The Waterbury Democrat., 1931-05-07
WAR DEBTS WILL | BE DISCUSSED AT
 CHAMBER SESSION
But American Leaders Will Fight Any Resolution
 Touching. on Any
 Changes
BY THOMAS L. STOKES

United Press Stan COrrespOndent)
 Washington, May 7-(UP)-The International Chamber of Com merce turned it's attention to-day to the world agricultural depression, silver, and the rising costs of dis tribution and service. At the same time an incipient controversy over war debts and reparations simmered under the surface, involving diver gent views of American delegates on the one hand and German and British on the other.
 British delegates, it was learned. are considering a broad resolution which would put the convention on tinuing committee of the possibility of revision of reparations and war debts, as well as turning over to such committee also the silver and disarmament questions.
 American leaders will oppose strenuously any resolution totching on war debts,. especially at this time and at this place.
 There is a possible compromise in a yelled resolution which would no. mention separations and debts at all, but would propose a stludy of the decline in commodity prices and its effect on the world economic situation.
 The, British delegates are acting in behalf of the German group. The German view is that because of the 25 per cent drop in commodity prices they actually are paying in goods 25 per cent more separations than provided by the Young plan. Any opening of the separations question also would open the inter- allied debt question.
 Silas H. Strawn, chairman of the American section and newly elected president of the U. s. Chamber Of Commerce, reiterated to-day that he did not think anybody would bring up the question of debt cancella- tion.
 By their proposal of a general resolution embodying studies of debts and reparations, silver and disarmament, the British would sidetrack the urgent demand from some quarters that the convention go on record for an international conference to consider measures to stabilize silver. Such a resolution, recommended by the executive council, Is now pending.
 A vague resolution shelving the whole silver matter in this way would save embarrassment to the United States, which does not want to initiate the call for such con- ference. The senate already has asked President Hoover to call one. The situation is delicate because the British policy in India, which now is feeding its silver to the world market, is blamed by many econo- mists for the depressed price.
 A scaling down of world agricul- tural production by concerted action was recommended to-day in a speech By Alfred Falter, chairman of the Polish delegation, who told the American and foreign business men that protective tariffs resorted to an a broad scale have only in- creased production.
 The problems which confront re- tail trade in costs of distribution and of various services it now per- forms, constituting an increasingly heavw overhead charge, were dis cussed by F'erruccio Lantini, presi- dent of the Italian Federation of Commerce, and D. F. Kelly. Chi cago, president of the National Re- tail Dry Goods association. Lantini urged a study by the international body into distribution costs.
 Kelly said his organization op- poses retail price-fixing Legislation, such as proposed in the Capper- Kelly bill, which passed the House last year but died in the senate, and also opposes the proposed change from the foreign to the so-called American valuation basis in the tariff law.