The Montgomery Advertiser
- LEGION REFUSES TO RENEW ACTION ON WORLD COURT
- LABOR FEDERATION IS PLANNING PROBE OF MEX CONDITIONS
- COMMUNITY ACTION GIVES CONFIDENCE TO COTTON GROWER
The Montgomery Advertiser's front page of October 15, 1926 led with three Associated Press reports on conventions and federal policy. In Philadelphia the American Legion voted down a resolution renewing the World Court endorsement it had made at Omaha the previous year after speakers argued the issue had turned partisan; it also put off a unified air service, picked San Antonio for 1928 and called for a regular army of 12,000 officers and 125,000 men. In Detroit the American Federation of Labor told its executive council to look into relations between the Mexican government and Mexican labor, praised religious tolerance while keeping to labor questions, reaffirmed nonpartisanship and its child-labor amendment campaign, and referred an anti-World Court resolution to its council. From Washington and Memphis came official reassurance for cotton growers facing low prices: Hoover praised Southern community action, the farm loan board reported $33,500,000 in cooperative loans, and a Memphis committee began plans to stabilize the market and reduce acreage.
Translation
LEGION REFUSES TO RENEW ACTION ON WORLD COURT
VOLUME XCVIII-NO. 288
LEGION REFUSES TO RENEW ACTION ON WORLD COURT
Resolution Reaffirming American Adherence to Tribunal is Voted Down by Former Soldiers
OPPONENTS SAY QUESTION IS INVOLVED IN POLITICS
San Antonio Wins 1928 Convention; To Elect Officers at Session Today
PHILADELPHIA, Oct. 14 - (AP) - The American Legion in National Convention today refused to reaffirm its position it took at Omaha last year when it favored adherence to the world that action was rejected by a large vote after speeches had been made that the world court had become a political question and that to adopt the resolution would be violating the Legion's constitution which provides that the organization cannot be used for the dissemination of 'partisan principles.' The merits of the world court were not discussed by those who opposed the resolution.
The question of a unified air service for the army and navy went over for another year after the convention committee on aeronautics had adopted a recommendation that there be one department of air services with secretaries of equal importance for land, sea and land forces. The committee, after long conferences, was prevailed on to change the recommendation to an expression that it "looks with favor upon" the proposition. The committee also agreed to the appointment of a committee of nine to study the entire question and report to the next convention.
San Antonio, Texas, won the 1928 convention of the Legion after a contest with Miami and Denver. The Florida and Colorado cities made the selection unanimous after they saw the way the delegates were voting. Detroit withdrew her invitation with the understanding that it will be renewed for the 1929 meeting. Next year's convention will be held in Paris, France.
The convention will adjourn tomorrow after the election of a national commander and five vice-commanders.
The report of the military affairs committee, adopted by the convention, stated that the American Legion believed that the minimum requirement for national defense should be a regular army of 12,000 officers and 125,000 enlisted men, in addition to the recently authorized increase in the air corps. There also should be, the report stated, a national guard of 190-
LABOR FEDERATION IS PLANNING PROBE OF MEX CONDITIONS
LABOR FEDERATION IS PLANNING PROBE OF MEX CONDITIONS
Closing Session of Convention Provides For Committee to Investigate Relations Across Border
PLEDGES FURTHER EFFORT FOR CHILD LABOR PLANK
Non-Partisan Policy in Political Matters Reaffirmed; Council Approved
DETROIT, MICH., Oct. 14. - (AP.) - The American Federation of Labor, completing the business program of its forty-sixth annual convention, today directed its executive council to inquire into relations between the Mexican government and labor organizations of that country. A committee report proposing the action commended the executive council for "the dignified way" in which it had handled "a delicate and intricate incident in our foreign relations." Approval of the committee report by unanimous vote came after an hour of debate.
The convention today also emphatically reaffirmed its non-partisan policy in political activity and approved continuation of the federation's endeavor to abolish child labor by amendment to the federal constitution.
A resolution advocating opposition to American adherence to the world court was referred to the executive council with the observation that determination of national policy toward the court was not now before the country.
"Labor shows no favorites," said the committee report on the political program, "in its loyal and effective support of progressive forward-looking candidates for public office."
The executive council's report of child labor outlined a program of activity in both education and legislation. Pending ratification of a constitutional amendment, empowering congress to curb child labor, the legislative activity will be directed to restrictive legislation in the several states. The minimum age of employment set in the federation program is 16 years.
