Evening star., 1933-07-07
GOLD BLOC LOSES
BATTLE ON AGENDA
Committee Votes to Con-
tjnue Discussions of None
tary Subjects.
Continued From First Page.)
they are able to prevent the exclusion
OF monetary questions.
Suspended Until Monday.

~ hAoAASso4y HNc'
Suspended Until Monday.
The Americans and their supporters
called attention to Chancellor Cham
berlain's remarks that monetary mat
ters should be considered and that those
countries which wanted to could make
reservations. This was taken to mean
that these wishing to discuss such prob
lens should go ahead and let the rest
do what they wanted to.
All conference work was suspended
this evening until Monday. when vari-
Gus subcommittee report their findings
to the Steering Committee The agenda
battle will then continue.
American headquarters expressed
themselves as much cheered by the
vote and confident that in the Steering
Committee they would be able to obtain
agreement to discuss everything on the
original agenda, permitting the gold
bloc to make reservations.
1t was stated in American quarters
that Just before the vote was taken,
M Bonnet approached the British
delegates and offered not to contest the
issue if Great Britain would agree to
let the question of Indebtedness come
up as the first item The British dele
cation refused and the vote followed.
Price Boost to Be Aim.
Americas first big contribution to
revived and revised conference, which
her delegates saved from death yester-
day, is expected to be sensational
proposal for worldwide action in
shortening the hours of labor, increas-
Ing wages and raising agricultural prices.
The American delegation this morning
worked on a draft proposal and. while
the entire group had not approved it,
its sponsors said they believed 1t would
be presented to the conference shortly.
The conference radiated an atmos-
phere Of purposeful activity which had
been lacking during the last few days.
The assemblage had been dying on its
feet when Secretary of State Cordell
Hull saved it from complete collapse by
pleading dramatically with the Steering
Committee for its life, despite avowals
of gold representatives that currency
stabilization, refused by President Roose-
velt must precede any other conference
considerations.
The delegates had been measily
waiting for the end, with no heart for
real work, but this morning they were
attacking their problems as though they
were really determined to make the big
world parley succeed.
Both the monetary and financial COM
missions met to set subcommittee work
ing on a revised agenda of subjects
which could be handled without ventur-
ing into monetary topics.
New Spirit Is Shown.
An indication of q new spirit was
given at the outset in the monetary
commission when its chairman, Finance
Minister Guido Jung Of Italy, who had
been one of the gold bloc supporters, de-
clared that I'VE all feel it desirable to
proceed with the work Of the conference
to the utmost extent"
Signor Jung, in explaining the posi-
ton, said the business of the Sub-com-
mittee was to examine its agenda to see
if there were certain questions which
discuss.
He said such questions would be held
in allegiance for the time being" and
added that Il insist on these last words
for the time being"
Mr.. Chamberlain followed Signor
Jung with the startling declaration that
none of the items ought to be excluded
from the conference agenda, which was
drawn up by League of Nations Pre-
major subjects.
Supports U. S. Policies
This was interpreted by many rs sup
porting the American desire that the
conference should continue with vir-
tually the entire program. although it
was decided yesterday to exclude none
tary and tariff matters from discussion.
The British chancellor said it would
be difficult to Isolate the individual
items on the agenda because delega-
tions could hardly discuss one without
bringing in the others.
All topics were connected, he said.
ard therefore the subcommittee should
exclude none of them.
Those countries that wanted to could
make any reservations they thought fit,
MIR. Cr>snberlain suggested.
The present items on the agenda are:
First. credit policy; second. price levels;
third, limitation of currency ductua-
tions; fourth exchange controls: fifth.
problems of Indebtedness; sixth, re-
sumption of lending.
The Rumanian delegate opposed Mr..
Chamberlain, asserting that to retain
straight back into crisis because of the
divergencieS of opinion.
He declared it would be futile to keep
to the agenda and advocated that all
items be discarded excepting indebted
ness.
Suggests Two Groups.
Numa de Oliveira of Brazil urged that
the conference go ahead and suggested
that two subcommittee be appointed to
study the agenda, one consisting of rep
resentatives of gold standard countries
and the other composed of those who
consider StabiliZation not the prime
basis for the discussions.
The views of these two committees
could be merged, he said.
M. Bonnet, who led the gold bloc at
tempt to force the adjournment Of the
conference yesterday. took the floor
and, while calling for truce" on
monetary discussions. asserted that I'VE
have the success of the London Confer
ence at heart"
The French minister delivered spir-
tied address which drew applause. He
spoke with his hands folded in front of
him and emphasized his points by
curious trick of opening his thumbs out
ward
He was much surprised, NJ Bonnet
said. to find that discussion was begin
ming today on matters which he thought
were settled yesterday by the Steering
Committee. He agreed with Mr.. Cham
berlain that most of the questions on
the original agenda were connected ex-
cept Indebtedness, but he drew q differ
ent conclusion.
M. Bonnet said that since there was
now a customs truce in the economic
sphere the French felt that there
should be a truce in the monetary
sphere. This, he added, has been the
French position for many months
stabilization to remove speculation and
fluctuations in currencies.
Doesn't Criticize United States.
The Frenchman said there was no
disposition to criticize the United
States, which has a tremendous prob
lem anc is Carrying out a very diff
cult exneriment which We are follow