Evening star., 1927-09-30
FRANCE MAY FEEL
TARIFF REPR|SALS
u. s. Declared to Have No
Intention of Backing Down
in Dispute.
RY DAVID LAWRENCE.

The United States has no Intention
OF backing down in the tarlH dispute
with France. There is, on the othef
hand, a good deal Of annoyance mere
over the methods used by France III
irving to obtain tariff concessions.
Americans point out that France
must have known that the execu'INe
branch of the Government cahno'
amend the tariff law and provide lol
recinrocity. This is solely the IGoN'
fnce of Congress. There is no Secle'
about the fact that the Executive pos
sesses retaliator powers IN case loi
eisn government should discriminate
and that there was every intention ~
use this power of reprisal. Nhat the
French did not realize was that .ne
United States was IN earnest doo"'
using the power or reprlssi.
penorts reaching here from abroad
show that the French have been sur
prised over the firmness or the Amefl'
can nosition, The truth is that more
damage would have been done to
French trade had the reprisals been
carried into effect than the French
government could have stood.
Subject to Negotiation.
The whole subject lends itself to ne
rotiation. But until the French gov
ernment abandons its purpose OF put
ting into effect the discriminatory
rates. nothing can be done at TINS emo;
The demand of France is regarded
here as a symptom of what all Europe
will want before long, namely, means
of breaking down the tarifr Waii SO a.
to be able to pay war debts with
goods. l..
So long as President Coolidge Is In
mower there will be no deviation from
the policy of protection, which aims
first TO assure American industry OF a
safe domestic market. Even II this
means a. longer time for Europe to ad'
inst herself to the payment OF her
debt to America, the fact is that the
present administration would rather
keep its protective policy, which means
many billions of dollars to American
industry. rather than to consider the
few millions involved in annual pay
ments on war debts, particularly IN
the next few years.
Oflcials here point out that II the
Europeans think they can use the
tariff as a means Of exerting pressure
on the war debt. they will find them
selves very much mistaken. Although
said anything publicly to express Its
chagrin over the French tariff policy
there is plenty Of evidence that the
French did not do themselves any
good in a diplomatic sense by theii
sudden proclamation of discriminatory
rates.
VIII Be Aired by Congress.
When Congress meets the whole
subject no doubt will be aired, as
will also the French debt question
The flexible provisions of the tariff
law will come in for attack anyhow
because in most instances the tariff
has been raised instead Of reduced
The French theory that the Presi
dent has the power to reduce the rate
by so per cent is not in accord with
the practice here, which has been te
recommend a reduction only in cases
where costs of production warranted
In other words, the flexible provisions
Of the tariff have not been used as
a basis for reciprocity negotiations
Indeed, the executive branch Of the
Government Is powerless to make
concessions to France, even IL 1t were
inclined to do so.
fCopyright. 1917