The Waterbury Democrat., 1931-05-04
BY THOMAS l.. STOKES United Press Stan Correspondent

United Press Stan Correspondent
 Washington, May 4.-UP1.- With an agenda bristling with con- troversial topics, the International Chamber of Commerce met here to- day for a worldwide inventory. Re- duction or cancellation of war debts, tariff unions, the whole protective tariff principle, wage scales, over production, are among the topics ex- pected to be discussed before the chamber concludes its convention.
 President Hoover opened the con- vention formally shortly before II q. m., with a welcome to the 1000 delegates. Georges Theunis, president of the chamber and former permier of Belgium, followed with his open ing speech.
 At the afternoon session the dele gates with little formality will plunge directly into discussion and analysis of some of the factors in the world wide depression, with speeches devoted ot the general sub ject of world trade from the point of view of Europe, aLtin America, the Far East and the United States"
 Speeches are scheduled by Jean Parmentier, director, Credit Foncier of France, Ambassador Davila of Chile, Kenkichi Kagani of Japan, and John H. Fahey, Boston publisher.
 The council of the chamber last night elected Franz Won Mendels- sohn, Berlin banker and grandson of the famous composer, as president to succeed Theunis. Mendelssohn is not present but will address the meeting by radio Saturday from Ber- lin.
 Silas H. strawn of Chicago. new nf hn nj Tl1- Der of Commerce, presided over the opening session to-day as chairman of the American committee.
 Delegates are registered from 32 foreign countries. with Luxembourg and Danzig listed separately. These countries are Australia, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, China Czecho-Slovakia, Denmark, Ecuador, Finland, France, Germany, Great Britain, Greece, Guatemala, Hun gary, India, Italy, Japan, Jugoslavia, Latvia, Lithuania. Mexico, Nether- lands, Norway, Poland, Rumania, Sweden, Spain, Switzerland and Turkey.
 About 600 American business men are expected to attend.
 BY PAUL R. MALLON
 United Press Staff Correspondent
 Washington, May 4.-UP).- President Hoover to-day called upon world business men to force states men to disarm.
 The greatest hindrance to eco- homie progress, he told the Interna- tio nal Chamber of Commerce in a spUech, is taxation wrung from the people so that governments may spend five billion dollars year SUD- porting their armies.
 Pointing his remarks to the gen. eral disarmament conference to be he'd next February. the executive de- livsred what may be regarded as his most vigorous international message since entering the White House.
 Tt is within the power of busi- ness men of the world to insist that this problem shall be met with sim cerity, courage and constructive ac- tion. It is within the power of of statesmen to give the world a great assurance for the future and a great moral victory for humanity"
 His welcoming speech to the busi- ness leaders of many nations was short, but it sounded a new note in discussions bout the troubles of the world The, minds of his hearers were filled with proposals for solu- tion of the silver dispute, the con- centration of gold bullion and tariff barriers-but the president mention cd none of these. His speech sub ordinated them and raised what he called the paramount question, dis armament.
 The World war started the thing in the in the first place, MT. Hoover maintained. It brought destruction of life and property. the great tax burdens, and social and political in- stability
 Although the nations have signed the Kellogg -Briand pact promising not to resort to arms. They have, he added, nearly 5,500.000 men actively under arms and 20,000,000 more in reserve. The figures are an increase of 70 per cent over the pre-war period. The annual cost he esti- mated at around five billion dollars.
 Surely with this understanding he said referring to the pact. "the self-defense of nations could be as- sured with proportionately far less military forces than these.
 ."This vast armament continues not only a burden upon the economic recuperation of the world, but. of even more consequence, the constant