The Hawaiian gazette., 1918-02-22
BUSINESS WARFARE I
GERMANfL0ST
Chamber Of Commerce Members
Decide Declaration At This
Time Poor Policy

Strong opposition developed at the
| chamber of commerce meeting yester-
day against the referendum resolution
proposed by the United States Chamber
of Commerce that the American bust.
ness men wage a commercial warfare
upon the German commercial interests
after the war as a measure of self. de.
Tense, and the resolution was defeated
on a motion offered by J. C. Cohen,
the vote being 81 TO Q.
The opposition was based largely up-
on the fact that any favorable action
upon the referendum might serve as n
drawback when the American diplomats
bonfer with the German diplomats ut the
close of the war for an adjustment of
relations, and would prove n boomerang,
Open To Misconstruction
1t was suggested also that any effort
of the United States commercial or.
CARNATIONS now, along the lines sug.
gested, would not reach the German
people at all, but would first filter
through the mlitaristic bureaus and
reach them in garbled condition, and
might infame the people to wage a
more desperate war than ever before.
The whole referendum resolution, it
was suggested, would be open for mis-
construction.
Anyway we are going to lick the
Germans and lick them good, and we
will deal with them rs we want said
Mr.. Cohen amid applause as he offered
his motion.
The referendum was to be called to
the attention of German business in
terests now so that there would be no
disastrous economic warfare at the con-
clusion of the big war.
To open the debate upon the question,
President w. +. Dillingham; said he
would entertain a motion with regard
to the favorable recommendation of the
chamber committee which handled the
referendum.
George II. Angus said n new angle
had arisen since the committee passed
upon the matter, in that it was now n
question of whether or not it would not
have an effect upon the diplomatic ar
rangements to be made when the war
came to an end.
John Watt, who was not present left
a statement of his views, asking to 90
on record as opposing the measure on
the grounds "that it is a tentative
acknowledgement that we fear we can
not whip Germany in this war; he
wrote. 1--WE are going to whip Ger
many and when we do, It will be time
enough to take up the proposition of
discriminating against them. Any de-
tails that are not arranged by the
League of Nations in negotiating the
terms of peace, if they are not salts
factory to the business men Of the
United States, can then be taken up by
the business men.
Considers Germany Outlaw
George r, Carter, also not present,
had left message favoring the meas
ure, adding that Germany was now an
outlaw among nations and should be
treated as such in all ways.
" Mr.. Dillingham; said it was necessary
to consider the matter from every angle
owing to it's gravity.
Mr.. Castle favored it from a patriotic
standpoint. If the German people had
a president it would be an easy matter
to take up with them. But having
a Kaiser such a referendum was neces-
sary.
A. W. Van Valkenburg advised con
sentative consideration, and for the
chamber of commerce not to be carried
off its feet.
W. G. McGonagle called attention to
the upbuilding of the American dye
industry since the war began, and said
there should be protective tariff bar
riers built so high that this trade should
be retained when peace was concluded.
This was to be considered, he said.
There were 1870 dye companies in the
United States now against - when the
war broke.
Secretary Brown said the American
Manufacturers Association had reject
ed the referendum, he having received
this information through the columns of
The Advertiser.
}. N. s. Williams asked how the bust
ness organizations expected to get the
referendum information, if passed, to
the people of Germany. The military
government would not permit it to
reach thNm and if it reached them in n
garbled manner, it might be used as an
argument against the American people
and be a serious handicap to the Ameri
can diplomats at the close of the war.
Mr.. Dillingham; thought it might he
distributed by airplane.
j. {. Cohen Iclt the referendum would
be boomerang to the Americans.
- We are in this war to lick the Ger
mans, the German people as well as
the Kaiser, for the people are backing
the Kaiser" said Mr.. Cohen. eve
want first to lick the Germans and tell
them afterwards what we want" APP
plause met this statement.
Mr.. Cohen then moved the measure be
laid on the table which was carried by