The reports of the committee on international relations on relations with the organized workers of Mexico expressed hearty approval of the principle of religious tolerance.
"The labor movement in some Latin-American countries are still in their formative stages. They need our advice, our assistance, our sustaining moral force.
"We note with especial interest and hearty approval that the executive council has followed without deviation the fundamental policy and principles and philosophy of the constructive trade union movement.
"We moreover note with interest and approval that the executive council has approached the situation in Mexico with tolerance and in keeping with our own declaration of the rights and interests of wage earners. This declaration and attitude confines itself to the economic and industrial field and relates purely to labor matters, without regard to creed, sex or race. Your committee is in accord with the executive council's action in not interfering in any issue or question not clearly within the sphere and scope of the fundamental principles of the American Federation of Labor as set forth in its report.
The world court resolution presented by representatives of the International Seamen's union of America expressed opposition to the league of nations and the International labor office of the league as well as to the world court.
FRANCE TO IMPORT WHEAT
Seventy Million Bushels Needed to Supply Demands
WASHINGTON, Oct. 14. - (AP) - France will have to import about [?] bushels of wheat [?]
COMMUNITY ACTION GIVES CONFIDENCE TO COTTON GROWER
16 PAGES Price 5 Cents
COMMUNITY ACTION GIVES CONFIDENCE TO COTTON GROWER
Secretary Hoover Says South Proceeding With Intelligence Seldom Met With in Like Difficulties
AMPLE FUNDS AVAILABLE TO CARE FOR SITUATION
Memphis Meeting Initiates Plans For Stabilizing Price and Cutting Acreage
WASHINGTON, Oct. 14 - (AP) - Words of encouragement for the cotton farmer were issued today from the various high official sources. Secretary Hoover declared community action in the south to alleviate the low price situation was proceeding with a force and intelligence seldom met in attacks on economy difficulties. The aggressive attitude of southern business leaders was regarded by Secretary Mellon as offering a solution of the problem confronting the producers and dependent industries. Chairman A. C. Williams of the farm loan board, meanwhile gave assurance that the intermediate credit banks are in a position to meet requirements for orderly marketing of the big crop. Loans to cooperative marketing associations totaling $33,500,000 already have been approved by the banks, Williams told the president's cotton committee. Federal reserve banks in the south also are in excellent condition, treasury officials asserted.
"We never have had such a thorough going endeavor to deal with an economic matter," said Secretary Hoover, who is a member of the president's committee. The spirit of the new south is demonstrating itself most effectively. All that we need to do is to arrange for such cooperation as the federal government and federal agencies may be able to lend. The south itself is working out a plan of action and I am sure that it will be a good one. A dozen or so of conferences representing all the affected groups and localities already have thrown into shape many of the elements of a practical program."
PLAN INITIATED.
MEMPHIS, TENN., Oct. 14. - (AP) - The wheels of the machine, fashioned by merchants, bankers and planters of the south to remedy the situation incident to the low price of cotton, began to move here today as the executive supervisory committee initiated plans for market stabilization this season and subsequent reduction of acreage planted to the white staple.
Dr. Tate Butler, agronomist, chairman of the executive committee named (Continued on Page Thirteen)
Context
Where the World Court question stood when the Legion backed away
The Legion speakers who called the World Court "a political question" were speaking months after the Senate had already acted. Senate Resolution No. 5, adopted January 27, 1926 (legislative day of January 16) in the 69th Congress, consented to American adherence to the protocol of the Permanent Court of International Justice, but only with reservations. The first of these stated that adherence would not involve any legal relation to the League of Nations, and the resolution also barred the United States from signing until the signatory powers had accepted the reservations through an exchange of notes. That League clause shows how closely the court was still tied to the 1919–20 fight over the Versailles treaty, in which Senator William Borah had led the Irreconcilables against American entry into the League. By October 1926 the next move belonged to foreign governments, which fits the AFL committee's remark in the next column that national policy toward the court "was not now before the country." According to the paper, the Legion's opponents of the resolution relied on the organization's ban on partisanship and did not argue about the court itself, which suggests the members wanted to stay out of a quarrel among politicians rather than that they had turned against the court.
