Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1922-12-22
|BORAH Wants
PRESIDENT TO
CALL MEETING
Economic Convention Is.
Suggested to Settle Bread
and Butter" Matters.
FARMER INTERESTED
Suggestion Takes Form of Amend
ment to Naval Appropriations Bill
Which Is Up In Senate Today
Disarmament Included.

Washington, Dec. pa world con-
ference for economic disarmament"
which will write a new international
et .nomic code is the purpose behind
Senator Borah's proposal that Presi-
dent Harding be empowered to invite
the unions concerned TO meet in an
effort to settle the worlds "bread and
butter" troubles.
Borah's suggestion, made in the
form of an amendment to the naval
appropriations bill which the senate
will take up today, coupled with econ
omic questions the extension of the
work of the recent naval disarmament
conference to include land disarma-
ment, and ban on the building Of
submarines, aircraft and naval war
craft of less than 10000 tons.
Borah's move caused distinct sur
prise in official circles and tended to
transfer the center of interest on the
negotiations looking toward interven-
ton in Europe from the State Depart
ment to the senate chamber.
Europes economic troubles, her arm.
amentproblem and the ills of the
American farmer are all so vitality and
closely linked that the United States
should make another vigorous effort,
Borah said today, to break "the VICIOUS
circle in which we are moving--a cir
cle made up of attempts To palliate
and poultice ills without curing them"
Borah for many months has been
pointing out, to hearers who until re-
Gently proved indifferent, that the well
| fare OF the American farmer and bus
! mess man was buond up in the econ.
omic settlements made III the Versail-
| les treaty, and that America would not
regain financial, industrial and ecoro-
mic stability and normalcy until those
"vicious and inequitable" determina-
tions of the Versailles pact had been
rewritten. More than 4 year ago
Borah launched quiet campaign for
the revision Of the economic clauses
( of the treaty. The conference ne sug-
gested yesterday is the logical cui-
mination Of that campaign. And one
evidence that his campaign had not
bee nentirely fruitless was seen III
the statement of Senator Lodge and
other administration leaders today
that they saw no objection to Borah's
proposal, and were willing for its
adoption. ;,
Some league of nations advocates de-
clared Borah had been converted to
the league idea. The fact is, Borah
and his fellow irreconcilables IN the
senate are further away from the
league than ever, and 3orah's sugges-
ton for a conference in aneffort TO
prevent what he and some OF his
! friends fear is disposition by the
I Harding administration to inysTe the
! United States in vague, lndeilnite
commitments to Europe, which might
be worse than league membership:
Borah and other progressives have
been out of sympathy with the admin
istration foreign policy some time.
They regard the administrations lat
est moves in the direction of Euroean
intervention as too diffused, vague,
and purposeless. Borah's amendment
is an attempt to substitute Tor TINS
administration policy definite, posi-
! tive plan lot accomplishing
result. namely the fixing OF repara-
tion: stablizing of the worlds cur,
rency and exchange; readjustment OF
the worlds commerce, and a conSe-
ouert reopening Of Euroean markets
TO American farmers and manufac-
! turerS. D.
President Harding has known Boz
rah's feeling on this question soine-
time. as the two E2ve discussed h
Informally. Mr.. Harding is not hos
tile to the Borah plan. but Secretary
! Hughes looks on it with less favor, IL
is understood.
Inclusion of both Russia mad Ger
many is vital to the success Of any
world economic conference, in Bo-
rah's opinion. Furthermore, conside-
ration of land disarmament, and
clear understanding that all the ma
tions concerned will faithfully carry
| out their part of the naval llnlita.
ton agreements must be made n part
of the discussion, he feels. Unless
the world give evidence of abandon
ing its militarism, there is no nope
that economic restoration can occur
he declared.