Rome Congress

At Rome the Congress of the International Chamber of Commerce assembled, "moved and recommended," adjourned.

Before the session was over two generalissimos of industry met in secret conclave. One was Judge Elbert H. Gary, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the United States Steel Corporation; the other was Herr Hugo Stinnes.

What did steel say to coal? Nobody knows. But it is thought that the subject of their discussion was reparations. It is known that Herr Stinnes favors a world conference to be called by the International Chamber of Commerce, and has suggested that it should be held in America, where the deliberations would be untainted by the influences of contending parties. Both Judge Gary and Herr Stinnes refused to make statements to the press, so their parley remains as mysterious as it is significant.

At the Chamber of Commerce Congress:

The Finance Section under the Chairmanship of Willis H. Booth, Vice President of the Guaranty Trust Co., New York, approved a resolution presented by the American delegation calling upon the Governments of all countries to form an international conference, to which the world's business men would be invited, to settled the outstanding European financial and economic problems. Fred I. Kent, Vice President of the Bankers Trust Co. of New York, made a strong speech in favor of this resolution.

Mr. Booth was elected president of the International Chamber. It is the first time that an American has held this office. Five years ago he was elected vice president of the Chamber of Commerce of the United States. Later he became a member of the Senior Council and is now an honorary vice president of the Chamber and chairman of its Foreign Commerce Department Committee.