Great Falls daily tribune., 1920-10-14

SnOTL Time. ADEL Nl. MdG NJ 14NoLDo.
THE POLICY OF TRADE DISCRIMINATION,
The New York Times on September % pub
lished an editorial on this subject which is so
plain and full Of common sense that we think it
worth while to republish it in these columns for
the consideration of thinking readers of this
newspaper. It says: .....
Senator Harding's speeches, and in fact the
whole Republican campaign, have dwet upon
the superior capacity of the Republican party to
give this country prosperity. The business ar
gument has been put in the forefront. Elect a
Republican administration and industry, trade,
commerce will take on new life The party fit
to rule" is particularly fit to make the business
Of the nation sound and flourishing. That busi-
ness is confessedly tied up today more than ever
before with international relations. We have
invaded foreign markets. We have acquired GUS
toners abroad. For what we want to buy and
what we have to sell we now go to the ends of
the earth. Elementary prudence, then, would
dictate that we cherish and cultivate our world
trade.
What are the Republicans proposing to do I?
First of all, to tear up all our treaties of amty,
commerce and navigation This is the official
LlClo agreements WHICH We nave viii
every nation in Europe, Asia and South Amer
lea. But Republican congress voted, in the fl
nal hurried hours of the last session, to "direct"
the president to denounce and terminate all these
commercial treaties. The purpose was, in the
supposed interest Of American shipping, to place
US in position where we could levy discrimin-
ating duties on goods brought to us in foreign
bottoms. BY the treaties we have undertaken
not to do this. The typical agreement is con-
tanned in Article Y of our treaty with Italy,
which stipulates that "no other or higher duties
shall be levied and collected whether
the importation be made in the vessels of the
one country or the other" The treaties contain
many other provisions of vital interest to Amer
leans residing or doing business abroad, yet all
of them would go by the board if the Republicans
had their way, and we should be confronted
with uncertainty and confusion and the like-
hood of embroilments and reprisals, instead of
trade, everywhere.
President Wilson has announced that he will
refuse to carry out the direction Of congress.
He declines to plunge the country's foreign husl-
ness into chaos. Nice points about the constltu-
tionality Of his action are raised. 1t is undenl-
ably delicate question. We doubt if there is
an exact precedent for what Mr.. Wilson has
done. The one cited from the Hayes admins
tration is really for vetoing bill passed by con-
gress, not for refusing to act upon a clause IN a
bill which the president had signed Undoubt-
edy congress can abrogate treaty directly, if
it chooses It did not seek to do that in the pres
ent instance. Just as undoubtedly, the initiative
in all matters concerning treaty negotiations
rests exclusively in the hands Of the president.
No one has affirmed this more rOundy than
Senator Lodge. Between the two principles
there is obviously room for angry and inconclu-
sive debates. But there is no room for debating
the beneficial results of Mr.. Wilson's action. He
has prevented the Republicans from rushing the
country into huge business blunder.
Their theory of good business would seem to
be that the way to promote it is to bring on vio-
lent quarres with the people with whom they
wish to trade. They appear to imagine that we
can freely discriminate against commercial ma
tions without their ever thinking of retaliating
and discriminating against us. And they carry
the thing further. Europe is now our debtor in
tremendous amount. Yet the Republicans
would embarrass and flout in every way the
people who owe us money. Ii goods are sent IN
payment of the debt the Republican plan is to
clap on high customs tariff to keep them out.
All this comes with the worst possible grace
from nation that aspires to be the greatest
commercial power in the world, and from party
that sets itself up as marvel of business sa-
gacity. Trade may or may not follow the flag,
but it certainly does not follow clubs and
clenched fists. It's mighty poor way to "fos-
ter" commerce with all the world to begin by
getting into quarrel with all the world. In