Evening star., 1936-03-08

situation OF the country involved, the
Department Of Commerce checks up
the markets abroad, the Department
of Agriculture looks out for the farm
ers' interest and the Department of
State does the negotiating.
What makes the old log-rollers
mad" said one ranking official. sis
that now they come to one place with
their requests. In the old days they
would go up on the hill and ask for
an increased tariff, thea 60 down to
the Department Of Commerce and ask
for export markets.
"The thing for the public to keep
in mind is that we are not reducing
tariffs where it will injure American
labor to any appreciable extent. In
every case, We must see net increase
in jobs in this country before we will
approve. What we are doing is squeez-
ing out the preferential subsidies for
which no real excuse ever existed,
which never helped labor anyhow and
which have increased the American
cost of living to an immeaSurable ex-
tent. We are not abandoning protec-
tionism. We're abandoning the ex-
treme protectionism that killed our
trade"
On the attitude of the administra-
ton elected in November, of course,
will depend largely the fate of the
reciprocal policy. But even assuming
the administration is friendly, fight
is in prospect for renewal of the act
as 1t stands.
1t is now indicated that an attempt
will be made to hamString the pro-
gram through pushing through a
ratification amendment"-and on
this point the job of Hull advocates
will be to convince Congress that it is
doing itself, as we'll as the public, .
favor by keeping itself "off the spot.
Limiting Amendment"
There is every probability also that
limiting amendment" will be Of
fered, under which treaties would ap-
ply only to the United States and
the country signing the treaty, with
the most favored nation" clause
eliminated. 1t is this clause that
lowers trade walls cumulatively, in
stead of setting up mixture of spe-
cial concessions which Hull is con-
vinced could lead only to irritating
scores of customer nations every time
we favored one.
In any event, the log-rollers will
find stiff opposition from the ranks
of industry itself. The emergency
measures undertaken by the Roose-
welt administration as shot in the
arm to purchasing power, N. r. A.
and A. A. A., have brought out, as
nothing else could, the alternative
facing the country. AS Pyke Johnson
vice president of the Automobile Man.
ufacturers' Association, observes:
TOO few men understand that the
alternative which faces our Govern
ment is not simply one between ma
tionalism and internationaliSm. 1t is
between regimentation of agriculture
and industry alike or freedom to pro-
duce."
And the Hull liberals" can expect
help. too, from the leaders of finance,
for Russell C. Leffngwell partner
and trade expert of j. P Morgan &,
Co, posed the issue similarly:
| 1--WE must lower tariffs and remove
embargoes and quotas and so revive
instead of strangle, international
/ trade.
"If there is to be no foreign trade,
| if We are to have a closed economy,
| then We may be able to exist within
our boundaries, but We must look for
ward to long years of readjustment
and contraction
In regard to this matter. our Gov
ernment appears to me to be moving
along sound lines"
tCopyright, 1885, by the North American
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