Evening star., 1933-02-21
CANADA-U. s. TARIFF
ARM|ST|CE SOUGHT
Premier Richard Bennett to
Extend Olive Branch
to Roosevelt.
Special Dispatch to The Star.

OTTAWA, Canada, February al
Premier Richard B. Bennett, greatest
high protectionist ever to hold office
In Canada, surprised the House Of Com
mons yesterday with his expressed in
timation to extend the olive branch to
President-elect Roosevelt on matters
pertaining to Canadian n-American trade
and tariffs.
Since assuming Office in August, 1880,
Bennett has raised Canada's tariff walls
against the United States to the high
est point ever. In sum, he has success
fully carried out policy of diverting
Canadian trade with the United States
~ Great Britain and British Empire
countries.
And the same Bennett, confronted
by resolution calling for reciprocity
between Canada and the United States,
sponsored by William Duff, Nova Scotia
Liberal member of the opposition, re-
versed himself to save supporters from
Western Canada and the Maritime
Provinces, where there is strong de-
mand for access to the American
markets.
Two Grounds for Request.
Bennett asked Duff not to press his
resolution on two grounds These were,
first that since 1879 every government
of Canada has advocated its willing
ness to negotiate with the United States
on fair and reasonable terms, and sec
ond, that in view of the approaching
World Economic Conference the resolu-
ton had better not be pressed as it
would be premature and might possibly
indicate division of opinion in regard
to tariffs
Duff's resolution proposed:
That, in the opinion of this House,
1T Is expedient that the government of
Canada reopen negotiations with the
Government of the United States, with
view to bringing about satisfactory
reciprocal trade arrangement between
Canada and the United States whereby
the natural products of Canada-that
Is. the products of the sea, the farm, the
mines and the forests, and including
fish, lumber, wheat, cattle, etc-should
have free entry into the United States
IN exchange for the admission of GER
tain goods from the United States of
America, which, in the interests of both
countries, may be admitted into Canada
free from customs tariffs"
Discusses Trade Relations.
Bennett discussed Canadian American
trade relations since before 1867 from
every angle and reviewed the 1911 gen.
eral election, which saw the Liberal
government of Sir Wilfred Laurier de-
feated on its proposal for reciprocity
with the United States.
1T was an agreement incorporated
into the statutes of both countries for
that year and it mentioned a limited
number of items" declared Bennett,
who, in 1911, first entered Parliament
as an opponent of the reciprocity pro-
posal. But it was so framed that
change by this Dominion of its tariff
with respect to any one of these items
would terminate the agreement
In my judgement, any trade agree
ment that creates a channel of trade
that may be terminated at the caprice
of the other party, without considering
the interests of the other nation, is
fatal to the interests of both, because
there is always the conflict of interest
"The people of Canada in the gen
eral election of 1911 rejected the pro-
posals. If asked again, think, they
would conclude that anything that left
us in position where our trade rela-
tions could be changed over night for
any reason, good or bad, which might
occur in the minds of the American
Congress, would not be sane or sound
venture for such a country as ours"
(Copyright, 1887 -..--.-.-