Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-05-07
CHAMBER IGNORES
RUSSIAN SITUATION
European Delegates Work to
i Avoid Discussion of
Soviet Trading.
by IoHN =. SINCLAIR.

Russia Is getting cold shoulder
from the worlds business leaders at
the International Chamber OF Com
rnerce Convention here. Not only has
the subject of Soviet trading not come
IN for formal discussion. but every
effort Is being used by the European
delegates to keep it from being talked
about even informally.
The German and italian delegates,
backed up by the British, seem to nave
this matter pretty well in hand: Inc
British delegates are very skiiitui IN
their handling Of the various subjects
on the program, but there are two SUD-
iects which they hope will not be
raised-one is Soviet trading and the
other silver.
The American delegates, so far as
the subject of Russian, trading is con-
cerned. seem to be passive. SO 90 the
French This has brought about a
rendition where the worlds attitude
toward Soviet Russia will not be dis
cussed at this convention. Certainly
not If the pronounced objections OF the
German, italian and British delegations
prevail.
ct can't understand why American
business men do not force q discussion
of the Russian question at this time,
said Col Hugh L. Cooper, New YORK
engineer, president of the American.
Russian Chamber OF Commerce; ana
the one who is building for Russia To-
dav some of its largest power plants.
I'm the last seven years the United
states and Russia have done a trade
of about $3.50, 100000 The balance IN
favor of the United States is about
S45C. 600 OOO." continued Col. Cooper to
me. During this time, some OF the
largest firms in the United States have
done business with the Russians and
not one has had any trouble In
collecting. ooo
Here is a country with $50 ,OOO,OOO
people on low standard OF living. IA !.
crease that standard and what does IL
mean? Just this-that instead OF doing
SIaO. 600 900 worth of business, as we
ala in 1880. we will be doing several
times that amount. Who says that VIII
mot help unemployment in the United
states? Consider Russia from the stand
point of sound economics. Sell her VIVA!
she needs in building up her capital
structure and / have no neSNancy M
sell her at least 5000 .000, 900 OF goods
annually in few years.
1'What I would like TO see this con-
vention of world business leaders 90 Is
tn look this matter squarely in the race,
eliminate all lunches and dlslikes, ano
come to some definite conclusion ABOUT
the most important question now con-
fronting the world Of trade-Wnat Is 10
be done with Russian"
And vet my guess is that, no matter
how important this subject Is 70 the
business world today, it will get no con-
Alteration at this convention.
The silver question will not down. II
hobs up at some point in the daily con-
ferences The remarks Of TSuyee Pei
president of the Bank OF China, In
which he asked world cooperation IN
an effort to meet the falling price Of
silver. started the discussion all over
again. China wants q world confer
e1ice on the subject. She is the largest
consumer of silver in the world, ever
larger than India. She believes ina
silver has had a great deal more 70 az
with the present depression tnan many
are willing to recognize.
But II no action is taken in the neal
future By the world, then, Mr. Pei SAID
frankly. that China had no othel
course ouen but ito take such steps
which in her opinion viii serve the in
terests Of her own people.
The British delegation was frankly
manii. the Indian delegate and friend
of Gandhi. who backed up President
Pei of the Bank in China in demand
ing a world conference on the subject
Ne went further and charged that the
british Government had "defraudeo
india" in the way she had handed the
silver question in recent years.
Mr.. Bomanji's charges were not Of
ficially recognized by the British dele
cation, but several Of the delegates
we're frankly annoyed at this turn Of
affairs.
me silver question cannot be ig'
nored IN the resolutions which will bt
adopted.
Aloyse Never, president of the Euro
pean Steel Cartel, in discussion o.
the problem of high wages. brought cu'
the fact that in the entire world &C
tual wages are constantly increasing
Mr.. Never drew a clear cut distinction
hetueey nominal wages and real wages
and insisted that he was speaking O
real wages.
Mr.. Never wants more scientific data
tipon which real wages can be based
High wages without any regard 10
other factors is no solution for TIT
economic ills Of today, but rather
cause OF much Of the confusion ant
trouble, he insisted. He even went 81
far as TO say that high wages had peer
an important contributing factor In tn'
depression.
Undeniably most Of the foreign dele
rates are in favor of lower wag
standard. The American delegates ar
divided on the subject. Many OF then
believe that lower wages are inevitable
but consider the subject is one that can
not be discussed openly. The European
have no such illusions. They, at least
are frank about 1t.
THE general tendency may ant
should be directed toward high rea
wages" Mr.. Meyer concluded, but eco
nornic conditions. stronger than an,
theory, impose the measure whcih mus
be exceeded without endangering tn
general economic balance of the coun
try"
mo change In the business pictur
so far as can see" said Gerald -SWope
president Of the General Electric Co
to this writer before his address on tn
subject of employment.
Mr.. Swope told the assembled bust
ness men that while the problem o
regulation Of employment Is very broad
each industry must work 1t out In 1t
! own way. The most encouraging fea
ture Of it all Is the recognition by bust
ness leaders Of the responsibility IN tn
( matter Of giving regular employment
I To workers. This In itself constitute
! the first step toward its solution.
( No man who wants work and canno
J find 1t Is ever again las self-respectin
and self-reliant a human being as
, was before He has lost something tina
can never be replaced" Mr. Swope sale
Like Dean Donham of Harvard Uni
versity, Mr.. Swope believes that Stabilit
. Of employment is TO the vast majorit
of people the most vital factor in life.
Dean Donham of Harvard Universit.
author Of q recent best seller, cuisines
Adrift," belie%es the best form OF CO
oneration which we can give to
troubled world seems TO lie in the recoe