The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1935-07-16
PACT ASSA|LED
AS ILLEGAL;
LAW CITED
Senator McCarran Demands
Immediate Showdown on
"GoId Brick Program"
International News Service

International News Service
Legality of the trade agreement
the State Department has con-
cluded with Soviet Russia was
being questioned in some congress
sional quarters here today.
The question was being asked
whether the agreement was valid
under the trade agreement act.
Public Notice Required
That act provided that before
any foreign trade agreement is
concluded with any foreign gov
eminent:
Reasonable public notice of
the intention to negotiate an
agreement with such govern
ment shall be given in order
thai any interested person may
have an opportunity to present
his views to the President or
such agency as the President
may designate"
No such notice was given in the
case of the Soviet agreement.
Immediate showdown on what
was described as "Hull's gold brick
program" was assured as Sena-
tor McCarran CD of Nevada in.
troduced an amendment to the
pending AAA agricultural Adjust
ment Administrator measure,
stripping the State Department OF
all authority to negotiate the
trade agreements.
Congress Outraged
Meanwhile, an outraged Con.
gress was whipped into further
CONSERVATION by revelation Sec
rotary Hull is planning a reduc'
ton on cattle and beef tariffs in
the Canadian reciprocity agree
ment-thuS undoing the two years
Of effort by the AAA to boost do
nestle beef prices, at cost of
one hundred and fifteen million
dollars.
Senator Lewis CD, of Illinois,
although majority Whip Of the
Senate, branded Mr.. Hulps entire
'most favored nation" program
as "unsound. ruinous to domestic
business, and paradoxical to every
thing the Administration is trying
to do toward recovery"
Scored BY Vandenberg
. Senator Vandenberg (R.), Of
Michigan scared it with:
"'It Is as unconstitutional as
any measure the Supreme Court
ever dumped into the waste
basket
The State Department, stung
by Senator McCarran's tongue
flashing, issued hasty protests that
because the Soviet pact ignores
Russia's unpaid debt Of $700,000,-
900 to this country, it does not
mean this country has relin-
pushed its claim for that amount.
Senator McCarran flashed back:
"Maybe not; but it means
you've thrown away our only
bargaining point to force set
tlement. Also, you've thrown
away our only chance for OBJ
tanning a guarantee against a
continuance of Soviet prOpa-
ganda in this country.
'"The AAA destroyed 8,279,.
900 head of cattle to boost do
mestic beef prices, and spent
IFS million dollars. Secretary
Hull now comes along with a
proposal to cut the tariff ON
cattle so as to reduce the price
and let foreign cattle enter.
That is sheer economic idiocy."
! Senator Lewis charged that
when Congress passed the recipro-
cal tariff act, giving Mr.. Hull
trade-treaty making authority, it
had no idea he planned to use it
to spread tariff gifts around the
entire world.
He said:
1--WE understood it was to be
. program of reciprocal tariff
reductions. 1t never would have
been granted If we had known
he wanted to use it as it is be-
ing used"
He referred to Mr.. Hull's policy
of extending to all nations of the
world, without anything in return,
the reductions in American tariffs
granted any one nation in trade
agreement.