The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1915-08-23
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AMERICAN TRADE
Tariff and Customs Rules
of Southern Republics to
Be Investigated.
WILSON REQUESTS PROBE
Federal Trade Commission Will Seek
to Remove Barriers to
Commerce.
WILSON REQUESTS PROBE

1t was announced yesterday that at
the request of the President. the Federal
Trade Commission will make a thorough
investigation of the tariff laws and Gus
toms regulations Of the countries of
Central and South America for the pur-
pose Of assisting in laying the foundation
| for the development Of the largest meas
ure of reciprocal trade between the
United States and Latin America.
The commission will make a searching
study Of all the artificial barriers raised
by adverse laws and regulations that
hinder the expansion of American COM
merce with the republics of the western
hemisphere and will submit recommen-
dations to the President for the removal
of the obstacles and for the esta blish-
rnent of reciprocal trade relations.
Suggested by McAdoo.
The inquiry was suggested to the Presi-
dent by Secretary McAdoo and grows out
of the Pan-American Financial Confer
ence recently held in Washington. The
conference was unanimous in indorsing
cooperative effort among the American
governments for the expansion of pam
American finance and trade. and point
ed the way for its accomplishment The
essential thing now, the Secretary said.
is to take up the threads where the
conference left off and, by quick and
intelligent action, bring its purposes to
fruition. Many of the existing OBJ
stacles to the extension of finance and
trade among the American nations were
disclosed by the interchange OF views
at the conference. Tariff laws. Gus
toms regulations. classification Of mer-
chandise. consular certificates and IN
voices and port charges in many Latin
American countries are serious impedi-
n the growth of their trade with
the United States.
Secretary McAdoo already has taken
number OF definite steps to bring
practical results from the work begun
by the conference. He is now organic
ing the International High Commits
sion. created by the conference to con-
slider uniformity of laws relating to
trade, commerce and international COM
mercial court. This commission will
be composed of nine members from
each of the nineteen countries that
participated in the conference, the min
lister of finance, or secretary of the
Treasury, of the respective countries
being chairmen of each group. Secre-
tary McAdoo has suggested that the
commission meet in Buenos Aires on
November l. 1915. The United States.
Cuba, Ecuador, Chile, Panama and
Peru already have appointed their
memDe OF the commission ana the
remaining countries are expecting to
complete its personnel within the next
few weeks.
Uniformity of Laws Sought.
The Federal Trade Commission will CO.
operate with the International High
Commission, as far as practicable. to
bring about. If possible, uniformity Of
laws in all Latin American countries and
the limited States with reSDacf to Cus-
toms regulations, consular invoices. port
charges. etc. Aside from exposing condi-
tons and barriers which impede trade re-
lations between the United States and
Central and South America, the Federal
Trade Commission will give careful con-
sideration to the larger question of reci-
proCity, which would be a practical and
substantial basis for the enlargement OF
pan-American commercial relations.