Arizona republican., 1920-08-31
TRADE RIGHTS LOST
 ID ]. S. SAYS PAYNE
 BY NEW MARINE ACT

WASHINGTON. Aug. 30. = The United States may find itself without trade rights in other countries If see tion 34 of the new merchant marine act is carried out. Secretary Payne of the interior department, warned in a recent letter to the chamber of com merce of the United States, q copy or which became available today
 And of course. il may follow. the letter added. that the business of the country will find itself very greatly embarrassed. g
 T wonder" MT. Payne wrote, if the chamber. Of commerce of the United States or any Of it's commit tees, has given consideration to sec tiou 34 of the merchant marine Dill
 and the consequences to the commerce of the United States which would result if the president follows the direction of congress with respect to the abrogation with treaties with the United States which restrict no right of the United States to impose discriminating customs duties on nm ports or discriminatory tonnage dues on foreign vessels and vessels Of the United States entering the Cnlted States.
 The substance is: The president is hereby authorized and directed with in 90 days after this act becomes law. to give notice to the several gov ernments, respectively, partleS 10 such treaties or conventions, that so much thereof as impose any such restric- tions on the United States. will term mate on the expiration of such periods as may be required for the giving or such notice by the provisions or such treaties or conventions.
 This part of the bill has not been much discussed A treaty as you know is a contract between nations. The treaties here affected are the eommer- cial treaties on which our rights to do business with the nations of the world depend. Mangfestly, we can not term mate these treaties without the con sent of the country affected. Since they are reciprocal, all we have a right to do, is terminate the treaties according to their terms.
 Some treaties may be terminated on a fixed notice Others are to run a definite number of years and may then be terminated on fixed notice. The countries will scarcely consent to mod fly the treaty giving us a right to dis criminate against their commerce and at the same time permit us to enjoy the rights which the treaties secure to us. A formal notice probably will re- suit in the entire abrogation of the treaty.
 Passing for the moment any ques- tion of international good faith, wt may confront the practical difficulty that we have no right to trade witt other countries since our rights in thi: behalf, rest on the treaties affected and of course, it may follow that tn, business of the country will find itsel very greatly embarrassed.
 While I am not charged with thi. matter, it seems to me it was some thing that you would be glad to hav' called to your attention"
 The 9O-day perior provided in section 34 expires Friday.
 Government officials thus far hay, not given any intimation as to wha steps were continued toward carryin. out section B. Both at the state de partment and at the shipping board i is known that existing commercial treaties have been under study fo weeks to determine just what clause fall within the meaning of the section but officials have not been willing t ] comment on the resultp of this investi