Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1919-05-21
PRESIDENT WILSON
 URGES REPEAL OF WAR;
 TIME PROHIBITION ACT
Continued on page two,

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 There is, fortunately, no occasion for undertaking in the immediate fu- ture any general revision of our sys- tenn of import duties. No serious dan ger of foreign competition now threat ems American industries. Our country has emerged from the war less dis turbed and less weakened than any of the European countries, which are our competitors in manufacture. The industrial establishments have been subjected to greater strain than ours, thelr labor force to a more serious Gisorganization and this is clearly not the time to seek an organized ad- vantage The work of mere recOn- structlOn will l am afraid tax the capacity and the resources of their people tor years to come. So far from there being any danger or need ot accentuated foreign competition, 1t is likely that the conditions of the nextsfew years will greatly facilitate the marketing of American manutac- turers abroad. Least of all should we depart from the policy adopted in the tariff act of 1913, ot permitting the free entry into the United States of the raw materials, needed to supple ment and enrich our own abundant supplies.
 Tariff Needs Attention.
 Nevertheless, there are parts of the tariff system which need prompt attention. The experiences of the war have made it plain that ill some cases too great reliance on foreign supply is dangerous, and that in determln- ing certain parts of our tariff policy domestic considerations must be borne ip mind which are political as we'll as economic Among the industries to which, special consideration should be given is that of the manufacture of dyestuffs and related chemicals. Our complete dependence upon Ger man supplies before the war made! the Interruption of trade cause of exceptional economic disturbance. The close relations between the manu- facture of dyestuff on the one hand, and of explosives and poisonous gases on the other, moreover, has given the industry an exceptional signifi- canoe and value.
 Although the United States will gladly and unhesitatingly join in the program of international disarmam- Gnt it will, nevertheless, be a policy of obvious prudence to make certain of the successful maintenance of the many strong and we'll equipped chem ical plants. The German chemical in- dustry, with which we will be brought into competition, was and may we'll be again, a thoroughly knit monopoly capable of exercising competition of peculiarly insidious and dangerous kind.
 The United States should, more- over have, the means of properly protecting itself whenever our trade is discriminated against by foreign nations, in order that we may be as- sured of that equality of treatment, which we hope to accord and to- pro- mote the world over. Our tariff laws as they now stand provide no weapon of retaliation in case other govern ments: should enact legislation un- equal in it's bearing of our product as compared with the products of other countries. Though we are as far as possible from desiring to enter upon any course of retaliation, we must frankly face the fact that hostile 1V8 ASA&t4OIA Uy VOllCl 4lntlOlS ID HUI beyond the range of possibility and that it may have to be met by coun- ter legislation
 Recommends Early Attention. a
 This subject has. fortunately been cxhaustively investigated by the Uni- ted States tariff commission. A re-, cent report of that commission has shown very clearly that we lack and that we ought to have the instru- ments necessary for the assurance of equal and equitable treatment. The attention of the congress has been called to this matter on past occa- sions and the past measures which are now recommended by the tariff colnmission are substantially the same that have been suggested by previous administrations. reconl- mend that this phase of the tariff