The Calles Law and Mexico's church conflict
The AFL report's careful language about the "situation in Mexico" and its endorsement of "the principle of religious tolerance" refer to a crisis that had come to a head that summer. In June 1926 President Plutarco Elías Calles signed the Law for Reforming the Penal Code, which became known as the Calles Law. It was meant to enforce the restrictions against the Catholic Church in Article 130 of the 1917 constitution. To enforce it, Calles seized church property, expelled foreign priests, and closed monasteries, convents and religious schools. One result was the Cristero War, a popular uprising of Catholic peasants in central Mexico against the federal government. Against that background, the convention committee's statement that the AFL's position "confines itself to the economic and industrial field" and that the council had rightly avoided issues outside its "sphere and scope" reads as a refusal to join American critics of the Calles government on the religious question. It also kept the federation's ties with the labor organizations of Mexico intact. The front page does not say what the "delicate and intricate incident" in foreign relations was.
Why the AFL's Mexican partners were tied to the Calles government
An inquiry into "relations between the Mexican government and labor organizations" was not a neutral exercise for the AFL, because its chief Mexican partner sat inside that government. Samuel Gompers, as head of the American Federation of Labor, had reached out to Mexican labor leaders, including Luis N. Morones, and the two became labor allies. Morones headed the Regional Confederation of Mexican Workers, known as CROM. In 1924 Calles appointed him Secretary of Industry, Commerce, and Labor, and he kept running CROM at the same time, using his office to weaken rival unions. Morones's CROM was therefore part of the administration that was enforcing the anti-clerical laws. This explains why the Detroit report described labor movements in Latin America as "formative" and offered it "our sustaining moral force" while declining to rule on matters outside labor. Criticizing the Calles government over religion would have meant criticizing the AFL's own ally.
The 1926 cotton glut and the push for orderly marketing
The reassurances from Hoover, Mellon and the farm loan board answered a problem of oversupply rather than a shortage of money. At his October 8, 1926 press conference, President Coolidge said the latest government report pointed to a crop of 16,000,000 bales. The country used about 7,000,000 to 7,500,000 bales and exported about the same amount, on top of a carryover of roughly 5,000,000 bales from the previous year. He contrasted this with the earlier price fall around 1922, when the difficulty had come from bank credit, and described the new difficulty as one of coordinating selling and buying. Efforts were therefore under way to coordinate buying, selling, storage and credit so that cotton would not be dumped on the market. The paper's October 14 reports show that policy taking shape. Intermediate credit banks had approved $33.5 million in loans to cooperative marketing associations, and a Memphis committee of merchants, bankers and planters began plans to stabilize the market this season and cut acreage afterward. The details of the Memphis plan and Hoover's praise for the "new south" come from the paper's report alone.
Original
LEGION REFUSES TO RENEW ACTION ON WORLD COURT
VOLUME XCVIII-NO. 288 LEGION REFUSES TO RENFW ACTION ON WORLD COURT Resolution Reaffirming American Adherence to Tribunal is Voted Down by Former Soldiers OPPONENTS SAY QUESTION IS INVOLVED IN POLITICS San Antonio Wins 1928 Convention; To Elect Officers at Session Today PHILADELPHIA, Oct. 14 - (AP) - The American Legion in National Convention today refused to reaffirm its position it took at Omaha last year when it favored adherence to the world that action was rejected by a large vote after speeches had been made that the world court had become a political question and that to adopt the resolution would be violating the Legion's constitution which provides that the organization cannot be used for the dissemination of ' partisan principles. The merits of the world court were not discussed by those who opposed the resolution. The question of a unified air service for the army and navy went over for another year after the convention committee on aeronautics had adopted a recommendation that there be one department of air services with secretaries of equal importance for land, sea and land forces. The committee, after long conferences, was prevailed on to change the recommendation to an expression that it " looks with favor upon " the proposition. The committee also agreed to the appointment of a committee of nine to study the entire question and report to the next convention. San Antonio, Texas, won the 1928 convention of the Legion after a contest with Miami and Denver. The Florida and Colorado cities made the selection unanimous after they saw the way the delegates were voting. Detroit withdrew her invitation with the understanding that it will be renewed for the 1929 meeting. Next year's convention will be held in Paris, France. The convention will adjourn tomorrow after the election of a national commander and five vice-commanders. The report of the military affairs committee, adopted by the convention, stated that the American Legion believed that the minimum requirement for national defense should be a regular army of 12, 000 officers and 125, - 000 enlisted men, in addition to the recently authorized increase in the air corps. There also should be, the report stated, a national guard of 190 -
