The Western news. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1933-current, 1939-04-06

4 y
icy is strong in congress.
Observation-Disclosures of the adj
ministration in putting higher du-
ties against German products, GU
riously enough, makes just that
much more difficult the underlying
scheme for giving the Reich fierce
competition in the South American
markets, one important step toward
which was taken during the recent
visit to Washington of Oswaldo Ar
anna, Brazil's foreign minister.
Perhaps the best way to illustrate
II is to cite the case of Rumania,
prior to the present threat against
her political integrity. Rumania pro-
duces wheat and oil in abundance,
though not as much of either as
Germany needs Germany is eager
to take these products, and has been
taking them, paying in ask marks,
meaning that Rumania had to take
her pay in products bought inside
Germany.
Why ask marks The answer to
that is the answer to many other
questions involving Germany, and
which will continue to be perplex-
ing unless Germany obtains the
Ukraine, some of her former col
onies, and perhaps some other ter
/ ritory. Only when Germany is eco
I nomically sufficient within herself
Il is able to supply all her needs from
! her own territory-will the need for
i ask marks, or something to accom-
plish the same results, be ended.
If world trade were normal today
this would not be true. Germany
demonstrated, before the outbreak
of the World war, that she was
very efficient at selling her goods
abroad Today her workers are so
underpaid and worked such long
hours that she would prove an inn
possible competitor in manufac-
tured goods with Britain, and of
course the United States.
Many Qu0fd RESTRICTIONS
As HeH as Higher Tariffs
But world trade conditions are not
normal. There are all sorts Of quota
restrictions as we'll as tariff duties
far beyond anything known before
the World war. On top of this there
has been another growing menace
TO German exports-the Hull recip-
rocal trade agreements. For ex-
ample, when the United States made
its trade agreement with Czecho-
| slovakia some time back, the sub
stantial reductions of duties therein
applied to every other nation in the
world except those not on the most
favored nation list. Under the new
agreements with Britain and Can
ada, this differential against Ger
many was magnifed, for Germany
is not on the list.
The result Of this trade barrier
eliminating program of Cordell Hull,
therefore, has been to gradually
tighten a strangling grip on Ger
many's economic throat. Ask
marks is one Of the devices to meet
this threat. Germany wants coffee
and cotton from Brazil. Brazil wants
number of products which Ger
many can supply, but which she
might buy equally well from the
United States or Britain. But the
United States cannot increase to any
extent her consumption of Brazilian
coffee, and does not want any of
her cotton. So ask marks force
Brazil to do that particular buying
in Germany.
The complication Of the problem
just produced by the United States
action in boosting the duties on Ger
man products is that the German
products which have been finding a
market in the United States must
obviously 60 elsewhere if Germany
is to continue getting the imports
which those particular exports have
been buying So she will be forced
to redouble her efforts to force them
on Latin America.
President Wants Pouer 10
Direct Our Foreign Policy
A real battle over the neutrality
legislation, with both the President
and the extreme isolationists want
ing to amend the present law in
highly conflicting ways, looms on
Capitol HILL
Der Tag still waits around the
corner. 1t didn't happen this time.