The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1934-03-10

HACIldLsc-L ID " Say, INV AZ
the farm retreat ties up with oul
upon the success Of the new deal.
Revision of our tariff down
ward will have far better prospects
if our new deal succeeds than If
it fails. Success in the new deal
will mean an increase in and a
better distribution of purchasing
power. Manufacturers and wage
earners will be no longer in terror
for their business or their jobs, and
will be quicker to acknowledge the
necessity for the country to buy
where it expects to sell. If we can
set our own chaotic system into
better order, there will be not only
more willingness, there will be
more power to buy abroad. With
a margin over necessities. the
average citizen will be able to pay
for useful and desirable foreign
goods. And at the same time he
will be able to continue support
ing home industry. He will buy
more farm goods too. Thus the
farm SURPRISES will come under an
attack from three quarters sinful
taneously-from the farm retreat,
from more enlightened tariff
policy, and from an improved pur-
chasing power, which will aid
agriculture by increasing dOmeS-
tic consumption directly and also
by increasing the ability of our
foreign customers to sell goods
here.
II ARLIER in this series spoke
Il of the wrench that strict
nationalism gives the free spirit,
the painful degree of discipline in
Volved. 1t would be unfair not to
point out also, in concluding, that
a steadfast national allegiance to
any fixed course, international or
intermediate, also requires a GER
tain degree Of regimented opinion.
To lower or to tear down certain
tariff walls, and to keep them
down, would require on the part OF
the general public great solidarity
of opinion, and great resolution.
The degree of education and of
propaganda required to make the
great body of American cOnSum-
ers, rural and urban, stand firmly
together for lower tariffs would
have to be rather intense.
And yet I do not feel that the
public opinion behind such a pro-
gram would have to be straight
jacketed as much as it would have
to be under pure nationalism. You
would not have to impose as
many unwelcome restraints on as
many people. Any information of
international attitudes in this
country is certain to come under
heavy fire from special interests
protected by tariffs. But I do not
feel that the resultive struggle of
wills will do as much violence to
our democratic traditions as would
a call, sustained by the govern
ment, for nationalism, to the
hilt.
1 should like to see the campaign
for middle-ground policy con-
Quoted as a campaign of reason.
with millions of personal contacts
and arguments, man to man. The
opposition will be bitter and pow
erful; but I am convinced that the
time has come for the great body
of Americans to formulate long
time trading program for this
country which they are willing to
stand behind, no matter how
plausible the appeals of special
pleaderS.
WHAT I have tried to show is
w that there are sound argu-
mentS on both sides Of this queS-
ton. The nationalist rests his
case on the idea that we can not
expect any longer to trade with
the world as we used to- He does
not expect an adequate natural
revival of foreign demand, and
believes it would be folly for us
to stimulate the demand arti-
ficially by loans.
The internationalist position, on
the other hand. is less pessimistic
about natural foreign trade pros
poets. The internationalist does
not regard loans as the only
means of developing trade reci-
poets and enlarging them. He
holds that there is no possible
way of making loans eventually
secure unless we become import
minded. He would rather trust
to tariff concessions and other
means of developing trade reci-
procally. He considers the pains
of this course to be less than those
of a nationalist program.
I lean to the international Solu-
ton. But it is no open and shut
question 1t needs study, and
above all dispaSsionate discussion.
Unfortunately those arguments
which appeal to fear, to suspicion
of neighbor nations. to narrow
interest, and to ingrained
hatred of change are the argu-
ments which will be most loudly
invoked. I want to see the whole
question examined by our people
in a new spirit.
THE End