The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1919-12-13
TARIFF AGAIN
 IS BIG PROBLEM
 FACING CONGRESS
Difference Of Opinion Among Re- publiCans May Cause
 Trouble.
STAND-PATTERS RAISE
 HOWL OVER FREE TRADE
some Leaders Agree With PresideD On U. s. Trade Eixpan-
 sion Plan


 Washington D. C., Dec. 13----The di- vergent views of Republican Senate and House leaders upon the Sugges- ton in President Wilson's message that future tariff legislation be shaped upon the theory that the United States now the greatest creditor nation in the worId-must adopt a reciprocal foreign trade policy if it wishes to maintain it's standing as a world pow CT promises a lively revival of tariff discussions during the present session of Congress
 Even such high protectionists as Senator Penrose of Pennsylvania. chairman of the Senate committee finance and Alba Johnson of Philadel- phia, former president of the Baldwin Locom motive Works, have indicated in recent statements that they are in accord with President Wilson's posi- ton. There are still many irrecon- CiIabIes among the Republican stand patters, however, who can see only the old free trade buga.boo whenever extension of Americas foreign trade Is proposed Republican Leader Monden and Chairman Fordney of the House Committee on Ways and Means, are the chief spokesman of the latter element in Congress, MT. Mondeu was particularly critical of President Will sons tariff views as expressed in his recent message.
 Representative Cordeu Hull of Tennessee, recognized as one of the ablest congressional experts on tariff and taxation matters, in commenting today on the apparent schisn among the Republicans on this all important subject, recalled that President Mo Tv, Jar !, made-at Buffalo, on September 5, 1901, announced a position striking ly similar to that taken by President Wilson, although the United States was then a debtor rather than a cred itor nation.
 In this connection, MT. Hull said:
 ''The statements in the Presidents message combating the possibility of the financial and comm erciaI isolation of the United States in the future, have a strong precedent directly in point in the famous Buffalo speech of President Mckinley, in which he said:
 "Our capacity to produce has de- veloped 50 enormously and our pro ducts have so multiplied that the problem of more markets requires our urgent and immediate atIention.* We must not repose in fancied se- curity that we can forever sell every thing and buy little or nothtng.% The period of excIusiveness is past. The expansion of our trade and com merce is the pressing problem
 This same policy which Mckinley discerned but the reasons for which, although existing, were not then so apparent. is now proclaimed by Pres ident Wilson in the light of present day conditions which are so patent that every intelligent citizen, except possibly the blind, stand-pat, Chinese wall protectionist, now sees the i'm mediate and conclusive necessity for the adoption of this policy of trade, commercial and financial expansion.
 The natural and normal growth and development of the United States has projected 1t far into the field of international trade and finance, so that it cannot longer seriously con sider the andquated notion of isola- tion or exclusiveness. The United States is today the center of the worlds finance and credit It has greater productive facilities than any or many other nations. The large surpluses arising from so many indus trial lines must be sold abroad To develop our foreign commercial and financial interests on a scale commen-
 
 expansion 1t is necessary likewise to develop the most suitable internation- al trade facilities. We already have a great merchant marine, foreign branch banks, and the privilege of concert, of action by our business men in reaching and supplying foreign markets under the provisions of the Webb law It is easily seen that the one remaining vital requisite to the
 
 of our foreign commerce is a. reason able and fair level of production costs in this country.
 Tn striking contrast with the growth of production and the expan- sion of trade in this country under the policies proposed by the Presi- dent, the series of 'pop-gun' tariff bills, sponsored by the ways and means committee of the present House of Representatives and recently pass ed or in the act of being passed by the House of Representatives, present a diametrically opposite trade policy which must be so recognized by every intelligent person. The policy which the Republican majority in the House has thus formulated and proclaimed d to the country is no more nor less than the old antiquated, obsolete standpat, high protective tariff policy advocated by the ultra high protec- tionists 20 to 40 years ago, a policy which utterly broke down with the Payne tariff law.
 Some of the recent 'pop-gun' tar if bills carry protective tariff rates of 400 per cent. and 500 per cent. while all carry rates of such height as to be entirely unjustihab1e and uncon- scienable. The Republican leader ship in Congress Is undertaking to re. vive and fasten upon the country al the heresies to be found in the oIt Mckinley tariff policies, of 30 year: ago, in lieu of the wise, liberal ant modernized commercial and industria policies embraced in the proposal O. the President and heartily subscribed to, I dare say, by at least four-fifth. of the business interests of the coun try.
 ''The policy proposed by the Presi dent is based on the sound view tha the United States must move forward financially, commercially, and indus trially; that the chief expansion of it trace and commerce must be beyond the seas: that we must give the fulles