Western news and the Libby times. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1920-1933, 1932-08-25
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o. RApFoQD MoelEY

Washington, D. C.-The feeling that
economic conditions generally are I'M
nrovinp is growing in Washington,
with a good deal of argument on
both sides as to whether this is go
ing to develop fast enough to be of
political value OF couse there will
be an effort to make capital out oil
the national conference of business
and industrial committees OF the fed
eral reserve districts which have been
called upon by the president TO meet
in Washington on August 18th to map
our coordinated nation-wiae program
of action against the economic depres-
sion. That is to be followed on Sep
tember 18th by another conference 70
consider means for the general intro
duction of the five day week III all
branches Of business and industry, and
that will be followed in October by
an international economic conference
in London. :,
What effect these conferences will
have upon economic conditions is one
question: what effect they may have
upon the political situation is some
thing else.
Those International Debts
Leaders here see signs on both sides
of the political fence of much more
common sense attitude toward the
debts which various European nations
| owe to the government of the United
States. 1t is not thought that the
people of the United States would
tolerate for a minute any proposal to
cancel these debts But it is thought
there would be favorable reaction
toward any sound proposal to settle
/ them in something else besides hard
CASH
Senator Borah recently opened The
door for discussion when he said that
if insistence upon the payment OF these
debts in full and in gold would work
to the detriment of the American farm
er and producer he would favor some
other way of settling them. Former
Governor Alfred E. Smith not long
ago proposed that some scheme OF
tariff adjustments between the United
States and our debtors should be made
SO that credit on account of the debts
could be given to nations buying our
products in proportion to the amount
i OF their annual purchases. And Presi-
| dent Hoover intimates that he would
be willing to consider some means of
settling these debts through the ex-
pansion of markets for the agricul-
ture and labor. II is not matter OF
record as to who it was that sug-
gested that England and France
might pay their debts to us by trans
ferring to the United States the SOW
ereignty of the West Indian Islands
which they own Perhaps the i'm
mediate benefit to us of the owner
ship Of Bermuda, the Bahamas, Ja-
maica, Martinique, Barbados and the
other islands of the West Indies may
not be apparent, but at least such an
offer from those nations would be
an evidence Of good faith. There is
an idea that it would be accepted.
2lst Amendment?
1t is held by experienced political
observers here that as certain as any
thing can be, which has not yet taken
place, that, regardless Of the political
complexion Of the next congress, leg
islation lberializing the present liquor
laws will be passed and a new con-
stitutional amendment submitted
leaving the question Of prohibition up
to the individual states. They think
that legislation will retain federal con-
troll, to a greater degree than in the
old, pre- prohibition days, over in
terstate traffic in liquor between wet
and dry states. 1t is remembered chat
there was always question Of the
constitutionality of the pre- prohibition
laws designed to prevent shipments OF
intoxicants into states that had voted
themselves dry.
If such an amendment is adopted it
will not be, as many people seem to
think, the twentieth amendment TO the
constitution The present prohibi-
ton amendment is the eighteenth since
the document was first promulgated in
1887. The nineteenth amendment, as
everyone knows, is the woman suf-
frage amendment But there are still
pending for ratification by the states
| two other amendments to the con-
stitution, one of which is very likely
to be fully ratified before rfsxt sum-
mer by the state legislatures meeting
during the coming winter
One OF lneSe, anu Tie uilt lllcl piD-
posed, is an amendment to the con-
stitution giving congress the power to
limit, regulate and prohibit the labor
! Of persons under eighteen years Of
age. This change in the fundamental
law was proposed in the 68th congress
in 1924, after the supreme court had
decided that congress did not have the
power to forbid interstate commerce
in the products of child labor Only
five states have ratified the amend
ment and it has been rejected in
twenty-five states, so that there is lit
tie likelihood of it becoming part Of
the fundamental law of the land.
Change for Inauguration
1t is much more likely that the TWEEN
tieth amendment will be the one which
changes the date of the Inauguration
Of the president-elect and the date
when the terms of newly elected mem
bers of congress and the senate begin.
This so-called lame duck amend
ment was submitted last winter by the
present congress and has already been
ratified by fourteen states. AS the con-
stitution now stands the president
elected in November does not taLa