Evening star., 1933-01-27
TARIFF ISPUZzLE
| FOR DEMOCRATS
Protection or World Currency
Sterilization Offering
No Alternative.
BY MARK SULLIVAN.

Much that is being discussed at WASH
Agton as deprecated foreign curren-
cies" might with greater accuracy be
called protective tariff" The caucus
OF Republican members Of the House,
called Wednesday to deal with the for
mer subject, contained many more
members eager to advocate raising the
tariff.
1t is a fact not disputed by the most
ardent low-tarif partisans that depre-
ciated currencies all over the world
have made the existing Smoot- -Hawley
tariff law obsolete. The reason Jap
aneSe yen, for example, when valued at
81 cents, permits the sending of more
goods across the American tariff barrier
than yen at its former and normal
price of So cents is intricate. The fact
Is, it does. The same increased access
10 American markets is caused by other
deprecated currencieS in practically all
the countries of the world. It is being
said in the cloak rooms of Congress,
whether accurately or not, that about
$4,000 articles of rubber are made in
the United States and that every one
of them is recently coming into the
United States from abroad. The same
Is tIut VI Ildlly OLIleI COiluIlOIiIlco.
Comparatively little of this sort of thing
Is enough to make considerable noise
In any congressional district where an
industry is affected, especially under
present conditions with so much Ameri-
can labor unemployed. Typical Con-
greSSmen say more letters are coming
to the Capitol about the inSufhciency
Of the tariff than about any other sub
Ject. Not even imitation gives rise to so
much interest or at least SO much pro-
test to Congress. 1t does not take much
of this to make hot fire under Con-
gressman's seat.
Two Remedies Seen.
If the condition is to be stopped,
there are two ways. One is to raise the
American tariff, the other to bring about
worldwide sterilization of currencies.
President Hoover is said to believe in
stabilization of world currencies as the
sounder permanent cure, but readily
comedies that this process may take
long time and that in the meanwhile
there is need for temporary adjust
mentS of the tariff upward Manufac-
turerS farmers and labor leaders and
the public generally understand very
little about Stabilizing currencies, but
are perfectly familiar with the tariff
Consequently Congress has become the
focus of a very formidable demand from
every section of the country for in
creased tariff protection. 1t was really
for this purpose and on account of this
condition that the Republican caucus
was called Republican leaders were
quite willing to have it called and are
sympathetic to bringing about immecli-
ate and adequate tariff protection.
The situation raises a complex ques-
ton for the Democrats. Democrats in
Congress know the condition as well. as
Republicans and receive as many let
tiers from constituents Consequently
many Democratic Senators and Repre-
sentativeS favor immediate action in the
direction of higher tariffs. The strong
est high-tariff speech in the Senate this
session was made by Democratic Sena-
tor j. Hamilton Lewis of Illinois. This
espousal of the tariff as a practical
matter under necessity runs straight in
the lace, OF course, of the Democratic
pledge TO reduce the tariff. The rood
faith of the Democrats, when they made
the pledge last June, is not violated, be-
cause the condition has arisen mainly
since June, and in its acute form has
existed only during the last few weeks
or months. As one Democrat puts it.
1 meant every word of the loW-tariff
speeches I made during the campaign,
put every one OF these speeches has to-
day become obsolete"
Sterilization Takes Time.
The net of the political part of it is
that the coming Democratic admins
tratlon apparently must either bring
about stabilization of world currencies
or else be on the defensive about the
party's position on the tariff. Stabiliza-
tion Of world currencies Will take long
time. 1t Is expected to be brought about
by the coming world economic confer
ence. Recent information is that the
world economic conference will not
come into session for at least four
months. After the conference sits it
would take many more months to
achieve actual stabilization of curren-
cies. During all this time the Demo-
Gratis will be embarrassed about the
tariff. Some Republicans in Congress
alert to seize political opportunity and
fundamentally almost fanatic in favor
or high protective tariffs, are saving
that the Republican party ought at
once to go before the country with a
ringing and sustained campaign prom
1sing increased tariffs.