Evening star., 1939-03-31

During the brief absence of
Frederic William Vile from the
city Washington Dissertations
are being ,Dritten by Henry L.
S1Deinhart.)
Trade problems today are con-
stituting one of the most serious
worries OF the Department Of State.
Despite the gravity of the numerous
and difficult political problems
which confront the department In
its handling of foreign affairs, there
are at the present time perhaps a
larger number Of matters affecting
trade which call for solution than at
any previous period In the history Of
the United States. Many Of these
arise from political causes, or have
political implications. On that ac-
count they must be considered from
double angle. In geographical
range they cover most of the world
Europe. the Far East, Latin Amer
lea, and in variety of products they
are equally diversified, jumping
from sugar to motor cars, from cot
ton and meat products to imported
fats and oils. Latest of the stum-
bling blocks which have been placed
in the way Of Secretary Hull's rec
iprocity trade treaty program are
amendments placed on Senate
sugar bill which would reduce by
about 25O,000 tons the amount of
sugar which Cuba would be per-
mitted under its present treaty with
the United States to import into this
country. Secretary Hull has indi-
Gated that he considers this an i'm
practical and unwise" proposal, and
it is believed that a stronger voice
of protest against the measure will
be heard from the administration
Strong backing to the reciprocal
trade program which Secretary
Hull has been preaching with
evangelistic fervor almost from the
beginning of his tenure of Office
in the cabinet was contained in
President Roosevelt's letter to Sen
ator Harrison, chairman of the
Senate Finance Committee, in which
the former voiced his vigorous op-
position to increased tariffs which
had been proposed on a number
of imported fats and oils. These
would have affected existing recip-
rocal trade agreements with the
United Kingdom, Canada, the
Netherlands and Brazil In this
connection the President declared
that he would like every farmer,
every producer of surpluses. every
one in all walks of life in the
United States to know that "the
enactment of these amendments
would seriously Jeopardize trade
agreements by means Of which con-
cessions have been obtained on more
than a quarter of a billion dollars
worth of our agricultural exports
and on several hundreds of millions
Of dollars worth of our exports OF
factory and other products" Simi-
larly economic advisers in the State
Department believe that unjust or
exorbitant tariffs must not be i'm
posed on countries with which the
United States is seeking friendly
trade relations, particularly those
with which reciprocal agreements
already exist.
Diplomats and officials In WASH
ington are listening intently for re-
actions to the speech Of Premier |
Daladier in which he made clear to
Italy and the world the policy which
France would follow in attempting
to obtain a peaceful solution Of
pending problems. The speech it
self. although no definite advance
notice of its contents hau been re-
ceived here, was along expected |
lines and, on that account. did not
create any marked surprise in Of
fcial circles. More interest was at
tached in these quarters. however,
to the. follow up"-to the effect |
which the Premier's bold and def
mite announcement will have not |
only on Italy's future claims, CO.
lonial or otherwise, but also in other
parts of Europe. While still await
ing further repercussions, these Of
ncials feel some degree of hope that
part of the tensity of feeling which
had been growing between France
and Italy, particularly since Mus
solini's "Tunisia, Djibouti, Suez
Canal speech, may have been re-
lieved and that as a final outgrowth
the way will be opened for still fur
ther lessening Of the existhing in