Evening star., 1932-01-22
Emergency Economic
Conference Is Urged
TO the Editor Of The Star:

4nc WOrld depression grows more
critical daily and this Winter Is wit
Messing suffering and death In many
lands, due to the greatest economic
crisis that the world has ever expert
enced.
| Nature, however, Is not to blame, the
earth is still entirely solvent and our
planet Is capable of comfortably sup
porting at least five times its present
population.
The fault is mans, due to the fact
tnat our present industrial system is
based on production for profit and not
for use; it has outlived whatever use
| iulness 1t may have ever possessed and
Is now slowly breaking down in every
country. If it ceases to function
through complete collapse before an
other and better system can be evolved
10 replace 1t, then civilization Is
doomed
AS one nation cannot achieve perma-
nent economic independence and pros
pertty until all nations achieve the same
tand no country should desire to climb
to plenty over the bodies of other men,
even If it could, 1t is therefore obvious
that no one nation can solve this world
problem unaided by all the others.
1t is therefore my high privilege to
respectfully suggest that an emergency
International economic conference be
called by the United States or the
League of Nations, to meet IN Geneva
on February If possible, so as to con-
Vene coincidentally with the General
Conference for Limitation and Reduc-
tion of Armaments, which begins on
that date under auspices of the League
| of Nations, or at least within few
weeks thereafter.
The agenda for this emergency in
ternational economic conference should
pe divided into two sections.
Under the first section the acute
worldwide crisis should be met by at
least advisory action on the following
immediate emergency measures:
Cancellation of all war debts In ex-
change for universal disarmament.
The armies and navies Of the world
to be replaced by international police.
Immediate readjustment Of all tariffs,
followed by systematic reduction of
system of international commercial
reciprocity and free trade.
The formulation of an international
system for the regulation Of crop pro-
duction, especially cereals and cotton,
| in order to eliminate the serious waste
and economic chaos resulting from
overproduction.
The international banking system now
being developed by the League of Ma
t1ons to arrange for long-term credits,
especially in foodstuffs, to China and
any other countries suffering from
natural calamities such as flood, earth
| quake, hurricane or crop failure.
Sterilization of national coinages and
international exchange.
All the foregoing international plan
| nlnU tn he pYPpntnH yn6aY- tho O n a
ment of the League of Nations.
All nations to be urged to extend as
sistano, through favorable national
legislation and financial aid to all CO.
operative enterprises functioning within
their respective countries, which have
for their objectives the scientific and
democratic organization of production
and distribution and the League of Ma
tions to promote international contacts
and unity between all national CO.
| operatives.
The second section of the agenda for
this proposed emergency international
economic conference to consist of a
sincere and fearless discussion of the
capitalist system Of production and dis
tribution, together with a scientific in
vestigation of all alternative economic
systems which may be advocated by any
| considerable number of commissioners.
| All independent nations should be
| invited at once to send commissioners
to this proposed conference, and India,
| Egypt, Ireland and also the smaller and
inundated nations should be represented
| by delegates of their own choosing, the
basis of representation to be by popula-
ton only.
| In so far as possible in the limited
| time for acceptance of invitations and
! election of commissioners and delegates
| it is hoped that special executive powers
may be secured for as many commits
Sioners and delegates as may be pos
sible in order that the conference might
result in more than merely advisory
action. -...-.... ..........- 49,.
In any event second international
| economic conference should be called as
soon after the adjournment Of the first
conference as advisable (probably this
| Summer) to review the results of the
| first conference and take appropriate
| action regarding the international eco
| nomic situation at that time.
In order to be most efficient the pro-
| posed second international conference,
| if not the first, should be much more
| than purely advisory as it should be in
reality an economic congress of nations,
| the commissioners and delegates to have
executive power granted them by their
countries and the action taken by said
economic congress of nations to be
| binding on all governments represented.
If the realization of the poets dream
| of "a Parliament of Man, a Federation
! of the World" in which all the battle
! flags are furled and liberty and pros
perity universally prevail, can be mate
rally advanced by the inevitable suf-
| fering of two billions of humanity during
this international economic crisis and
! If substantial steps are taken toward
substituting justice for tyranny. peace
for war and plenty for poverty, then all
the agony through which our race Is
destined to go before selfshness and
| ignorance are finally conquered will not
have been in vain and this greatest OF
all economic depresslons may be but
| the earth's travail which precedes the
, birth of new and grander social order.
WILLIAM V. MAHONEY.