The Washington times., 1937-10-16
new TRADE PACT
WOULD PUT U. S.
AGAINST JAPAN .
EngIish-Speaking Races
Plan "CIosed Shop" |
BY EARL GOODWIN

world against Japan is the gist
of a trade agreement which
within a year may bind the United
States in Nreciprocal trade treaty
with the British Empire. This is
now in the embryo stage in the
State Department.
If it can be negotiated it will
make a closed corporation for buy
ing and selling goods and products
of the United States and terrific
ries with the far-flung peoples OF
the variegated dominions and pos
sessions of the British Empire.
ALIGNS RACES
It will stack the Anglo-SaXon
race against the Far East, where
England is already feeling the
encroachments Of Nipponese in
duStry.
The agreement would be one
of the highlights of history. 1t
would crown with success the
reciprocal trade treaty policy OF
this Administration.
The subject of trade treaty
with the whole British Empire
may never come to fruition, but de-
spite all denials it is part OF
the work Of the State Department
right now. 1t is not unlikely that
President Roosevelt and Am
bassador Bingham have been talk
ing about it at recent Wmte
House visits. Conversations be-
tween State Department experts
and British officials have been
held.
FORCED TO CHANGE
British officials have not been
keen on the idea Of a general
trade agreement but they seem
now to be willing to talk about one
since Japan has oeen so aggressive
and inclined to gobble up all
eastern trade.
The proposed trade agreement
would be between this country and
the British Isles, the various
dominions and between the
United States and the various pos
sessions-even down into the
African countries which look to
the British crown for authority
There is already such an agree
ment with Canada. 1t would be
an agreement under which 1t
would pay the business people OF
the British Empire to deal with
Americans first: and vice versa.
WOULD HIT IMPORTS
IT would probably choke off the
cheap japanese imports and 1t
could have a very definite effect
on the trend of events in the Far
East for years to come. 1t would
be the most practical entente
cordiale, so the diplomats say, be-
tween English-speaking people the
world has ever been.
The knowledge Of this tremen'
dous anti-yellow race project
comes to light just as the State
Department makes public a feeble
bit of news regarding a proposed
trade agreement with Czechoslo-
vakia, wherein Binghamton
IN. ", shoe interests protest
against proposed ruinouS terms
whereby Czech shoes come into
this country in floods to the detrl'
ment Of American Shoemakers.
The State Department says there
Is more rumor than fact about
the situation, but one fact the
State Department neglected to
accent was the fact that unless
the cheap brogans for workmen
are permitted to come from
Czechoslovakia freely and easily
there will be no treaty. The
Czechs want to sell their shoes
here.
PUBLIC is INTERESTED
knowledge of the great United
States-British Empire negotiations
aFouSes public interest in these
treaties. 1t had been suspected
that there was more talk than
treaties. as nothing has been
heard about them for nine or 10
months-except political speeches
defending the l6 already negoti.