The Chattanooga news. [volume] (Chattanooga, Tenn.) 1891-1939, 1919-02-12
COMPERS MAKES.
FAST PROGRESS.
Heads One of Few Peace
Commissions Having Amer
lean as Chairman.
PREPARES LABOR REPORT
International Pooling Of War
Debts Vigorously Opposed
by U. s. ENJOYS.

Paris. Feb. 12.-While President
Wilson and the allied premiers and
generals are deeply engrossed in per-
fecting the plan for the creation of o
society of nations and arranging the
new terms to be imposed upon Ger
many tor a renewal of the armistice,
expiring next Monday. other subjects
of the greatest Importance are being
prepared for the consideration of the
peace conference. 1t is expected the
lconference will spend little tins. diss
| cussidg them, however. and will pass
most of them on to the society of
| nations, when the latter has been
created and ready to function.
Foremost on this secondary pro-
gram are the recommendation of the
commission on international labor
legislation. The commission is one
of the few having an American at
its head. and Samuel Gompers, the
chairman, has been pushing work
along at great rate, so 1t is ex-
pected he will have report ready
for the conference as soon as it is
ready to receive 1t.
Meetings are going on today. as
they have almost continually during
the last few days. between men who
have come to Paris at the call of
President Wilson and the premiers
to deal with great financial problems
arising out of the war. Every DEL
legation admits the gravity of the
problems presented and the absolute
necessity for their settlement, If the
world Is to be saved from universal
bankruptcy. In no place Is it re-
garded as so evident that there must
be the fullest and most cordial CO.
operation between the nations now
represented at the conference than in
the effort to restore the stability of
currency. reduce prices TO a reason
able level. get rid of superfluous is
sues of war paper, prevent further
excessive fluctuations of exchange
and regulate the rates of interest on
and the amount of bonds to be issued.
Initial Steps Taken.
Already initial steps have been
taken TO commit the peace confer
ence to the adoption of great in
ternational pooling system or debts,
which shall include all neutral ma
tions. whether they wish to or not.
This will meet with the most deter
mined resistance from the American
delegates, who feel that America did
her full share in aiding the allies by
furnishing troops and almost un-
limited supplies Of money and ma
terial. They are understood to be
quite willing 10 rid France of the
nightmare of German power in ex-
tending further credits to permit
France to rehabilltate her industries
and enable her, and Belgium as well,
to hold their own in the worlds
market, but they thoroughly appre-
ciate the fact that it is beyond their
power TO commit their country to
participation in any monetary credit
system with European powers. They
also feel that some OF these countries
have been derelict in not imposing,
as the United States ana Great Brit
ain did, additional taxes upon their
own people during the war to meet.
at least in part, their obligations in
stead of calculating upon reimburse
ment from lndemnities to be collected
from the enemy.
Old Spirit in Evidence.
The revival of the spirit of the old |
Paris economic conference, which |
planned boycotts and after the-war !
determinations, is sometimes in evil
dence during discussions. It made its !
appearance in the desire of one coun- |
try to impose discriminatory duties on |
enemy commerce during the consid- |
Grafton of the plan to make all in |
ternational waterways open for all |
nations on even terms. This was re-
garded as a violation or one of the
fourteen points" but the commas
sion dealing with the subject is hav-
ing some difficulty in passing this
point. However. the general accent
ance of the principle of international |
control over such waterways TO the
extent at least of prescribing rules
which shall govern navigation and
defining the riparian rights of abut-
ting nations is to have paved the way
for ultimate agreement in the com
mission upon a report which will
probably be received with approval |
by the peace conference or its legatee.
the society OF nations.