Evening star., 1939-05-13

War with imported canned beef to
discredit it with the Army and
Navy" one Texas official told the AS
sociated Press.
But all this long range firing was
mild. compared to that unlimbered
on Capitol Hill, where Senator
OMahoney, Democrat, of Wyoming
and Representative Scrugham. DEM
ocrat. of Nevada have an amendment
pending to the Navy appropriation
bill which would prohibit any but
North American beef being used in
the United States Navy
Acknowledging the spread of
prices, but reserving judgment on
the quality issue, Senator OMahoney
countered by charging that the Ar
gentine exporters are subsidized by
their government.
United States producers cannot
be expected to compete with the
products of foreign government cor
poratio he asserted. The sue
cessful bidder in this case was the
Argentine Meat Producers Corp,
which, if I am accurately informed,
is actually government institution.
This circumstance. it seems to
me, fully justifes the amendment
to the naval bill suggested by Con-
gresham Scrugham and myself"
Must Pay for Standards.
Senator Adams. Democrat, of
Colorado, suggested that "if we are
to have the American Navy fighting
on foreign beef. we might as well
go step farther and have our
battleships built in England or get
our armorplate from Belgium.
We're trying to maintain a
higher standard of living in this
country. but we can't do it without
paying for it. If we want to COM
pete on the level of the people on
the plains of Argentine, We'll have
to cut out our shorter hours and
higher wages
Senator Connally, Democrat, of
Texas. commented that when we're
struggling to help our own indus
tries, unless the margin of differ
ence is outrageous. it seems to me
We ought to buy American products" :"
In its domestic purchases. Senator
Connally said. the Government did
not necessarily buy from the lowest
bidder, but from those who MAIN
tained specified wages, hours and
working conditions under the Walsh
Healey Act
Il can hardly believe it." Senator
Capper. Republican, of Kansas said.
II can't understand it. Nobody out
in Kansas will admit that South
American beef is better. The Amer
ican farmer is entitled to the Amer
lean market"
Treaty Bottled Up.
Secretary OF State Hull negotiated
sanitary convention with the
Argentine government in 1886 which
would permit shipments from areas
not affected with the cattle disease.
The treaty has been bottled up in
the Senate Foreign Relations Com
mittee, and Western Senators have
opposed its ratification.
Chairman Walsh of the Senate
Naval Committee received a cable
gram yesterday from the Chamber
Of Commerce of the United States
in Buenos Aires opposing the
O*Mahoney amendment. The Amer
lcan businessmen in Argentina said
relations already are unsatisfactory"
and that adoption of further re-
strictions on Argentine products
would cause further resentment.
Argentine imports from the United
States were cut 40 per cent recently.
on the ground that purchases had
to be reduced to conform to sales.
Others Make Comment.
Among additional comment on the
Presidents announcement, Senator
Bridges, Republican, of New Hamp-
shire said it was a bad precedent
for Government buying generally to
deliberately pass over an American
product for one of a foreign country