il was in answer
TO Senator Penrose's force bill"
amendment to the owen corrupt-prac-
tices bill in Congress, which would ex
tend the vote to greater number Of
negroes in the South.
F'OR PERMANENT
PANAMA EXPOSITION
Rich. OF Winston Salem. y. c., would
provide for the establishment of a
permanent Panama Industrial and com
mercal exposition as an aid to manu-
facturers and growers of the country
in presenting their products to the
nations OF the world. 4 bill providing
for such an exposition is before Con-
gress.
Comptroller Of the Currency will
liams, in his address. declared that the
United States should prepare itself for
defense against all comers and be
ready. when the European war ends.
to finance and assist the world literally
and help the stricken nations toward
recovery. This country should realize.
he said, that the enormous and un-
precedented wealth being accumulated
here "will tempt the greed of all for
cign governments" while the MAIN
tenance Of neutrality and enforcement
Of international law will arouse tho
wrath OF all combatants."
"Since the beginning OF the war in
Europe" he said. I'VE OF the United
states have sold. to the warning ma
tions and other foreign countries. our
products to the amount OF over $s,00O,-
10000, at liberal profits. We have
loaned them $4,000. 900. 900. at full in.