Evening star., 1938-12-29


no escaping the David Lawrence.
fact that group
pressures are crystallizing and that
certain factions and interests which
desire change are beginning to line
up strength for the coming battles.
Two outstanding examples are the
Reciprocal Trade Agreements Act
and the Wagner Labor Relations
Act. The first is an outcropping Of
tariff grievances. Disaffected groups
which have been hurt by the trade
agreements now are concentrating
on the idea of forcing all agreements
to be ratified by the United States
Serate. This Is an indirect way of
killing the whole trade agreement
policy because it seems that the nee
essary two-thirds approval is vir-
tually impossible to get in the Sem
ate, due to the fact that agricultural
or manufacturing groups can be
mobilized sufficiently to put pressure
on enough Senators to defeat any
ratification.
May Invite Retaliation.
II the United States goes back to
the days of trying to negotiate Sem
ate ratification of agreements in
volving trade matters, the foreign
governments which have the parlia-
mentary system will regain the ad-
vantages they have had in applying
new duties whenever economic con-
ditions change suddenly. Likewise,
there will be little opportunity for
any general tariff revision by Con-
gress which could promote trade be-
cause negotiations between foreign
governments and the Senate cannot
very well be carried on as a practical
matter.
The trade agreement policy is
cardinal part of the administration
program and if it becomes the foot
ball of politics, it may well be eX-
pected that President Roosevelt will
not hesitate to use his veto power
against any effort to sabotage the
law by making Senate ratification
essential to the PRONUNCIATION of any
trade agreements. The Supreme
Court has upheld the power of Con-
gress to delegate to Federal COM
mission or to the executive agencies
the authority to make trade agree
ments with foreign governments,
Just as the flexible tariff laws were
previously upheld by the courts. So
1t is entirely now a question of pub
lie opinion as it reacts upon the new
Congress.
AS for the Wagner Labor Rela-
tions Act. it is being assumed quite
enormously that the American Fed
Grafton of Labor is going to join
with the employer opponents of the
law to sabotage its collective bar
gaining provisions or to weaken
them. The A. F. of LIS interest is
to strengthen rather than narrow
the provisions which permit or en-
courage unioniZation. 1t is pri-
marily concerned with the right of
the board to designate the "appro-
pirate unit" for collective bargain
ing and for procedural changes, but
beyond this there are grave doubts
that the A. F. of L. will allow its
congressional supporters to break
down the act itself.
Appointment Inspires Fight.
The fight will begin when the
nomination of Donald Wakefield
Smith, a member of the National
Labor Relations Board, comes up
for confirmation. Mr.. Smith has
been selected as the target for at
tack, not because he is different
from the other members of the
board, but because his term of Office
happens to expire now. If the
other two members were up for re-
appointment, they would be fought
on precisely the same grounds.
This will be admitted by oppo-
nents of Mr.. Smith and it is clear
evidence that the fight is imper-
sonal and is directed toward the
supporters Of the law itself, If not
to an attempt to put pressure on the
board to modify by regulation some
Of its practices and procedures.
When Senator Burke, Nebraska
Democrat, publicly comedies that if
the Labor Board were less uncom-
promising about accepting amend
ments of its practices, there would
be less opposition to Mr.. Smiths
denomination, it is a disclosure of
the strategy which is actuating those
who want to see the Wagner Act
amended.
Unfortunately, from the stand
point of strategy, the Labor Board
defenders have been unwilling to
concede that the Wagner law needs
any amendments or revisions. They
have elected to fight against change
OF any kind. This is mistake, for it
has encouraged opponents to use
extreme tactics. too. For it will be
relatively easier for them to line up
votes to defeat confirmation of Mr..
Smith than 1t will be to get i'm
portant amendments to the Wagner
law passed. Likewise, if the pub
licity centering around the fight
against Mr.. Smith produces an in
ouirv into the procedure adonted hv