The Connecticut labor news., 1924-10-11
FEDERAL RESERVE ACT DEPENDED
 BYJ.W. DAVIS
Democratic Nominee for President Ably Upheld Panic-Proof
 Legislation.
ALSO FOUGHT RAILROADS
Was Delegated to Diplomatic Service After Becoming Spokesman for
 Country.

Hon. John w. Davis, Democratic mo-
 minee for president, ably defended the
 federal reserve act and the income tax
 law when these important measures
 were attacked The details of these and
 his other achievements as solicitor-gen-
 eral, are disclosed in the following in
 sta1lment of his life:
 The Federal Reserve Act, which has
 made this country panic-proof since its
 enactment, was threatened and Solicitor
 General Davis successfully defended 1t The income tax law was attacked and he preserved that He victoriously up- held the statute giving the Interstate Commerce Commission power to com pei railroads to increase their tank car equipment. He defended the Constitu- tionality of the first child labor law, and although in this case the decision of the Supreme Court went against him such an advocacy of this social reform was one of the steps toward the eventual so- lution of this problem by Constitutional amendment. Again, MT. Davis, as at torney for the government, defeated the attempt of western railroad to invali- date the Adamson eight-hour law which gave to railroad employees an eight hour day of work.
 The beginning of MT. Davis's career as diplomat was his appointment as a member of the American Commission sent to Berne in September, 1918, to deal with the German government re- specting the treatment and exchange of prisoners of war This was a delicate mission, particularly so under the then existing circumstances. The German army was then suffering reverses and the German people were blaming these military disasters upon the American government and our armies. A spo1es- man for this country under such con ditions was required to have broad knowledge of international law and us- age. John w. Davis had that and he also had the requisite tact and resource fulness. The best proof of his success in that initial diplomatic undertaking was his selection as the successor to Walter Hines Page as Ambassador to Great Britain in the late autumn of 1918
 Mr. Davis succeeded MT. Page, who had resigned, in a period which de- manded at the Court of St. James's ar envoy of exceptional ability and tact Never before had the duties of the of flee been more exacting and of more consequence to the United States and the world. The war was nearing its end. There were to follow the months and years of world pacifcation and re- construction. Any defect in ability, any of f,11 I,.%,, would have been not only hurtful to the prestige of the United States but equally detriment to the restoration of peace and the earlier stages of the rehabilitation of the world at large. <
 Upon the shoulders of John w. Da- wis rested major part of the prelimi- nary and final work of accomplishing peace and re-establishing international relations. Besides the natural conflicts of interest and ambitions amongst the victors and the vanquished there were at times divergence of views among the Allied Powers. The vast moral infu- ence of the United States naturally was sought. The tasek of Ambassador Da- wis was to achieve President Wilson's purpose of a permanent peace, at the pendence of action and American i'm partiality as among the Allies It was a diplomatic task of highest order and 
 Although never once did he fail to represent and support the American viewpoint and President Wilson's pro gram in a series of momentous and international negotiations, John w. Davis, nevertheless, returned to the United States at the end of his ser vice and he brought with him the good will, respect and friendship of all the nations with which he had dealt
 Thus ended conspicuous public ser vice of some ten years and each year a financial sacrifice to a lawyer of MT. Davis's ability and stand ing. With his private resources reduced if not wiped out, MT. Davis told his friends that he must return at once to the practice of his profession if he would provide for later years and make his family comfortable.