The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1920-01-15
COME ERENCE Of
LEADING NATIONS
Immediate Summoning is Urg-
ed for Purpose Of Restor-
ing War-Swept
Countries.
ITO REVIVE COMMERCE
Germany and Austria included in
Proposition to Restore Normal
Peace Time Business
Conditions.

L CnlIeu PTSSS Leased Wire SeTVlCcl
NEW YORK, Jan. 15.--Representa
tiyes Of eight nations have addressed
to their governments identic me
MORALS urging immediate summon
ing of a conference of leading pow
ers, including Germany and Austria
for the purpose of restoring war
swept countries and reviving inter
national commerce.
The nations represented in this
movement are the United States
Great Britain, France, Holland, Swift
zerland, Denmark, Sweden and Nor
way.
In addition to the two former
enemy powers, it is suggested that
Italy, Japan. Belgium and the prin
cipal nations of South America be
Included in the proposed conference
The memorial, which was made pub
lie last night, contains the following
suggestions:
"The major portion OF the funds
for restoring normal peace time con
ditions must be provided by coun
tries where the trade balances and
exchange rates are favorable.
Long term foreign credit IS onf.
desirable insofar as it is absolutely
necessary to restore productive pro
cesses For this reason, and because
of the great demands OF capital fol
their own internal purposes in the
leading countries themselves, the
credit should be reduced to the mini
mum absolutely necessary.
Assistance should, so far as pos
stble, be given in form which leaves
national and international trade free
from the restrictive control OF gov.
ernments.
Insofar as it proves possible to
issue loans to the public in the lead
ing countries, these loans must be on
such terms as will attract the real
savings Of the individual; otherwise
initiation would be increased. Such
loans should rank In front Of all
other indebtedness. Special security
should be set aside by the borrowing
countries"
The American memorial also was
sent to the reparation commission In
Paris and to the Chamber OF Com
merce Of the United States. The
American signers included:
Frank B. Anderson, San Fran
cisco; julius H. Barnes, president OF
the United States Grain corporation;
Charles W. Eliot, president OF Har-
ward university; Herbert F1eish-
sacker, San Francisco; James B.
Forgan, Chicago; Herbert Hoover;
A. B. Judson, University Of Chicago;
A. l.. Mills. Portland, Ore; J. P.
Morgan; Elihu Root; Henry Suzallo,
University Of Washington; William
Howard Taft and Frank A. Wander
lip, New York.
Ratification as Remedy.
NEW YORK, Jan. 15.-Ratification
of the peace treaty by the United
States as a remedy for unsettled busi-
ness and comm ercial conditions was
urged today by William B. Colver,
member of the federal trade commits
sion. in a speech before the National
Drygoods association.
Other measures which would tend
to stabilize conditions. he said, were
extension of credits to foreign buyers,
of over-stimulated wages
and overstimulated capitalization CT
and revision OF the
revenue laws.
'l0e business Vi LuS udt3Uu lS
fering by reason Of unsettled condi.
lions and 1t will continue to suffer
more and more severely" Colver
said. When business suffers, every
body suffers. The interna tfonal sit
lation has direct bearing upon the
business situation of every concern
in the United States. We find our
selves in a technical state OF war.
Our foreign relations are disturbed
and our foreign commerce disrupted.
OF treaty Of peace
would substitute fixed and known
condition for the present condition of
This is not a partisan
question: IL is national question.
ut Is neither useful nor profitable
10 continue to export goods on a
credit basis. The continuing advances
Of credit of the United States to
europe tends only to further increase
debt to us. When the war
ended the United States found itself
he great creditor nation. Its active
lilies and other nations owed It bill
ions of dollars. We want that debt
paid in goods directly or Indirectly.
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