Evening star., 1933-02-02
ROOSEVELT FACES
TARIFF ISSUE SOON
Conferences With CordeII Hull
Believed Due to House
Vote, February 13.
BY MARK SULLIVAN.

Washington surmise for week past
has dealt with the suggestion that Sem
ator Cordell Hull of Tennessee may be
Secretary of State There is no author
itative information about this or any
other cabinet appointment. The gossip
about Mr.. Hull has increased with his
visit to Mr.. Roosevelt at the latter's
request.
Since Senator Hull is, in all respects,
In the very highest rank of public men,
his appointment as Secretary of State
would elicit practically universal salts
faction 1t is difficult to imagine
criticism from any quarter or for any
reason
Washington,s surmises about Presi-
dent-elect Roosevelt's wish to see Sen
ator Hull are tied closely to the tariff.
If Mr.. Roosevelt wishes Mr.. Hull to be
Secretary of State one reason would be
that a main business of the Democratic
State Department after March T. ac-
cording to the party program. will be
to negotiate reciprocal trading tariffs
with other countries. Mr.. Hull Is the
chief Democratic advocate of and au-
thority on this proposal for handling
the tariff and on low tariffs as a prin-
ciple.
Face Immediate Problem.
Some Of Washington surmises that
Mr.. Roosevelt's wish to see Mr.. Hull
may have to do, not with the cabinet.
but with desire for advice about an
immediate tariff difficulty which is just
now facing the Democrats. The situa-
tion will come to head February 13.
To explain it chronologically, the Dem
ocrats made their 1880 campaign for
Congress as an attack on the then re-
Gently passed Republican HaWley-Smoot
tariff. On that issue the Democrats
won. Thereupon there was some de-
mand and much tacit assumption that
the Democratic majority in the House
would begin fulfilment of their tariff
reduction promise in the Congress be-
ginning December. 1881. They did not
They passed a bill declaring, among
other things, for policy of negotiating
tariff reductions with other nations.
One of the authors of the measure was
Senator Hull. That he was in good
faith goes without saying, for he is
above dissimulation. As regards most
OF the Democrats, however, the frank
suspicion was that their passing the
pious aspiration for negotiated tariff
treaties was an act of retreat designed
to conceal their unwillingness to really
lower the tariff. The true sentiment
of the Democrats iii that 1881 session
was shown by the fact that Democratic
leaders introduced and urged and DEM
ocratic votes passed some wholly new
tariffs on commodities which the Re-
publicans had left on the free list. con-
spicuously oil and coal. Then in the
1882 presidential campaign the Demo-
Gratis again jumped upon the Hawley-
Smoot tariff before a thousand audi
enceS. The Democratic platform and
candidate promised tariff reduction.
Just about the time they won the elec-
tion last Fall an awkward thing hap
pened. Countries that had gone of
the gold basis and thereby reduced the
value OF their currencies were able to
make goods cheaper than the Hawley-
Smoot bill ever contemplated Large
varieues OF foreign goods were able to
enter America. At once, in scores Of
congressional districts, arose complaint
TO Congress from manufacturers and
LABOR organizations It descended upon
Democratic members and Republican
alike.
Vote to Be Forced Soon.
The Republicans in the House eau
cused and decided to propose a bill
automatically increasing the tariff in
proportion to reduction in value of
currencies. To get action on the Re-
publican proposal, Representative John
G. Schafer, Republican of Milwaukee,
circulated petition and got enough
Signers to force vote on February 10.
IL was and is up to the Democrats to
decide what to do as a party. On that
question they are just now pulling and
hauling among themselves. Many in
dlV1dual Democrats, acting under local
pressure from their districts, will vote
for the Republican bill That would
seem to make its passage certain. To
the Democratic leaders the question
is whether the party, as an official
party action. can afford to oppose the
emergency tariff bill. They are aware
that, under present conditions, that
course would be fatal to them in many
districts they now hold At the same
time they are aware of their perma-
nent party policy and promise to re-
duce the tariff
Dismissing all this matter of stra-
tegic duel between the parties, the
national point of view suggests that
one or both of two steps must be taken.
Either foreign currencies must be
about the tariff Stabilizing foreign
.currencieS involves international &C
ton and that would take time. Ne
gotiating tariff treaties as the Demo-
Gratis propose also is an international
process and would take time. Mean
while the pressure from industries feel
ing outraged by foreign competition
does not permit of time It is likely
there will be some rapid action among
Democratic leaders between now. and
February 13. and an interesting scene
In the House on that day.