The Wilson times. [volume] (Wilson, N.C.) 1896-19??, 1922-03-03
WITH UNITED STATES
The United States Passed a Re-
ciprocity Agreement in 1911,
but at That Time Canada
Blocked Such Proceedings
Between the Nations; Can
ada Now Has Different View.
(By David Lawrence.)
Copyright 1922 by The Daily

Times.)
Washington, Mar. Canada to-
day made her first move to forestall
unfavorable action by the American
congress in tariff relations between
|the two countries. w. s. Fielding,
Canadian Minister of Finance, and
one of the men who negotiated the
ill-fated reciprocity agreement Of
1911, has taken UP with the Depart
ment of State here through the good
offices Of the British Embassy the
question of arriving at an under
standing on reciprocal trade.
Mr.. Fielding himself does not dis
cuss his visit preferring to make his
inquiries Informally and without pub
lefty. But the situation which brings
Mr.. Fielding here is of the greatest
Importance to the relations of the two
countries and is comparable indeed to
the events of 1911 when President
Taft following the precept of another
Republican president, William Nc
Kinley, offered Canada the hand Of
Friendship through reciprocity trade
agreement. The American Congress
ratified that agreement, passing law
providing for reciprocity but through
a series of Misunderstanding inside
Canada, the Canadian parlia ment fail
ed to do it's part.
Inasmuch as it was Canada which
blocked reciprocity in 1911, the feel
ing of the Liberal party which has
just come in power at Ottawa under
Mackenzie King is that Canada
should make the first move in show
ing her willingness to go through
with the 1911 agreement.
Curiously enough the act Of 1911
was never repealed and remained on
the status books of the American
Congress. The House of Representa-
tives once passed bill proposing a
repeal but it never passed the Amer
ican Senate. So if Canada should do
now what she failed to do in 1911,
the reciprocity agreement would
promptly go into effect between Can
ada and the United States.
But under the terms of the original
understanding, each country was to
pass concurrent legislation and it is
hardly likely that the Canadian par
lament would take action If it ap-
peared that the American Congress
might repeal the Reciprocity Act as
indeed is now proposed in the Ford
|ney Tariff bill. That bill would auto
matically repeal all previous tariff ar
rangements but would empower the
President to negotiate new recipro-
city agreements with any nation.
Canada's viewpoint is that it would
be far better to make an exception
,of the act of 1911 and leave 1t on
the statute books so that the Parlia-
ment at Ottawa might put it into ef-
feet than to negotiate new agree
ment involving the reopening of all
sorts Of questions.
The desire for reciprocity in Can
ada is now intense. The farmer group
and the Liberal Party 60 hand in
hand on that issue and together they
control majority in the Ottawa Par
lament.
But the viewpoint Of the agricul-
tural bloc in the American Congress
is bound to be influential. Senator
Capper Of Kansas, leader of the agri.
cultural bloc, told this correspondent
today that he had not had an oppor.
tunity to study the effects Of the re.
ciprocity agreement Of 1911 but II
was likely there would be some op
position from the border states on
the northern boundary.
"'The wheat growers Of Minnesoti
land North Dakota" said Mr.. Capper
will want protection. They hav'
been asking for It as>against Canad,
J CONTINUED on Page Eisht.)
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