The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1928-10-26
KEEPING UP
With
THE NE WIS
BY LUDWELL DENNY

copyright. ScrippS-HoWard Newspapers.
1929
" TASHINGTON, Oct. 26.-While
w Smith and Hoover compete
with each other in praising an
American high protective tariff
complaints against the present tar
iff law are increasing from foreign
countries.
Argentina is threatening retalia-
ton against American goods if the
United States tariff commission
heds the appeal of mid-western far
mers for higher duties on corn.
France has broken out with an
other handful of complaints over
alleged unjust classitications. en-
bargoes and high duties applied
here on French goods.
At the same time American bust
ness interests have just induced the
Philippines to erect tariff barriers
against foreign tobacco and sugar
which might have slipped into til,
United States through the Philip
pines backdoor.
The Philippine senate Thursday
passed a house bill providing that
refined and unrefined sugar and all
kinds of tobacco shall pay duties
equal to those imposed by the
United States on similar imports,
provided such duty is not less than
that fixed by the Philippine tariff
act of 1909.
The immediate effect Of the new
law, which Governor General Slim
son is expected to sign at once, is
on imports of Samaritan tobacco
and Javan sugar. American inter
ests feared those products would be
imported in their raw state, and
manufactured in the Philippines for
re- export to the United States.
A wider effect, however, will be to
minimize the strong agitation here
for abolition Of present free-trade
relations between the Philippines
and the United States Specifically
the new Manila act will cut under
much of the support for the Timber
lake sugar bill now pending III con-
gress here.
VXTASHINGTON officials TODAY
| w expressed qualification over
/ the Philippine bill as evidence OF
close cooperation between the ma
tive political leaders and Governor
! General Stimson in his plan Tor
economic progress" of the islands.
| Simpsons plans in general are
those favored by American business
interests. Stimson reported to the
war department:
1.-THE legislation is so drawn as to
prevent automatically any possible
! ity to loss in the future, as the
Philippine tariff on sugar and to-
bacco will automatically follow the
American tariff in case the latter
should be raised"
He went on to say that this law
furnishes cogent proof OF the
readiness Of the Philippine legisla-
ture to perform its obligation toward
the American people to prevent such
| los"
In the diplomatic dispute over
Argentine corn, it is charged that
domestic political motives chiefly
are responsible for the move for
higher tariff.
If the tariff commission acts be-
fore election, the decision is eX
pected to be favorable to the farm
ers and in line with Republican
party pledges to furnish farm relief
by increased tariff on agricultural
/ products.
THE Argentine press, which is
l. much excited over the issue,
points out that that country buys
almost three times as much from
us as we buy from them and there
fore they are in a position to win
q trade war by retaliating against
American automobiles and other
manufactured products.
In reply to the American Farm
Bureau Federation appeal for a
tariff increase from is to 221s cents
per bushel, the Argentine govern
ment has argued before the tariff
commission that foreign corn can
not compete with American corn in
the middle west where 81 per cent
of the product is consumed, but only
on the small eastern poultry market.
1.-THE Argentine government looks
with deep concern to the results Of
this investigation, according to that
governments official brief to the
commission.
Among the latest French protests
is the charge that the Washington
government instead Of removing
unfair import regulations has ig-
nored the remedial proposals made
by France as far back as last jan
| nary