LABOR FEDERATION IS PLANNING PROBE OF MEX CONDITIONS
LABOR FEDERATION IS PLANNING PROBE OF MEX CONDITIONS Closing Session of Convention Provides For Committee to Investigate Relations Across Border PLEDGES FURTHER EFFORT FOR CHILD LABOR PLANK Non-Partisan Policy is Political Matters Reaffirmed; Council Approved DETROIT, MICH., Oct. 14. - (AP.) - The American Federation of Labor, completing the business program of its forty-sixth annual convention, today directed its executive council to inquire into relations between the Mexican government and labor organizations of that country. A committee report proposing the action commended the executive council for " the dignified way " in which it had handled " a delicate and intricate incident in our foreign relations " Approval of the committee report by unanimous vote came after an hour of debate. The convention today also emphatically reaffirmed its non-partisan policy in political activity and approved continuation of the federation's endeavor to abolish child labor by amendment to the federal constitution. A resolution advocating opposition to American adherence to the world court was referred to the executive council with the observation that determination of national policy toward the court was not now before the country. " Labor shows no favorites, " said the committee report on the political program, " in its loyal and effective support of progressive forward-looking candidates for public office. " The executive council's report of child labor outlined a program of activity in both education and legislation. Pending ratification of a constitutional amendment, empowering congress to curb child labor, the legislative activity will be directed to restrictive legislation in the several states. The minimum age of employment set in the federation program is 16 years. The reports of the committee on international relations on relations with the organized workers of Mexico expressed hearty approval of the principle of religious tolerance. " The labor movement in some Latin-American countries are still in their formative stages. They need our advice, our assistance, our sustaining moral force. " We note with especial interest and hearty approval that the executive council has followed without deviation the fundamental policy and principles and philosophy of the constitructive trade union movement. " We moreover note with interest and approval that the executive council has approached the situation in Mexico with tolerance and in keeping with our own declaration of the rights and interests of wage earners. This declaration and attitude confines itself to the economic and industrial field and relates purely to labor matters, without regard to creed, sex or race. Your committee is in accord with the executive council's action in not interfering in any issue or question not clearly within the sphere and scope of the fundamental principles of the American Federation of Labor as set forth in its report. The world court resolution presented by representatives of the International Seamen's union of America expressed opposition to the league of nations and the International labor office of the league as well as to the world court. FRANCE TO IMPORT WHEAT Seventy Million Bushels Needed to Supply Demands WASHINGTON, Oct. 14. - (AP) - France will have to import about [?] bushels of wheat [?]
COMMUNITY ACTION GIVES CONFIDENCE TO COTTON GROWER
16 PAGES Price 5 Cents COMMUNITY ACTION GIVES CONFIDENCE TO COTTON GROWER Secretary Hoover Says South Proceeding With Intelligence Seldom Met With in Like Difficulties AMPLE FUNDS AVAILABLE TO CARE FOR SITUATION Memphis Meeting Initiates Plans For Stabilizing Price and Cutting Acreage WASHINGTON, Oct. 14 - (AP) - Words of encouragement for the cotton farmer were issued today from the various high official sources. Secretary Hoover declared community action in the south to alleviate the low price situation was proceeding with a force and intelligence seldom met in attacks on economy difficulties. The aggressive attitude of southern business leaders was regarded by Secretary Mellon as offering a solution of the problem confronting the producers and dependent industries. Chairman A. C. Williams of the farm loan board, meanwhile gave assurance that the intermediate credit banks are in a position to meet requirements for orderly marketing of the big crop. Loans to cooperative marketing associations totaling $ 33, 500, 000 already have been approved by the banks. Williams told the president's cotton committee. Federal reserve banks in the south also are in excellent condition, treasury officials asserted. " We never have had such a thorough going endeavor to deal with an economic matter, " said Secretary Hoover, who is a member of the president's committee. The spirit of the new south is demonstrating itself most effectively. All that we need to do is to arrange for such cooperation as the federal government and federal agencies may be able to lend. The south itself is working out a plan of action and I am sure that it will be a good one. A dozen or so of conferences representing all the effected groups and localities already have thrown into shape many of the elements of a practical program. " PLAN INITIATED. MEMPHIS, TENN., Oct. 14. - (AP) - The wheels of the machine, fashioned by merchants, bankers and planters of the south to remedy the situation incident to the low price of cotton, began to move here today as the executive supervisory committee initiated plans for market stabilization this season and subsequent reduction of acreage planted to the white staple. Dr. Tate Butler, agronomist, chairman of the executive committee named (Continued on Page Thirteen)
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