Evening star., 1933-01-30
ROOSEVELT TARIFF
PLAN I. RS IDEA
Reciprocal Agreement With
Cuba in 1903 Still
in Force.
BY the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press.
Franklin D. Roosevelt will be follow
ing an example set by Theodore Roose-
welt if he as the new President, inau-
gurates policy of reciprocal tariff
agreements.
The only real reciprocity treaty the
United States now has is the treaty
with Cuba, which was put into effect
in 1903 through the driving efforts OF
President Roosevelt, the kinsman OF
the President-elect, who takes office
March f.
That treaty was a neighborly act
which the Rough Rider President telt
was necessary to strengthen the new
republic the United States had created
and at the same time make it val
liable market for American manufac-
lures. Cuban trade figures for 80 years
show how far-sighted he was.
Held Reverse! of Policy.
The new tariff trading policy which
Franklin D. Roosevelt mas suggested is
held by experts to be reversal OF the
policy of equal rights for all and spe-
cial privileges for none" which has gen.
orally characterized Americas attitude
toward international commerce.
Treating every one alike, with the un-
derstanding that like treatment would
be given to the United States, has
not worked well in recent years.
When the tariff act of 1922 was en-
acted all was not the best in American
foreign trade relations and a section
was included which empowered the
President to defend the American ex-
porter against determinations by the
imposition of retaliatory rates If neces-
Sary.
In spite of most-favored nations
treaties. upon which the United States
has relied for fair dealing, foreign
countries have found ways of admins
tering their tariffs which Americans de-
Clared discriminatory.
Every nation has different inter-
pretation of the moSt-favored nation
clause in trade agreements. Courts
make decisions which upset all calcu-
lations Embargoes on the expectation
of gold, the imposing of quotas upon
importations and the allotment o. these
among various nations in way which
is often unfair and the requirement OF
Government licenses to import goods
have all taken trade more and more
out of private channels and put it into
the hands of governments.
These are some of the evils which the
World Economic Conferences hope to
correct But meantime they probably
will be given a thorough airing by Pres
ident-elect Roosevelt in the debt and
economic discussions which are to open
with Great Britain early in March and
later extended to include other powers.
Determination Difficult.
In the present state of international
trade it has been considered difficult
to determine exactly what "most-fa-
vored-nation treatment Is, and the
President-elect has indicated that he IN
tends to lay aside the pleasing words
and bluntly ask foreign powers what
trade concessions they will make to
American products in exchange for debt
reductions and other favors they are
seeking
This trade policy has not been stated
with such directness before by the
United States 1t savorS Of the reclp-
rocal treaty the United States had with
Canada on natural products from 1855
to 1866.
That arrangement worked extremely
well and it was only the political rancor
o. the war of the COS that caused it to
be annulled. Many Canadians. and
Americans as well, believe the ending OF
that arrangement was one of the worst
errors ever made in Canadlan-Amerlcan
relations.
EIIOTJS OF HTeSlOeIlt 1d1t W coCdOiLoii
a similar trade arrangement in 1911 by
concurrent legislation was approved by
the United States, but rejected by
Canada.
Canada and the United States have
had no trade agreements since 1866, and
American tariff experts believe it likely
that the Northern Dominion will be one
Of the countries most favorably disposed
toward bargaining on tariffs with this
country.
Mexico is another country which has
more export and import trade with the
United States than any other nation
and is regarded by experts as likely
future bargainer with Uncle Sam.