Evening star., 1933-10-25
Democratic Protection.

tIeSlOenC fSOOSSVelt, ny Ills OIOcl
setting up the machinery in the N. r. A.
to determine whether foreign imports
are hampering the operation Of code
or codes. has acted to protect Ameri-
can producers and American labor He
is authorized, under the national re-
covery act, to take such steps as may
be necessary to prevent the disruption
OF American industry and agriculture
II foreign imports flood the country
and make impossible American compe-
tition under the codes Of fair practice.
Perhaps no step yet taken by the
Roosevelt administration has more
clearly indicated to the American public
that the Democratic leaders have moved
away from old party moorings. The
rates Of duty carried in the Smoot-
Hawley tariff act, denounced from
coast to coast by Democratic orators a
year or two ago as the greatest steal
from the common people ever perpe-
trated by the Republicans, have not
been lowered by the Democrats since
they have been in control Of the execu-
tive and legislative branches Of the
Government-except for the approval
by the President of q few, Q very few,
recommendations Of the United States
Tariff Commission. Indeed, the Roose-
welt administration shied away at the
special session Of Congress from tam
pering with the tariff. The only step
taken by the Democratic-control
Congress was enormously to increase the
Presidents power to prevent foreign
competition in this country with Amer
ican-made goods. That step is con-
tanned in the provisions Of the national
recovery act, provisions which the Presi-
dent Is now about to put into force.
1t appears that the rates Of duty in
the smoot-Hawley tariff act. instead OF
being too high, are too low. There can
be no other Interpretation of the posi-
ton now assumed by the administration.
The recovery plan Of the President calls
for greatly increased prices Of COM
modities sold In this country. Obviously,
prices cannot be increased and main
tanned If there be q flood OF cheaper
goods coming into this country from
abroad. Tariff barriers and embarsoes
are the only measures Of protection
against such . flood OF foreign goods.
When the administration adopted the
program calling for the passage OF the
national recovery act and the estab-
lishment Of its codes Of fair practices,
designed to increase prices and wages
and employment, it seemingly turned
its back fatty on the program Of inter-
national agreement for the lowering OF
tariff walls, an earlier program which
had been so eloquently advocated by
Secretary Cordell Hull Of the State De-
partment. 1t Is difficult to see how the
two plans can be operated at the same
time. What. indeed, becomes OF the
tariff truce, that agreement which was
engineered with the aid Of foreign gov
ernments not many months ago?
1t has been reported that goods have
been flooding the country at exceeding
ly low prices from Germany and
Japan, where the unemployed have
been regimented and given work with
. small living compensation paid by
the government. There are large i'm
ports of rye coming from abroad, too,
because Of the demand for that grain
to produce whisky, in view Of the i'm
pending fall Of national prohibition.
The producers Of foreign rye can i'm
port 1t into the United States and
undersell American farmers, even with
the present duty of fifteen cents. And,
what is mere, it is said they can con-
tinue to send their rye into this coun-
try even II the President increases the
duty by seven and one-half per cent
under the flexible provisions Of the
6moot- -Hawley tariff act. An embargo
may be necessary to check this inflow
OF rye in competition with the Amer
lean farmer.
Less than year ago Senator David
A. Reed Of Pennsylvania. Republican
protectionist, was demanding vigorous
" that steps be taken to prevent the
Hood of foreign goods into this country,
made possible by deprecated foreign
ourrencies and by cheap labor abroad.
He urged at that time that the rates
Of duty in the Smoot- -Hawley tariff
act were In some instances too low.
But at that time he raised his voice
In vain.