Evening star., 1933-04-16
BY WILLIAM HARD.

BY WILLIAM HAkD.
President Roosevelt, In the first phase
of his administration. assumed the
leadership Of the American people IN
mass and used his general and almost
universal popularity to overcome al
reluctance and resistance In this Con-
gress. This phase he strives to con-
tinue.
At the same time he has now en-
tered into q second phase. In the sec
ond phase he assumes the leadership
Of the ideas Of the peoples OF most OF
the whole world and attempts to use
his now worldwide reputation to over
come all reluctance and resistance In
the approaching international none
tary and economic conference wh1cn
will meet, presumably, In London IN
June
Already Mr.. Roosevelt-with the aid
of his Secretary Of State. Cordell Hull
has accomplished q profound change
in the attitude taken by the govern
ments of the world toward the prob
lens which the international monetary
and economic conference will con-
slider. Under the Hoover administra-
ton it was supposed that the confer
ence would be q scene Of barter. Some
countries would do something about
intergovernmental debts, IN return
for which some other countries would
do something else about the hterna.
tional gold standard. Governments
and B and c would make concessions
regarding disarmament. whereupon
counter concessions regarding tarl1
duties. Things of one category would
be exchanged for things OF another
category.
That conception Of the conference
and of the preliminaries to its now
being increasingly abandoned. the
present prospect Is that each problem
will stand upon It's own feet and w1ll
be debated on its own merits. Ine
United States will not make . sacrtnce
on the point Of the debts IN order to
secure-from France, for instance
sacrifice on the point Of duties on i'm
ports Of American agricultural products
Great Britain will not be approached
by the United States to return to the
gold standard on condition that the
United States reward Great Britain FOL
it by undertaking-fo instance-to re-
frain from the construction OF 10000
ton 8-inch gun cruisers.
The question of cruisers will be con-
sidered from the point of view Of the
Gesirability of varioul sorts Of cruisers
in and of themselves to all countries in
the contingency Of naval warfare. Naval
matters will be considered as naval
matters exclusively. There will, Of
course, be naval trading within naval
matters and commercial trading within
commercial matters and monetary
trading within monetary matters In the
Disarmament Conference at Geneva and
In the Economic Conference at London:
but. as rule. apparently. there viii be
no criss-cross trading between cate
parable.
The outstanding result Of this new
situation is-for Americans-the fact
that the United States Government will
not forgive debts to European govern
ments in order to gain markets In
Europe for American agricultural COM
modities. That idea was favorite idea
with the Hoover administration. The
Roosevelt administration will negotiate
debts by themselves and markets by
themselves.
The next feature Of the new situation
Is the emphasis laid upon markets. Tc
Secretary of State Hull all questions OF
monetary standards, all questions Of
international debts public or private)
and all questions even Of armies and
navies and wars are subordinate to the
questions of markets. Mr.. Hull be-
lieves that II national markets through
out the world can be opened to an
enlarged flow Of international commerce
in commodities there will also ensue
great easing Of all other problems
whether Of monetary standards or OF
political and military and naval
disputes.
It is for this reason that some OBJ.
servers expect him ultimately to sug-
gest the recognition Of Russia. Russia
is now perhaps the second country in
the world In the production Of agri-
cultural and industrial goods combined
Mr.. Hull Is receiving special envoyl
from numerous countries for conversa-
tions regarding the Economic Confer
ence and the promotion of interna-
tional trade. Some Of these countries
are wholly inconsequential, from the
trade point Of view, In comparison
with Russia. They cannot provide III
with one-tenth Of the trade Of which
Russia could be the source. Yet, be-
cause of the diplomatic non-recognition
of Russia there will be no special Rus
sian envoy here to discuss the Economic
Conference with Mr.. Hull.
X \
Meanwhile, Russia will be Importantly
present In the Economic Conference
Itself in London in June. It's repre-
sentatives will 60 to that conference
after preliminary conversations with
Western European governments, but
without any preliminary Arrangements
with the United States.
No better plan for throwing Russian
trade into non-American control could
be devised. From the strictly trade
standpoint 1t Is . state Of things pro-
foundly injurious to the United States
From the strictly trade standpoint the
Russian market, large or small, Is q
market; and if it is that standpoint
that Is to prevail in Mr.. Hull's foreign
policy, then, indeed, Russian recognition
by us may ultimately occur.
Some nifty countries-other thar
Russia-will by the end Of this month
have conveyed their economic views x
Mr.. Hull In preparation for the Eco.
yany,oic Conference and Will IA fet1lfT