Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-04-14
President Does Not Believe
Business Depression Will
Follow Enactment.
POINTS OUT THE Benefit
OF FREE SUGAR CLAUSE
Discusses Anti-Japanese Legislation,
But Withholds Views of Sun.
dry Civil Bill.

In his Monday morning conference
with Washington newspaper men to-
| day President Wilson exhibited excel
lent humOr. and was frank and direct
in his answers to many of the pointed
inquiries addressed to him. On the
tariff, anti-Japanese legislation in
California and other questions he was
optimistic. Only on the question of
the exemption of labor and farmer
organizations from the Sherman anti
trust law in the sundry civil bill. the
provisions that caused President Taft
to veto that enactment. did he main
tain reserve or indicate a desire to
give the matter further consideration
before speaking. He admitted. how
ever. that he had made his position
clear to Senator Martin and Represen-
tative Fitzgerald head Of the apprO-
priation committees Of the Senate and
House. respectively.
From an unquestioned inside source it
is learned that the President will not op-
pose the sundry civil bill should it con-
tains the farmer and labor exemption
propositions, although he is not especially
favorable to attaching legislation of that
sort to an appropriation bill. Reports re-
ceived by the President are that the
House is strongly in favor of retaining
is concentrating his whole influence on
the tariff measure and does not wish to
put any impeachment in the way of putting
that bill through. fight over the exemp-
ton paragraph of the sundry civil bill, 1T
is concluded, might produce trouble that
would interfere with the success of the
tariff program.
Exemptions Limited to One Year.
AS the President looks at the proposed
exemption 1t applies only to the appro-
priation for the handling of antitrust
cases in the Department of Justice and
would exempt the organizations for one
year only. from July l, 1913. to July i, 1914.
1t Is not general or permanent leg1Sia-
tion. 1t may be precedent for general
legislation along the same lines. 1t is
argued. but the President does not want
a row or tangle at this time Next De-
cember. when he addresses or sends
message to Congress giving his views as
to vital legisla ton, he will recommend
revision of the Sherman antitrust laws
and will express himself on the question
whether labor and farm organizations
should be given immunity against the
operation of that law.
The President was confident that the
tariff bill meets the approval 0f the
public. He knew, OF. course, that there
are people whose interests were afa
fected who would disapprove 1t, and
he supposed they were quite numerous.
but he felt sure that the great disin-
terested public. with no axes to grind,
would regard it as a fair bill Even
men who had not expected the admin
istration and Congress to work out
good bill. the President said. admitted
that the measure is better than they
have looked for.
The President said he did not believe
business depression would follow the pas
sage OF the bill. He saw no reason in
L,
confident that healthy business will go
on without serious interruption. He
didn't see where healthy business was
"cut to the bone" anywhere.
Reasons for Advocating Free Sugar.
The President said he wanted free SUI
gar because it was fair and proper to
the consumer. He believed, too, that the
consumer would get immediate benefit
from sugar tariff reduction and later from
free sugar. The consumer. he frankly
admitted. would not get immediate bene-
fit from the tariff reductions, but he
would in the end be immensely helped.
The President called attention to his
campaign speeches, in which he said he
did not expect tariff reduction to bring
about immediate reduction of the cost Of
bring about competitive situation that
Will make 1t impossible by arrangements
of prices to keep UP the present "arti-
ficiar' Levels of cost The process of les
senng the hight cost might not be rapid.
but he felt sure that when the elements
of competition provided in the bill got to
work. as they would. the people would
get the benefit. Competition. he said, Is
what the democrats are seeking.
The President was asked about the dec
laration of Ohio democrats that free wool
viii, ruin the industry there and else
where. He said he felt sure that Ohio
farmers were wrong in their belief on
this. He had learned, he said, that the
both sides iof the water, and American
farmers would not be hurt so long as the
price Is the same at home and abroad.
When told that London always fixes the
prices of wool he again said that COM
petitive conditions would affect the stu
alton.
The President said that if the tariff bill,
which provides for reciprocity arrange
ments. becomes law he will attempt to
negotiate reciprocity deals as soon as
possible
Replying to further questions about the
tariff effect on sugar, the President said
that if there is any shutdown in the
sugar industry it will be for effect, and
later on.
japanese Situation.
Relative to the proposed legislation in
California which would prevent Japanese
owning or leasing lands in that state, the
President said he had not felt it to be his
duty, as President. to intervene in the
local affairs of a state, although he had
given intimations to the California legis-
lators of what he thought was right and
fair He tried to do 1t in as tactful a
way as possible He hoped that the legis-
lation would be influenced to some extent
by his suggestions He feared that 1t
would be impossible to prevent legislation
altogether.
President Wilson said he did not be-
lieve that the Japanese government
would be embittered against the United
States as a result of this legislation The
California action, he said would repre-
sent only one state i'm the Union OF
course a national feeling Of resentment
might grow up in Japan, but the enlight-
ened people there, knowing conditions in
this country, would not seek to blame the
whole country for the legislation of one
state.
The President admitted that the whole
situation is awkward, but said that the
national government cannot promise more
I'm treaties than 1t can deliver In the
treaty with Russia that will come up for
consideration by this administration later
the President said he hoped to see Moth
hing promised that could not be carried
isout In all future treaties. he intinaa ted /
he thought that the country should make
no promises II could not fulfill The
Russian treaty would not be taken up