Evening star., 1932-02-14
TRADE AND PEACE
HEAD BAKER AIMS
Strategy Includes Compro'
misses to Place His Ideals
on Practical Basis.
~ the Associated Press.

~ the Associated Press.
CLEVELAND, February 13.-The
broad angles of world prosperity ano
peace would engage the attention OF the
electorate should Newton D. Baker. for
mer Secretary of War, become the Dem
ocratic presidential candidate.
His record and speeches indicate the
principal issues he might stress and the
attitude he might take toward them
His typical strategy is to have second
line of trenches. the first line repre-
senting his furthern:oSt ideals. But
back Of that will be found more prac-
. tical series of objectives which he may
gain by compromise.
Baker vowed in 1920 that he never
would n axe a speech without including
q plea for the League of Nations, the
World Court and international peace.
Recently his attitude was modified by
his now famous expression that, while
still supporting the League in principle.
he believed the country was not yet
ready for it.
Approves Moratorium.
He has urged passage Of the Capper
resolution in the Senate, under terms OF
which, he explains, a nation at war
would be excluded from access to our
resources"
Long before a breakdown in Europe
seemed imminent. Baker urged cancel
lation Of war debts to show America S
interest mot in dollars, but in recon-
structed international order"
That was in 1926. He has reiterated
his position on that question again and
again He praised President Hoover S
debt moratorium.
On a number of occasions he has sug-
gested a horizontal reduction OF tarlffs.
rather than general congressional re-
vision entailing exhaustive hearings and
log-rolling tactics. ,
Even the tariff has its international
aspect to him. Addressing the Insti-
tute of Politics last july, he proposed
an international conference at which
Recommendations could be made Tor a
general international lowering OF tariff
walls.
AS a member of the Wickersham Com
mission, Baker made personal state
ment illustrative of his habit OF always
having an alternative objective in case
he fails to achieve the first.
I'm my opinion the eighteenth amend
nent should be repealed and the who1e
question OF policy and enforcement with
regard to intoxicating liquors RENTED
to the States" he said.
Champions Rail Mergers
But he signed the general commission
report because. he said, If immediate
repeal be thought unattalnable. sub
mission of the amendment suggested IN
that report would test sentiment. II the
amendment were adopted, he said, 1t
would remove an "inflexible police reg
uIatlon from the Constitution" and give
Congress power to adapt Federal leg1s-
lation on the subject from time to time
to the realities of the situation as they
may develop"
The Federal Farm Board, ne has said,
gambled on having a bad crop year and a
good foreign market and was dis
appointed on all points.
He Is known to favor unemployM ent
Insurance by the Government only In
the event no way can be found to COM
pei industry to meet its own problems
and even then he prefers leaving the
duty to the States
Once the law director under Mayor
Tom l.. johnson of Cleveland, where Il
was his chief duty to hght big busi'
ness," Baker has said more than oncs
that he sees no great danger In banl
and industrial mergers, but that on tn
contrary he finds the possibilities o.
benefit great.
Mergers of railroads have been cham
pioned by him for years He Is rail-
road director.
He has said that he regards the in
cone tax the fairest OF all taxes and
that increases should be made in the
higher brackets.