Evening star., 1933-05-04
DRIVE ON TARIFFS
CONTINUED BY HULL
Italians and Argentines Con.
fer With State Depart
ment Officials.
BY the Associated Press.

By the Associated Press.
The Roosevelt administration today
drove on with its effort TO enlist Italy
and Argentina in program of lower
tariffs and stabilized exchanges.
Italy's finance minister, Guido Jung;
the Italian Ambassador, Augusta Rosso,
and Italian economic and financial ex-
perts continued their discussion of eco
nomic problems at the State Depart
ment with Secretary Hull and depart
mental experts.
Breckenridge Long, newly appointed
Ambassador to Italy, joined the CONVEX
sations, which will review in detail sub
jectS discussed in general way at the
White House yesterday with President
Roosevelt.
viii Outline Program.
The Argentine representatives, Am
baSSadors Tomas lie Breton and Felipe
Espil, ENJOYS to Paris and Washington,
respectively, were prepared to outline
part of Argentina's program for the
London Economic Conference at q
State Department conference at 3 pm
The Argentines are expected to ad-
vance points wherein their country
might grant mutual trade concessions,
should the United States desire so to
negotiate. The recently announced An
glo-Argentine trade treaty was expected
to be touched upon in today'S discus
sions, the visitors previously having in
dicated Argentina stood ready to make
a similar agreement on exchange favors,
should this country desire.
A state dinner will be given tonight
at the Argentine embassy for Secre-
taries Hull and Wallace and other ad-
ministration officials.
French Position Given.
William Phillips, Undersecretary Of
State today said the French position
toward a tariff truce suggested by the
American Government contains three
reservations.
Besides stipulating that France must
retain freedom to raise tariffs in event
of foreign currency depreciation, the
French statement of policy received at
the State Department provides the truce
shall not apply to trade agreements
which are now before Parliament, and
that all the principal powers must
agree to the truce.
Phillips said the French statement
did not state specifically that Is per
cent surtax on American imports was
proposed in case the dollar went down
to 20 francs, although press dispatches
from Paris have shown this is the plan.
Italian Stand Uncertain.
After a two-hour discussion with Mr.
Roosevelt in the White House late yes
terday, Jung told newspaper men it was
too early to state Italy's position on q
tariff truce, but added "Signor Musso-
1ini has always been in favor of lower
ing the barriers between nations
He pointed out Italy has had
stable currency since 1927 and its sta
bility would be defended "as strenu-
ously and as firmly as can be imagined"
Being stable" the Italian minister
OF finance said, I'VE would like the
others to be stable"
Jung, who is being aided in the dis
cussions here by Ambassador Rosso,
will have further talks with Mr.. RooSe-
velt, and it was expected the questions
of war debts, disarmament and Euro
pean peace would be more thoroughly
examined.
Desires Treaty Revision.
Newspaper men were told by the dis
tirguiShed visitor that Clearing the
political atmosphere" between nations
was essential to the economic recon-
struction of the world" Italy desires
revision of the Versailles Treaty to
achieve this.
Mr.. Roosevelt is known to believe the
time is not opportune for attempting
solution of political questions, but
rather the emphasis of all nations
should be placed on preparatory work
for making the London Economic Gen.
ference a success.
Several social engagements were
planned today for the Argentine repre-
sentative, DR.. Breton. The Argentine
American talks yesterday were devoted
mainly to discussion of wheat control
methods and a possible relaxation of
the American quarantine on meat from
the South American country.