WORLD'S BUSINESS MEN.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20869, 11 May 1931, Page 9

WORLD'S BUSINESS MEN.

QUESTION OF WAR DEBTS.

HIGH TARIFFS AND TRADE. RESOLUTIONS AT CONGRESS. By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright. (Received Ma" 10, 5.5 p.m.) NEW YORK. May 9. The Washington correspondent of the New York Times says a suggestion for reopening the question of German reparation and the war debts was made at the closing session of the Congress of the International Chamber of Commerce to-day by the adoption of a resolution advocating an examination of the effect of international obligations on world trade. Inferentially the congress advocated the abolition of high tariff walls through its recommendation that world trade should be forwarded by the removal of every possible obstacle. A third provision endorsed a reduction in world armaments, and two other sections of the resolution advocated respectively the divorcement of Government from business, and the keeping of Government expenditures within Budget estimates.

The resolution embodying these provisions was frankly a compromise between the demands for an expression of opinion by the congress in favour of a reduction in war debts, and of lower tariffs, and the opposition of Mr. Hoover's Administration to resolutions on so-called " political topics" by a convention of business men.

Altogether 43 resolutions were carried unanimously, ranging from one expressing opposition to Government regulation of trading in futures and commodity exchanges, to expressions on the silver question and unemployment.