The Western news. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1933-current, 1937-02-11

he believes the federal government
can and will do everything that is
necessary to bring about the eco
nomic reforms he has in mind, and
do them without any change in the
Constitution.
Planned Economy
What are those reforms? r e
same old ones-no speculative prof
its. much smaller profits of any
kind. higher wages, shorter hours,
no more piling up of SURPRISES by
corporations, no more waste in over
expansion Of productive plants by
private business-in short-planned
economy under government direc-
ton.
1--WE have always known" said
the President, that needless self
interest was bad morals; we know
now that it is bad economics.
And then:
"This new understanding under
mines the old admiration Of worldly
success as such"
Wherein he raps squarely in the
face the old Horatio Alger, Jr.,
philosophy on which most of our
present economic royalists were
| Weaned.
Even more menacing Is line In
following paragraph. "There can
be no era OF good feeling save
among men of good will"
Hulls Wisdom
Temporarily. for the purpose OF
getting speedy action, Secretary OF
State Cordell Hull showed great
wisdom in making his plea for con-
tinuance of the Presidents power
to negotiate reciprocal trade treat
les strictly on a world peace idea.
MIR. Hull became quite peeved al
fly-specking when obiecting minority
members asked about details -
whether imports were not increased
more than exports--in short whether
Uncle Sam was not getting "gyped'
as net result of the operation ol
the treaties.
| In the long run--though perhaps
not until the glamor of President
Roosevelt's reelection majority has
worn considerably thinner-there is
plenty OF trouble in store for ths
Hull policy. During the recent cam
paign there were many indications
that farmers did not like the treat
les. Moreover, the reaction agains
any specific treaty is apt to be con
centrated in definitely defined areas
with the result that the politica
pressure on the senators or repre-
sentatives from those areas may
easily be sufficient to make then
risk White House displeasure.
In fact, the theory is as old a.
the tariff. which Grover CLEVELAND
said was local issue. For the recip
rocal trade agreement policy is tn,
tariff and nothing else. The chic
difference politically is that granting
the power to the President removes
it just little further from the direc
local influences which were Away
SO strong when new tariff Law
was being framed.
There is just one addition to this
the very point on which Mr.. HUI
placed SO much emphasis. That i
the contention that this treaty-mak
ing power tends to world peace
tends to eliminate the causes 0
war-which almost every one con
cedes now are more concerned witt
economics than anthing else.
Peace Chief Interest
AT the present moment there /
little doubt that the country as
whole is more interested in peac
than almost any other question
There has never. in fact, been s.
much evidence of how the coun
try felt on an issue. Senator Ben
nett Champ Clark OF Missouri AM
many others think the country woul
be willing to make almost any eco
nomic sacrifice-be willing to foreg
not only profits but employment AM
| WdBES-to iIidhC SLiE llldt L1lE OHll
ed States should not become In
volved in war.
So that for the time being Mr.. Hui
is very shrewd in making the peac
appeal to the whole country, an,
thus short circuiting the mass @
complaints about details in the work
ing of the new reciprocal treatie
which is flooding senators and REP
resentatives from various section
of the country.
Mr.. Huh of course believes Il
his plan economically as well a
from the standpoint OF preserving
peace. He is not for the reciprocal
treaties merely because they pro
duce good will, and afford othe
countries markets for their exports
and encourage American exports
thus eliminating part of the eco
nomic pressure that tends to pro
duce war. He is for the reciprocal
trade agreements on their intrinsic
value.
At heart MIR. Hull has always beel
a strict tariff for revenue only man
He agrees with the old Democratic
doctrine-a doctrine which was up
permost in the presidential cam