Evening star., 1934-04-19
The Political Mill.
By G. Gould Lincoln.

~~~~
tariff battle is begun In the Senate,
with President Roosevelt,s reciprocity
tariff bill the subject Of q brisk de-
bate. Senator Pat Harrison, chairman
of the Finance Committee, which has
charge Of the tariff measure, insists
that the sugar bill, now the unfinished
business Of the Senate, and the revenue
bill, which has been sent to con-
ference, must be disposed of before
he brings the tariff measure to the
Senate. Then the measure which Is to
give the President authority to enter
into reciprocal trade agreements with
other nations and to reduce or raise
the tariff duties by SO per cent in
making such agreements Is to be laid
before the Upper House. All kinds of
estimates have been made regarding
the length of time which the debate
will consume, the number of amend
ments that will be offered. At present
the Democratic leaders are confident
that they will have plenty of votes
to pass this measure, which already
has been acted upor fayorably by the
House.
No measure which has yet come be-
fore the present Congress will have
commanded such solid Republican op-
position-except the Senate admend-
ments to grant more liberal compen-
sation to the veterans-as the reci-
procity tariff bill. OF course, the Re-
publican vote of the Senate, no mat
ter how solid, cannot halt the pas
sage of the bill, for the Democrats are
greatly in the majority. But lot of
amendments to the measure which
Democrats may find 1t dificult to
turn down will be offered, amend
ments which would have the effect Of
lessening greatly the powers conferred
on the President. One of these is
likely to be proposal to exempt ag-
ricultural products from the oper-
alton of the bill Such an amend
ment would prevent the President
from lowering the duties on agricul-
tural products. 1t is mighty difhcult
to vote against the interests Of the
farmers.
There Is a final clause in the bill
as it passed the House which says
that nothing in the act shall be
construed to grant authority to the
President to reduce or cancel the
war debts owed this country by foreign
nations. II the contention Of some
of the Senators Is correct, such a
provision would nullify the purpose
OF the bill. They hold that the debtor
nations will be unwilling to make any
reciprocal trade agreements with the
United States until America has
agreed to settle the debts, either with
large concessions or the absolute elm
lnation Of the debts. Yet any move
by the administration to take that
clause out Of the tariff bill would raise
a terrible storm on Capitol Hill today.
The sentiment is strongly against can
collation. OF the debts. President
Roosevelt let it be known yesterday
that he would send soon to Congress
a message on the war debts. He did not
indicate what the message would con-
tain. The State Department officials,
at the time the House had the tariff
bill before it, opposed the inclusion
OF the amendment relating to war
debts. Whether the President will
have anything to say about this
amendment is not known. The Pres
ident has declared in the past, how
ever, that war debts were not to be
affected by the proposed reciprocal
trade agreements.
The tariff bill will be attacked BY
Republican Senators. and perhaps by
some Of the Democrats, on the ground
that Congress has no right under the
Constitution to transfer to the Presi-
dent authority to deal with the tariff
duties in the proposed way. Senator
Borah OF Idaho is one of those who
is strongly opposed to this proposed
delegation Of taxing power to the
President to tax the American peo-
pie or to lower the taxes. Senator
Borah Is also a strong opponent of
reduction or cancellation Of the war
debts. Yet he is of the opinion that
if Congress is willing to turn over to
the President full authority, without
any check whatever, upon the matter
Of reducing tariff duties or raising
them by so per cent, there is no rea-
son why the Congress should object
to letting the President deal, without
check, with dead debts" This posi-
ton by the Idaho Senator Is certainly
indicative of the strength of his op-
position to the reciprocity tariff meas
ure.
This tariff and trade situation, COM
plicated by the war debts, Is serious
one. There should be some way Of
meeting the matter If the whole world
trade situation Is to be untangled.
Trade barriers have been raised higher
and higher, particularly against the
United States. Other nations have
come to reciprocal trade agreements
with each other. The administration
has come to the conclusion that if
the United States starts making such
agreements with foreign nations the
log jam which now prevents free
flow of commerce would be broken.
It is contended, too, that the Presi-
dent must be given a free hand in
making such agreements. The Re-
publicans, and some of the Democrats,
however, insist that if agreements are
to be made including the lowering
of tariff duties by this Government
these agreements should be passed
upon by the Congress, the authority
under the Constitution which levies
all taxes and duties. That seems to
be the whole question, in nut shell,
so far as this Government is con-
cerned. If the foreign nations owing
us debts are determined not to make
any trade agreements with the United
States until they have had debt set
Elements to their liking. that adds to
the difficulties very greatly. However,
the Congress also has the authority
to deal with these debts, and it seems
as though the administration, If it
were willing to submit all proposed
agreements with foreign nations to
Congress, might meet the situation.
But so far such a course has been
entirely beyond the liking Of the ad-
ministration.
Tonight out in Grand Rapids, Mich,
Senator Barkley of Kentucky will de-