tional features of outstanding pieces of legisla- sion of the American Economic Association in
tion since the present administration came into New York to organize a group of economists to
power. It has not attempted to deal with either act as a committee for the League. A substan-
I the economic or the social phases of questions tial basis has already been secured and it is the
involved. The first report of the Committee judgment of those dealing with the situation
was on the National Labor Relations Act. It that a number of economists will shortly join
was issued September 19, 1935. Subsequently in this effective and valuable effort.
reports have been made public on the Bitumi- V, A year ago the League began the organization
nous Coal Conservation Act and on the Potato   of chapters in the colleges and universities. At
Act, both issued in December. Others are now   first it was slow work with many obstacles and
practically completed and will be published ' many discouragements. Now, however, we have
shortly. Although it had prepared admirable active chapters in twenty-six institutions and
reports on both the AAA and the TVA the chapters in process of organization in one hun-
Committee wisely withheld them from publi- dred and twenty-five institutions. Moreover, at
· cation after cases involving these particular the present time, under a system of voluntary
pieces of legislation had come to the Supreme membership enrollment, we have for the past
Court for decision. month been enlisting college students at the
The appreciation and gratitude of the League rate of seventy-nine per day. There could be
to the members of the National Lawyers Com- no more valuable work for the League than to
mittee is thus publicly recorded. At marked attempt to instill in the minds of college men
personal sacrifice they have given of their time and women the sound reasons for the mainte-
and their brains in a constructive effort. Nor nance of constitutional government in America.
have they been defiected or disturbed by the Heretofore it has been considered the smart
criminations which have been heaped upon thing for young people in colleges to ally them-
them. selves to some radical group. Now the scene is
Under the National Lawyers Committee a changing and the liberal and progressive forces
General Lawyers Committee of the League has find themselves challenged by the serious turn
been organized which now numbers 2,139 mem- of affairs that threatens the Constitution and
bers. These lawyers in every section of the basic American institutions.
country have enlisted to help propagate the As stated in the beginning, the membership
aims and purposes of the League and in most of the League, now approaching 75,000, consti-
instances have volunteered to assist in organiza- wir tutes a voluntary enrollment. Your Executive
tion work in their respective communities and < Committee has taken the position that prior
to respond to any calls for public speeches that   to any effort to build up a large membership
may be made upon them. Thus there has been *` the foundation of the League should be effec-
created an invaluable list of speakers, nation- tively and substantially laid. The work of the
wide in its scope, prepared and ready to discuss past year has been devoted to that endeavor.
constitutional government and the maintenance Now the time has come for expansion on a
of the American system, wherever and when- broad scale if such expansion seems wise.
ever the opportunity offers. _ Already we have regional offices in New York
As a result of a suggestion of Dr. E. W. Kem- and Chicago and we have state divisions with
merer, of Princeton University, a valued mem- active headquarters in Massachusetts, New
ber of the League’s National Advisory Council, Jersey, Maryland, South Carolina, Georgia, Ken-
a movement was started during the recent ses- tucky, Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota,
6 7