The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-01-30
Reciprocity Plans Do Not At All Suit the Reg-
 uIar Leaders
ARGUMENT WITH TAFT
 HAS HAD LITTLE EFFECT
The President Has shown Independ- encc of Spirit in Standing By the Canadian Treaty Which
 Causes Surprise

Washington, January 29.-Embarrassed is mild word to define the predicament
 in which republican members of Congress have found themselves since President Taft submitted his programme for re- duction in the cost of living, through the medium of commercial reciprocity with Canada.
 High protectionists, confident of the sympathy of the executive, have not hesi- tated to go to the White House with pre- dictons that the party will be disrupted if the programme is insisted upon. In- surgent republicans, many of whom have become unaccustomed to visit the White House at all, have been pursuing the policy of silence. While some of them are ready to admit that the proposed agreement is in line with their tariff arguments in the past, they fear to adopt it lest they bring upon their heads the wrath of agrculturists.
 President Taft appears to be about the only one who is showing no concern about the situation. He is said to have met all arguments against the agreement with the determination to disregard mere political objections, whether they come from stand-patters or insurgents He believes what he has recommended to De right and he has made it clear that so
 long as he continues so to believe he can not be dissuaded from using every force at his command that advances legislation to put the agreement into operation.
 Taft Knows Arguments
 That President Taft realized fully what arguments would be advanced by protec- tionists against freedom of trade rela- ton with Canada is proved by the tacl trat not single member of the ways ana means committee of the House or of the finance committee of the Senate was ap- prised in advance as to what articles would be affected by the treaty His con sultatons were held exclusively with the government trade experts, and only such of those as were believed to be beyond po- | litical influence. In nothing that ne nas | done since he has been President has MT. Tsft displayed so much independent spirit. | Progressive republicans are deriving some comfort from the fact that Senator AIdrch and Speaker Cannon and numer- ous other of the "old guard apparently were as much in the dark as anyone about the Presidents plans The prosressives admit that the situation is mystiiying They knew they had not been called Tn during the negotiations with Canada commercial representatives, and now they learn that the standpatters were equally neglected.
 Must Have Support
 The question which has arisen naturally is How can President Taft expect to bring about favorable action on the agree ment without having the support of some faction of his own party in Congress-" Some want to know if MT. Taft Is de- pending wholly on the known democratic support for the programme. Those who have taken the trouble to talk with the President about the matter are said to have been told that he counted upon the people generally. the masses who think he is trying to lower the cost of food, to create sentiment necessary to induce Congress to act.
 The annual dinner of the Ohio so- ciety is to be held in this city tomor- row night and President Taft Is to be one of the speakers. It is expected he will take this occasion to say some thing about reciprocity. Political lead CTS are wondering If he will tell what he intends to do if Congress fails to act on the agreement at the present session. There has been a great deal of talk of an extra session if the recip- rocity legislation falls and 1t Is known that much of the talk was brought from the White House by men who en- joy confidential relations with the President
 Figures to Be Furnished
 The tariff, the bureau of statistics and other bodies who are analysing constantly the economic questions in volved in the commerce of this coun- try are ready to fortify President Taft with any figures he may need in carry ing on a campaign of education. These bureaus already have prepared great deal of information bearing upon the subject of export trade to commercial reciprocity with Canada. It shows that neither country has any advantage in the market of Europe The United States and Canada can obtain equal prices for grains and other products of the soil unless one or the other offers an article of less superior quality It is recognized that the United States always has found good market abroad for agricultural products. even wheat, in spite of the quality of the article grown in Canada.
 The preparation that Is being made by the President for a contest with Congress clearly shows that something more powerful than mere politics must be used to combat him. Yet the fight Is beginning to loom up as a political issue. Some members of the Senate and House who would be ex- pected to take the lead for the re- nomination of MT Taft in 1912 may now be found to be lukewarm in tn cir support of him. If the President should deem 1t incumbent upon him to call an extra session of Congress and submit the reciprocity agreement to the demo- crats of the next House it Is said that still others of the republican party may be alienated. tt f
 No Thought of Politics
 This phase of the situation was dis cussed by one of the Presidents friends today. He said that if MT. Taft had given any thought to his political flu ture in adv beating the Canadian agree ment it had not been manifested in his conversa tions. At the same time this friend declared he believed the Presi- dent had a great deal to gain, even In politics, by carrying on a fight to de- crease the cost of living.
 The introduction by Representative Me Call of Massachusetts of bill to carry out the terms of the Canadian agreement indicates that there will be little delay in bringing such a measure from the ways and means committee. A majority of the committee is known to favor the agree ment. ..a Although 1t may be some time before the reciprocity question is discussed on the floor of either house. it entirely subordi-