Evening star., 1933-04-11
RECIPROCAL TRADE
URGED BY ROPER
Secretary In Forum Address
Emphasizes Necessity of
Promised Fair Play.

Promised Fair Play.
Emphasizing that the benefits o
foreign trade must be reciprocal an,
not sided, Daniel c. Roper, Secre
tary of Commerce, asserted in a radio
address on Restoring the World
Commerce" last night that in hi
opinion, the time has come when al
thinking Americans should recogniz,
that our purchases from abroad are al
essential feature of our internationa
trade.
Secretary Roper's address, made ir
the National Radio Forum arranged b,
The Washington Star and broadcast
over coast-to-coast network of the
National Broadcasting Co.. was the
second of series of forum speeches
by members of President Roosevelt's
cabinet.
Pointing out that the United States
Is committed to a policy of fair play
In its future international economic re-
lations under leadership of President
Roosevelt and Secretary of State Hull
Mr.. Roper stated that although the
principle Of the new policy implies con-
Sideration for our own manufacturers,
farmers and other workers, it should
not imply protection for a few special
interests at the expense of the Ameri-
can consuming public
The Stagnation of the movement Of
goods between nations is not only one
OF the most serious results of the world
depression. Secretary Roper said, but
1t Is at the same time a fundamental
reason for the prolongation of this un-
happy state of affairs. 1t is futile to
talk OF ending the depression here or
In any other country to a satisfactory
extent without studying means for the
restoration OF international trade, he
stated.
Helpful Thinking Attitudes.
Secretary Roper's address, IN full,
follows:
A. . public official, I am. in fact, q
trustee for those who support and sus-
tain our Government. am, therefore,
pleased to have this opportunity to
confer with you radio-listening citizens.
acquaint you with our plans and seek
counsel and advice.
wonder how many of us, as we sit
tonight in our homes or in other radio
centers, listening to this friendly con-
verSation, realize the importance to our
selves, to our homes and to the larger
community we call the State and the
Nation, Of creating helpful attitudes of
thinking. We can, through thinking.
cultivate either constructive or a de-
Structive approach to the solution of
public problems
remember that many years ago a
wise and well ballasted man said to
me: Young man, your approach to
people in your thinking will largely
control your success or failure in solv-
ing LIES problems. The constructive
approach to the person you meet" said
ne, is to assume that the person is a
gentleman until he has proved himself
otherwise The destructive approach is
to assume that he is not a gentleman
until he proves himself to be a gentle
man." If this holds true in our per-
sonal relations with men, how much
truer 1t is in our public relations as
citizens. AS citizens We have duties to
perform that are very high and noble
None OF these are more important than
to establish and support leadership in
our social and economic life In line
with this thought, I approach you to-
night in the belief that we are united
IN our devotion to our country and in
our desire to cooperate in her in
terest. Public opinion Is the greatest
force in our social fabric, and it is at
its best when formed by the construc-
tive attitude which you and I. and all
OF us. take toward our Government and
its problems. If our larger citizenship
thinking" is constructive and co-opera-
tive, there Is no battle that the Ameri-
can people cannot win.
We are familiar with the Three
Musketeers' and their valorous deeds
When the young, Gascon, D'Artagan,
Joined them, they took an oath, "One
for all and all for one" and that oath
animated all Of their thinking and en-
ergized all Of their mightiest accom-
plishments. If the American people. in
this emergency, were to take such an
oath. should adopt, if you please, such
motto to guide them, what could we
not do? Our economic and social
troubles would soon pass away.
One OF the things that makes the
Children OF Israel such mighty nation
is that they are bound by old cove
nants:. The rainbow in the heavens is
one OF them. An overshadowing prom
ise is another. Governments like ours
have always recognized and now recog-
nize the existence of covenants between
the people who are governed and them
selves, the trustees, to whom the people
have for the time being confided the
administration Of their public affairs.
Application Of Principle.
Let us see how this principle applies
to the Department Of Commerce The
last Congress appropriated for this de-
partment, for the fiscal year 1888 the
sum of about s45.000,000. The Con-
gress, after a careful consideration OF
all the facts then before it, reduced the
sum for the operations of the depart
ment during the fiscal year 1884 to
about $36,000,000.
This administration, impelled by the
pledge to the people Of keeping Gov
eminent expenses within Government
income, has, within the last 80 days,
carefully re-estimated Government
revenues for 1894 and with the revised
figures as basis is making through the
director Of the budget a reapportion-
ment of this income among the several
departments. The Department of Com
Ynerce under this reapportionment can
spend in 1884 only about $26,000, 900
instead Of more than $40, 100000 as in
1888.
This is the first time in the history
of our Government, so far as I know.
that an administration has suggested
that it is not wise or safe to use money
which the Congress itself has already
appropriated. 1t is an exemplification
Of the age-old proverb those who
pay the fiddler should call the tune"
The taxpayer has been paying the
fiddler all these years; surely it is time
he should exercise his right to call the
tune. This administration recognizes
its pledge to this effect and is studying,
analyzing, and adjusting facilities ac-
cordingly.
But, my friends, while We will be
operating on a budget that is more
than a third less than now being
spent by the department, We will not
necessarily curtail the required use
fulness of the department 1t is pro-