New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-01-27
Disclaims Idea of Borrow
ing Republican Thunder
in Urging Board.
INQUIRY INTO TRADE
QUESTIONS NEEDED
Commission Would Be lndlSpen-
sable to Congress in Gathering
Data, Says President.


Washington, Jan. 26. President W IL,
sons reasons for his change Of mind
on the merits Of a tariff commission
and MS reasons for favoring commits
SION at this time, although he opposed
u 50 recently, are given at length IN
Two letters 20 Mr.. Kitchin, Democratic
floor leader Of the House. made public
to-day.
The letter under date Of today
showed clearly that Mr. kitch'n, while
az the White House yesterday hao e.
messed some astonismncnt al the sWll'
change on the part OF the liesloSn'
ON MONDAY the Pres dent wrote Mt
Ktchin the first Of the letters. m whlcf
he argued at length for tariff com
mission. with 10 reference whatever 10
ms attitude of September. when he
wrote Ex-Governor Cox OF ONO, oN-
pressing his opposition 10 tarin COM
mission.
President Wilson, without using the
words dt-c'aiv,s any idea OF borrowing
Republican thunder. Il have had IN
ans change Of mind" he says, mo
thought whatever Of change OF atN-
tudc toward the so-callcd pfotec'loh
question. That IS neither mere nor
mere. 4 commission such as I nave
suggested would have nothing TO 90
win theories of policy.
The President concludes with
statement that Congress has so mucn
10 DO az present that u is clearly I'M
poss-hlc Tor H. TO collect all the dai@
such commission could gather, ana
Tor this reason he considers that Con-
gress would presently find such com
mission ind spensaD!e.
Everything Changed.
81 have changed my mind said the
Presidents letter of to-day. because
sll the circumstances Of The world nave
changed. and 70 seems 20 me that, ~
view Of the extraordinary and tar-
reaching changes which the European
var has brought about, ~ is absolutely
necessary that we should have a com
petent instrument of inquiry along the
whole line OF the man. questions when
aFect ouf foreign commerce
a commission such as ! have sue
rested would deal only with facts, ana
The facts when !, would seek ougnl 10 De
the actual facts OF industry ana or lhe
conditions OF economic change prevail
irg in the world, so that legislation o.
every Kind that touched these matters
fnNEnI De- .A'A TO ..IN
disclosed in MS inquiries.
~ dave say you feel as I do, that -
would be folly az this time, or uhti
All the altered conditions are clearly
understood. 10 attempt 70 deal win
auctions Of foreign commerce b. leg
i.latiou. And yet. having dealt directly
and clearly wlfn the whole question OF
urfpir competition within our own DOR
s,rs. II rs clear that as soon as We
lno,y tho facts we ought 20 deal win
unfair methods Of competition as pe,
tween our own nation and otners anu
this is only one Of the many Things
tnat we would probably wish 10 deai
with. ,,
You VIII remember that in my last
message TO Congress ! iorcsnadoWed
iust the iderauons which were op-
Grating in my mind ln this matter.
The passGCe 20 which l refer was tnlS'
many conditions about which We
have repeatedly lcgislatcd are being
altered nom decade 20 decade, II IS cyl
dent. under our very eyes, and are likely
80 change even more rapidly and more
radicalv ln the days immediately anead
of ms. when peace has returned 20 the
world and the nations OF turope once
more take up their tasks OF commerce
and industry with the energy of those
who must bcsur themselves 10 bulld
anew just what these changes Will
be no one can certainly fofesee or
confidently predict. There are no CAL
rriabic. because no stable, elements D..
the problem The most we can DO is
"a make sure Ve have the necessaI,
instrumcntaltics of information con
stantlv at our service so that We may
he sure We know exactly what we are
dealing with when We come 10 act, II II
should be- necessary 10 act at all. We
must know first what IL is we are seek
ing 10 adapt ourselves to-.
Board Would BE indispensable.
81 need hardly say that l appreciate
very fully the motives by which you
are yourself actuatcd, and II is, there
fore. with the greater confidence that
Law the whole matter thus fully before
Won. Congress has so much 10 do al
The present time that it is clearly i'm
possible that 10 should be able 10 col
iect an the data which such a commits
sion would gather, and l feel that II
would presently find such commission
indispensable 10 It,"
In his letter sent to Mr.. Kitchin on
Monday the President said:
81 am convinced, as l suppose every
disinterestcd person must be, that u
would be a mistake TO provide for such
board with the idea of serving any
particular theory Of fiscal policy. What
we would nced would be above all
things else n board as much as possible
free from any strong prepossession IN
favor Of any political policy and capa-
BILE Of looking at the whole economic
situation Of the country with a dispas-
sionate and disinterested scrutiny.
believe that We could obtain such a
board If the proper legislation were
enaciod. and N is quite clear to me