Evening star., 1937-04-25
c. Of C.FACES TEST
IN ELECT|NC HEAD
Conservatives and Liberals
Contend for Successor
to SibIey.

Commerce of the United States over
the election OF a president Is in the
offing as the organization prepares for
the opening of its twenty-fifth annual
convention here Tuesday.
The announcement by President
Harper L. Sibley in Rochester this
past week that personal affairs would
no longer permit him to serve, unex-
pectedly raised this issue, as it has
been customary for heads OF the
chamber to hold Office for three terms,
and Sibley's election for the next
year would have been a matter of
course.
In consequence, the race was re-
garded at the chamber as a wide-open
affair that would await the assem-
bling here Of the Nominations Com
mittee before there would be any
indication of where the choice would
fall.
Elected BY Directors.
Theoretically, the president is
elected by the directors, who meet
Immediately after the convention
closes. Nomination, however, is tan
tamount to election, for no committee
recommendations ever have been
turned down. The committee is
headed by Lee J. Dougherty of Daven-
port, Iowa, president Of the Guaranty
Life Insurance Co.
Despite the strained relations that
have existed between President Roose-
welt and the chamber during the last
four years, the two chamber presi-
dents who have held Office in that
time have been on good terms with
the White House.
This was particularly true of Henry
I. Hartman, New England power
magnate, who was president in 1882
1885. Hartman was one Of the prime
movers in developing the National
Recovery Administration, although
later differing with the administra-
ton over the wide scope taken by the
codes. In the memorable floor fight
in the convention in 1885, when the
chamber rejected the Roosevelt legis-
lative program, lock, stock and barrel,
In fight led by the Illinois Manu-
facturers' Association, Hartman Wig
orously defended portion of the social
security plan, particularly for pension
ing the aged INDECENT, and called on
the chamber to support that item, and
to give an impartial study to the
rest of the proposed set-up.
Sibley Takes Middle Stand.
Sibley, banker and farmer and a
elassmate of Roosevelt at Groton and
Harvard, has taken more of middle
ground stand, although never hesitat-
ing sharply to criticize administration
policies which he opposed.
There is, however, substantial
bloc in the chamber that is entirely
out of sympathy with President Roose-
welt, and whether the new president
will be more representative of this ele-
ment than of the other wing of the
chamber, is expected to be watched
with interest by business men gen.
orally.
The convention, which will be pre-
eeded as usual by the meeting tomor-
row Of the national coucilors repre-
senting the constituent organizations
AL WIG SlldlllLNI, WILL dSeSIAaCA Ny
some 5000 delegates-one of the
largest gatherings in the chambers
history and perhaps the largest ever
held here since the annual meetings
were located in the Capital
With more than 1900 reservations
received for the annual dinner at
the Willard, Thursday night, as the
convention ends, it was necessary to
close the list several weeks ago. The
principal speaker will be Sir Edward
Beatty of Montreal, chairman and
president Of the Canadian Pacific
Railway.
While the chamber program will
follow the usual lines and take in the
various problems with which indus
try and agriculture must deal, princi-
pal attention will be centered on
labor relations The administration
views on this subject will be sounded
ut the general session Wednesday,
when Edward F. McGrady, Assistant
Secretary of Labor, will speak.
For the first time in years, none
of the cabinet members is addressing
the chamber, but Secretary Hull,
Secretary Morgenthau and Secretary
Perkins have accepted invitations 10
the annual dinner.
The annual dinner of the American
Section of the International Chamoer
of Commerce will be held at the May
flower at 7::30 o'clock tomorrow night
with Secretary Wallace as the guest
of honor. The speakers will be John
Foster Dulles, New York lawyer, who
formerly was in the State Depart
ment, and Eliot Wadsworth OF Bos-
ton. former Assistant Secretary OF the
Treasury under Secretary Mellon, VINO
now is president of the Boston Cham
Der of Commerce.
Awards to Be Presented.
Tomorrow's program also includes
. session at the chamber at ~ am,
at which the awards-previously an
nounced-wiu be presented in the
city and rural health conservation
and fire waste contests; buffet lunch
con of the councillors at 1890 O'Clock
and a business meeting at 1870 o'clock.
Colby NJ Chester Of New York, chair
man of General Foods Corp, will speak
1T the afternoon meeting.
On Tuesday night Sir Willmott
Lewis, Washington correspondent of
the London Times, will address the
annual dinner of the National As
sociation of Commercial Organiza-
ton Secretaries at the Washing
ton.
One other associated group-the
American Trade Association Execu-
tives-will have its dinner at the
Mayhower that night.
The final business session Of the