Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-11-02
FOREIGN QUESTIONS
ENGROSS HOOVER
Peril OF RetaIiatory Tariff
Wars Is Declared Imminent
Abroad.
BY FREDERIC WILLIAM VILE.

BY FREDERIC WILLIAM VILE.
Hardly will the worries and anxieties
incident to the congressional elections
have been banished than the Hoover
administration will be plunged deep
into consideration of o host Of per-
picking international questions. De-
tached as the United States is, on the
face Of things, from the sorely troubled
affairs OF the outside world. American
interests directly or indirectly are ut
stake in every section OF the globe. Here
lens requiring our Governments close
attention and wise decisions:
Franco Italian Accord Is Problem.
This months session of the League
OF Nations Disarmament Commission
and his American associates will exert
their influence to bring about q
Franco Italian naval accord.
Reimbursement of our diplomatic,
commercial and financial arrangements
with the new revolutionary govern
ments Of Bolivia, Peru, Argentina and
Brazil.
Protection Of American life and prop
erty in China in consequence OF the
new threat of Russo-C Chinese war over
the Chinese Eastern Railway and pros
pective renewal of efforts to prevent
hostilities.
Representations to Great Britain in
connection with the Jewish National
Home controversy.
Developments in Germany, as these
may affect the question Of reparationS
under the Young plan and an eventual
demand for revision of the American.
allied debt settlements.
Protests Of foreign countries against
the new American tariff law. with the
possibility of reprisals against the
United States.
Tariff Wars Peril Imminent.
Probably the most imminent issue
which the President and his Secretary
of State will have TO confront In the
realm of foreign relations, Is the peril
of tariff wars. Countries which are In
bitter protest against the alleged In.
equalities of the Hawley-Smoot law
as France, for inStance-have held pro.
jected action in allegiance mainly IN or
der to await the outcome Of Tuesdays
congressional elections In the United
States. There has been such world
wide talk of sweeping Democratic VIC
tories that in more than one overseas
capital the impression exists that the
Democrats will speedily cndo the dam
age done to foreign trade by the Re-
publican tariff enactment. Doubtless
Ambassadors and Ministers stationed
In washington have informed their re-
spective governments that q Republican
presidential veto almost certainly
awaits any Democratic tariff tinkering.
France has prepared for submission to
the United States Tariff Commission an
exhaustive survey of conditions which,
she claims, justifies substantial reduce
lions In the Hawley-Smoot rates on
French imports into this country. The
Paris government Is anxious to see how
much there really Is in the much-dis-
cussed flexible" machinery provided by
the new law. It Is to ward OF as much
az possible the danger Of tariff reprisals
by European governments that the Tar
III Commission Is about to set up ire
assurance bureau" in Brussels, under
charge Of John +. Bethune, whose duty
1t viii be to depict the American tariff
system as . blessing, not Q blight, 70
the Old World. The new international
division Of the Tariff Commission, to
be conducted by career diplomat, Lee
land Harrison, lately Minister to Uru-
quay. is another sign Of the impor-
lance attached to the necessity Of keep
ing our tari1 eye sharply peeled toward
Only One Tariff Retaliation.
No nation except Canada, which act
ed promptly and drastically. has actu.
ally instituted tariff reprisals against
the United States. The new Italian
rates on automobiles, at first interpreted
as sideswipe at the Hawley- Smoot bill,
turned out to be worldwide in their
application. Mussolini had German.
French and British cars in mind just a.
much as the products of Detroit and
Flint when he instituted steps designed
to afford q maximum Of protection 70
the ambitious Italian motor industry.
The Italians are fighting angry over
the new American tariff rates on such
articles as cheese and cheese products,
which form an important item In their
trade with the United States.
For the present the Hoover admins.
trati0n sees no reason to "reorientate"
the United States policy In and toward
South American countries. de faeto''
governments, even II they usurp power
by revolution, may continue to aspire
to recognition at Washington If they
can preserve domestic order and fulf1l
international obligations. Uncle Sam Is
disappointed at the Latins' apparently
chronic preference to bullet" rather
than ballot" politics, when they want
TO change their governments. But there
is no disposition here-as. of course.
there Is no power-to use American In
fiuence In showing the sister republics
the evil of their electoral ways. The
United States has gigantic financial
stake in South America-upward Of
$4,000, 600, 900 In obligations Of Latin
governments to our investors and more
than $500, 100000 In export trade. TO
date there has been no interruption In
interest payments on the bonded In
debtedness. Trade has slumped In con-
sequence Of revolutionary upheavals, but
u was already in serious decline, owing
TO Latin American economic depression.
The theory of the administration Is that
South America, like the United States
itself, Is "basically sound" in an eco.
nomic sense. Its buying power will re-
cover, sooner or later, and normal stu
ations, politically and economically, be
restored.
German Unrest Threatens u. 8,
The German political unrest. with
The rise OF Fascism and Communism,
Families into this country because OF
the possible perilS to the Young ulan.
Secretary Stimson says he knows of no
plans by the Berlin government to seek
reparations moratorium, with conse-
quent probable demands by Americas
war debtors for q revision or postpone
ment OF the round $250,0o000O q year
they're now paying us in interest and
principal installments. DR.. Schacht,
former president of the German
Reichsbank, who has just conferred
with high officials at Washington, Is not
believed to have made much progress
With his subtle suggestions about Ger
nanys incapacity TO meet Young plan
,biigations. Many observers think DR..
schacht's present lecture mission ia
america is to create atmosphere as
he Germans say, for Young plan re-
ftsi0n under the blessings of the IInitsN