Evening star., 1933-05-31
LEWIS DISCUSSES
ECONOMIC PARLEY
Warns Against Tariff Policy
With InsurmountabIe
Barriers.

OF THIS county IN the economic Con-
ference, Senator J. Hamilton Lewis
Democrat, of Illinois, last night calles
for the delegates from the United
tionS by the principle of Justice Il
the world self-preservation to ths
United States. prosperity and peace tt
the children Of men,
Senator Lewis spoke in the Nationa
Radio Forum, arranged by The Star
and broadcast over coast-to-coast net
!. work Of the National Broadcasting Co
The Senator warned against tariff
policy that would maintain insurmount-
able barriers or afford no protection
emphasizing in particular that no debt
settlement should be negotiated that
would entail a flood of foreign goods
into this country.
Nations Should Disarm.
1t is plain that only by a system
where the allotment of exchange OF
truce of tariff can serve us with what
we do not ourselves produce or not
produce enough Of, while we serve the
foreign nation with that it does not
produce or cannot of sufficient quantity
can work a Just result" he said.
Lewis said also that the subject of
disarmament should be treated in a
way to get actual results.
Let us announce our position to de-
mand complete peace by complete
disarmament of all methods for de-
struction of mankind" he emphasized
The text of Senator Lewis address
follows:
This is the night of Americas Me-
mortal day. We consecrate the memory
of those who died for their country We
now memorialize the living to protect
and preserve the America for which
their beloved died.
In the present hour there moves out
upon the sea the delegates designated
by the President Of the United States
to sit in solemn international con-
ference. This conference is to indicate
the course that commerce should take
between nations of the brotherhood OF
men.
This is the most weighty and far
reaching conference brought together in
the lifetime of the present generation.
1t Is for the United States our delegates
speak, for the new administration of
America. These. assemble with new
representatives who are new in foreign
governments that are new in the era
of a new world.
These, our representatives, If obeying
the impulse of surrender of principle to
accommodate professed friendships, or
be Indifferent to the true status in the
world of their country; could sacrifice
the object of the assembly by surrender
ing to the eXpediency of politics or
yielding to international fiattery, our
delegates could destroy the prestige
which our United States now holds be-
fore the earth.
World Looks to U. S.
This. our United States, is summoned
in a day of the confusion of nations.
They are to call forth and concentrate
ideas and ideals that may give de-
liverance to depressed commerce and
discouraged industry. In this combina-
tion of hope it is the United States
from which the world takes confidence,
that a new order of mankind has risen
to the command of new justice OF
new life.
Yet, through it ALL the radio Of un-
numbered centuries echoes again the
query: Am I my brothers keeper"
The barriers stretching between the
peoples of probationary some is
named tariff, by others designated as
the blockade of the seas"-we seek to
dissolve one of these impediments into
equitable parts and remove the otner
from being the restriction Of trade.
But in this world convocation we
hear the question spoken from the
heart of America, What OF our house
and its children?" And also hearken
to the admonition of the prophet
heralding, Physician, heal thyself.".
The Tariff Truce.
Let our people remember that before
the World War our america was
debtor nation; the world our creditor.
Today it is we who are the creditor;
the world of countries OUT debtor ma
ton
These who are our debtors, to prevent
the United States fulfilling the needs
of the world people in commerce and
supplies, reared wall of tariff charges
against our products entering their
gates. This action of self service cut
off our foreign trade with these foreign
lands. The United States has to guard
its manufacturers from being over
Whelmed by the dumping" of foreign
made goods that are made under CON-
ditionS which can undersell the Amer
ican product and flood us like an mum
dation. To prevent such calamity we
constructed the system and impeachment
which we call tax or tariff, taking
the name of national protection.
Let us pronounce to the departing
delegates this truth-that if now to
serve the uses of the nations contesting
against the United States. we by our
act IN any foreign convocation should
melt and crumble into nothingnesS our
barriers of preservation We would shut
down our industries in the United
States and decree to idleneSs and want
our toilers. Yet to lift our walls so
high as to exclude the hope of fair
competition, We awaken retaliation
from world nations which, as penalty
boycotts all American production and
cuts US out of the markets of Europe
and Asia.
Refers to Debts.
Again let US dwell on the thought
that if the nations who owe us the
foreign debt shall be allowed to pay
us with their goods, such consignment
of the multiplying quantity would serve
our needs at cheap prices. close our
factories and leave the citizen where
he could not earn the money with which
to buy the exported materials paying
the debt of the debtor nation. And
in the meantime the result would be
to strike us from the list of inde-
pendent nations
It is plain that only by a system
where the allotment of exchange or
truce of tariff can serve us with what
we do not ourselves produce or not
produce enough of: while We serve the
foreign nation with that it does not
produce or cannot of sufficient quantity,
can work just result.
Let us herald to our representatives
ard to our countrymen that in this
hour the true maxim OF action for
the United States is for America to
safeguard America as we direct justice
to the world: but in the decreeing of
this noble act to earth's mankind,
there must be no surrender of the
superior station enjoyed now by the
United States under the decree which
time and events have ordered in her
behalf We ask for fair play to all
nations: just trade to the world; but
demand the preservation OF the privi-
leges of the United States OF America,
as will assure prosperity and peace to
Gods children of everywhere.
Effect of Disarmament.