Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-05-22
BUSINESS LEADERS
| OPPOSING TARIFF
Higher Rates Are Feared as
Possible Blow at Ex-
port Trade. (
BY JOHN r. SINCLAIR.

By JOhN fs S1NCkAAhs
Special Dispatch to The Star.
NEW YORK, May 22.-Business
America is just waking up to what the
stantially increases the present tarif
rates.
James D. Mooney, president OF the
General Motors Export Corporation,
seeing in its passage a direct slap at
Americas foreign trade expansion,
warns that, in the automobile industry
alone. shrinkage in foreign trade
would directly affect 1,214,459 workers
employed and three times as many per-
sons depending on their wages.
General Motors export business Is Is
per cent of its total volume. It now
; fears a drop of go per cent of its sales
abroad for 1880, as compared with last
> year.
- at would be an understatement to
Say that our foreign trade may be i'm
periled by the impending tariff" said
Mr.. Mooney yesterday. Its already
imperiled. But let us hope that the
seriousness of this crisis becomes i'm
pressed upon our statesmen before fur
Their damage Is DONE" N
Isaac Marcosson, writer. paying his
respects to the new and higher tariff
rates as outlined In the Hawley-Smoot
BILL characterizes Americas present
tariff policy as utterly stupid and eco
nomically shortsighted,"
IF the tariff as projected is carried
through" says this writer, "it means
that we will be entering into pact Of
economic suicide. The thing lying at
the base of Brands pan-European
scheme, which Is even now crystalliz-
ing, Is a great economic federation OF
the world aimed at u.s.
4. A tariff is two-edged sword. France
showed that when 1t provided for an
immediate increase in its tariff on
wheat imports, Ito adequately pro-
mier Tardieu explained, The increase
in duty was from so to 80 francs ($3.2o)
per quintal.
The protests of 80 nations, already on
file with the American Government, and
the retaliatory measures put into effect
in the last two weeks, particularly by
Canada and France, show how serious
the export situation has become.
Henry Ford's factories were never
buster. His car production Is increas-
ing every month. He knows business.
This much is admitted even by his
enemies.
No business man has come out
stronger against the present Hawley-
Smoot tariff bill than Mr.. Ford"
at will stultify business and indus
try and increase unemployment" he
says. People cannot keep on buying
and, unless international trade can go
on our business will stagnate at home. "
A frank, straight, business state
Z nnent-and fundamentally true.
Should Congress pass the measure,
do not for one moment doubt that
the President will veto 1t the minute
T.. it lands on his desk" Mr.. Ford con-
cluded
Strong words these, but Of vital i'm
- The bin has not yet passed. But,
with the Senate withdrawing from its
position on the debenture plan, 1t prob
ably will pass Congress.
VIII the President veto 1t?
James G. Mcdonald, chairman of the
Foreign Policy Association, also warns
the country against the tariff bill. He
says that It not only jeopardizes Amer
: ica's foreign trades-but it will result
in less and less prosperity for the
American people. He calls it a hodge
podge effort"
THE tragedy of the proposed tariff, /"
tend to pervert the idea Of . United
States of Europe into a Tariff League
against the United States"
Each of these men believes the sit
uation serious enough to suggest that
President Hoover veto the bill.
American business interests seem to
be aroused at last-perhaps being too
I, late-to the serious possibilities involved
in the Hawley-Smoot bill. The drop
in foreign trade Is warning Of the
coming story.
"study the Spanish language and the
Latin temperament. It will produce
relations with Latin America than the
.-go-getter' or 'high-pressure' type Of
craftsmanship"
. This was the advice of Joseph Lal.
lande of the Southern Pacific Railroad
speaking before the Foreign Trade
Council in Los Angeles yesterday.
! Urging a study of the language
methods of business procedure, tempera-
inent and understanding of the Latir
people, Mr.. Lallande told the business
men that, equipped with such knowl'
training, experience and qualification!
would meet real success and build VI
d trade both substantial and profitable
Gen. Palmer E. Pierce of the Stand
ard Oil Co. of New Jersey emphasized
the Importance of Latin American trade
when he told the convention ina
United States citizens have invested II
Latin America more than $4,000, 000, 900
Their annual exports from th'
United States to the southern republic
amount to over 5000, 100000, and tn
imports from these countries amour
to more than 81 ,000, 000, 000."
Due to drop in world prices, Latin
America has had temporary depres
sion. But with the coming expansion
and the growing demand for the salts
faction of new wants no territory ha
greater possibilities for American bust
ness penetration than this section o
the American continent.
1.-THE combined population OF Cuba
Mexico and the South Central Ameri
can countries aggregate 29.500, 900 PEG
pie, every one of whom is natural
potential customer of ours" declare
Mr. Lallande.
iCopyright, 1880. by North American News
paper Alliance.)
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