Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-05-03
BY WILLIAM HARD.

Washington at this week end finds
itself sandwtched In between the ses-
sions of the United States Chamber
| Of Commerce at Atlantic City, which
ended Friday, and the sessions of the
International Chamber of Commerce
which will begin in Washington itself
Monday. The business community OF
the United States and the business
community Of virtually the whole Of
the capitaliStic world are thus almost
simultaneously showertng the Ameri-
| can people and the American Govern
ment with discussions and resolutions
What would seem to be the central
probable outcon1es Of these perform
ances?
In the case of the massive and COM
| plicated deliberations of our own
business men at Atlantic City the un-
DERIVING drift Of things would seem
| to be toward more "inter-co-operation
between businesses, toward more "col-
lectivism' Of business action, and even
toward the ultimate erection Of a
supreme economic council operat-
ing nationally and exerting persuasive
influence over American business as an
interconnected whole.
X X ~
It Is well known that Mr.. Julius Barnes
chairman Of the board of the United
States Chamber of Commerce, has
ideas for the establishment Of a
supreme economic council ever
since the President first summoned
organized American business down to
Washington at the beginning of the
depression to consider measures for
combating its consequences It Is not
so well known that at that time MIR.
Barnes encountered difficulties In the
successful presentation of his ideas in
this matter to administration officials.
The administration seems to have
eminent" might be set up outside the
National Government and uncon-
trollable by 1t. Mr.. Barnes was thus.
in a sense, frustrated by his dear
friend, Mr.. Herbert Hoover.
There also were, however, other diff
f1cultieS in Mr.. Barnes path. Should
labor have representation in the
Supreme Economic Council of bust
ness? Should agriculture be repre-
sented In it? Should it be supreme
economic council simply Of business
men, or also of working men and of
farmers? Should it be strictly in
dustrial," or should 1t be compre-
These questions, this writer believes,
are still far from solved among Mr..
Barnes advisers and colleagues. Mr..
Barnes might be said to belong a bit to
the left wing" OF business. The men,
bers Of the right wing" many OF them.
are reluctant to accept the prospect OF
an economic government" in which
representatives, for instance, of grain
exchanges would have to trade views
and make bargains with. for instance,
representatives of agricultural CO.
operative marketing associations.
Yet, unless the agricultural element
and the labor element are included in
supreme economic council" plan, 1t
Is altogether unlikely that 1t would
ever receive the sanction and support OF
any national political administration
of either party. From the national po-
litical point of view there would be more
merit in the national economic council
proposed in the bill entitled Senate
6215" introduced into the Congress last
February by Senator La Toilette Of Wis
consin. This bill states that:
1.-THE fifteen members Of the council
shall be selected by the President from
lists submitted by groups Of associations
and organizations representing the in
portation and labor interests of the
United States, but not more than three
such members shall be selected from
the list submitted by each Of such
groups"
Mr.. La Follette's Council" like Mr..
Barnes Council" would have powers
only to study and report and advise,
but would be expected, through those
powers, to have great influence upon
national economic developments. 1t Is
anticipated that within a short time
now a subcommittee of Mr.. La Follette's
Senate committee on manufactures will
begin to hold hearings on Mr.. La Fol-
lette's national economic council" bill
1t was realized at Atlantic City thai
IN these circumstances the American
private business community must eXert
itself rapidly toward creating some CEN
trail planning department" of its owr
II 1t Is to escape from having such q
department imposed upon 1t by legisla.
of the most authoritative observers here
! think that the Atlantic City meeting
of the United States Chamber of Com
merce will finally be found to have
marked the transition of American bust.
ness from the age of individualistiC
hit and miss" to the age of collectivist
plan and push"
A different order of ideas will on thu
| whole dominate the sessions here thi!
next week 81 the International Cham,
Der Of Commerce, attended by 500 dele.
gates from the United States and 35(
delegates from powerful business organi
! cations in foreign countries. Inter.
| national cooperation" will be heavily
stressed in the speeches of many of the
foreign delegates, but the existing in.
ternational situation brings 1t about
that most of the "co-operation'' desirec
would be an acceptance of sonS oensn
by Europe and surrender of s'1r1e ad-
States.
Foreign speakers will strongly assert
that the United States has too much
ernId They will stniitlu nnr,farad thai