The Washington times., 1936-09-02
CAMPAIGNERS
MAKE ISSUE0F
TRADEPACTS
BY EARL GOODWIN


Ten special clerks and tariff ex-
perts working as hard as they can
in the State Department, having
been loaned by the Department Of
Commerce, are digging into all the
favorable information that can
be located to defend the Admins
tration's reciprocal trade policy.
Four representatives of the Re
publican national committee also
are digging into the State Depart
ment'S data on the reciprocal trade
matter. Anyone can guess who
will get the dope first.
All this Is q part of the frantic
tug-of-war now going on at the
State and county fairs around the
country, where the G. o. P. is
trying to impress the farmer vote
with the Republican idea that the
reciprocal trade agreements have
sold out the farmer and that the
European agriculturist is taking
the market right away from the
American farmer.
AEuCk OaEElGS DASpAdy
At least one big truck loaded
with exhibits is attending larger
State fairs on behalf of Governor
Landon, carrying with it an ex-
hibit Of so odd products which
the G. o. P. claims are being I'M
dersold here by foreigners on &C
count Of the reciprocal trade
pacts.
The Administration views on
the reciprocal trade treaties are
Numerically opposed to the Re
publican view. The AdminiStra-
ton believes the whole story Of
the treaties should be told and
not merely the one7Sided story Of
one product, and that all in all
the sum total Of trade, amity and
good neighborly relations, will
give the reciprocal trade policies
a clean bill of health.
Farmers throughout the coun-
try are beginning to get the Ad-
ministration'S view point through
the educational activities Of the
recently created All-Party Agricul-
tural Committee for Roosevelt,
headed by MiddleweSt farm lead
er Bill" Settle.
Political Oddities
Farmer Settle is a well-known
HooSier agriculturiSt, head of the
Indiana Farm Bureau Federation,
and he is considerably more Of
a Republican than a Democrat.
There are other oddities in the
political line on this new commit
tee, which will act as an educa-
tional machine only and has no
votegetting attachments.
In Illinois the committee is so
framed that it will take advantage
of the organization which enabled
Democratic Governor Horner to
beat his Cook county Democratic
foes.
Then the committee has on 1t
the spectacular Frank Murphy, the
Minnesota lawyer, who represents
several farm organizations and
who has been conspicuous in farm
politics for several years. It was
Mr.. Murphy who demanded an up
to-date farm plank in the 1928
G.O.P. platform, and when he did
not get what he wanted led 5000
farmers to Houston where, in his
view, they were better treated.
Republicans Turn
There is also Ole Olson, one Of
the founders of the Non-PartiSan
League in North Dakota, and
Homer Hush, Republican from
Iowa who was offered the G. o. P.
nomination for governor this year
ESQ it is reported and who has
practically bolted his party for
the New Deal" with the slogan:
''The farmer who votes against
Roosevelt is a sucker"
Another Republican who is now
working hard for the Presidents
reelection is Sam Fishman, re-
Gently a Republican State legiSla-
tor in kansas, who was read out
Of the party by John Hamilton,
chairman of the Republican ma
tional committee.
VOTE AMERICAN