Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1939-12-25
Opponents Demand
Extensive Hearings
On Trade Treaties
Vondenberg Expects
All phases Of Dispute
To Be Investigated
BY the Associated Press

Opponents of the administration S
reciprocal trade treaties today de-
manded extensive hearings when
Congress is asked to approve legis-
lation renewing the program
Senator Vandenberg, Republican,
of Michigan said he expected all
phases of the trade treaty con-
troversy to be investigated thor
oughly by the Senate Finance Com
mittee. of which he is a member.
At the same time, proponents of
the program expressed the belief the
State Departments announcement
last week that it would not disturb
the excise tax on copper in a pend
ing agreement with Chile. had dis
solved some of the Senate opposi-
ton to continuance of the legisla-
ton.
One Senator, who asked to re-
main anonymous, said he thought
that a half dozen or more Der11e-,
Gratis who had intended to oppose
renewal of the law might now be
induced to go along" with the adj
ministration.
Margin Claimed Previously.
Previously. opponents had claimed
that from 80 to IS Democratic votes
would be cast against renewing the
wide powers given the Secretary of
State in the original 1888 legisla-
ton. This number. combined with
almost solid Republican opposition,
was regarded by them as enough
to defeat the measure, since afflrma-
tive approval by Congress is needed
to extend the law beyond next
June IL.
The Republicans, paced by Sena-
tors McNary of Oregon and Sena-
tors Vandenberg. have charged that
industry generally has benefited at
the expense of agriculture in the 81
treaties already negotiated.
Their contention that tariffs on
raw materials have been lowered,
permitting the importation of farm
products of which this country
already has surplus. has brought
denials from Secretary of State
Hull. Secretary Hull has asserted
that most increases in. agricultural
imports have been in non-com-
petitive products, citing figures to
show that domestic production has
taken up nearly 100 per cent of the
domestic market in most major
crops.
The trade treaties also have been
under fire by Senator Borah, Re-
publican, of Idaho who contends
that the law delegating tariff
making power to the Secretary of
State is unconstitutional.
Westerners Oppose Stand.
In taking this stand, he has
differed from some others, notably
Western Democrats. who have con-
tended that the trade agreements
really are international treaties
and as such should be approved by
two-thirds vote of the Senate.
This procedure has been sug-
ges-ed by Chairman Pittman of the
0C1ldUC TOlClSll 1tCldUlOllo SOlLllIl1I.
tee as a compromise in the impend-
ing fight over the trade program
Senator Pittman has been joined
in this proposal by Senators Adams,
Democrat, of Colorado, and O'Ma-
honey, Democrat, of Wyoming,
and others.
Administration leaders, however,
have indicated no willingness to
compromise. asserting that sending
the individual agreements to the
Senate for ratification merely would
mean resumption of the old system
of tariff making, with all the at
tendant log-rolling and pickering.
Neither have they been willing
to accept a compromise suggested
by the American Farm Bureau
Federation-that the Secretaries of
Agriculture and Commerce be en-
powered to join with the Secretary
of State in giving final approval to
treaties before they could become
onaro tive