Evening star., 1940-01-29
Business Presents
Conflicting Views
On Trade Treaties
Spokesman Disagree
At House Hearing
On Extension of Pucts

BY the Associated Press.
Organized business presented con-
flicting views to Congress today on
whether continuation of the admin
istration's reciprocal trade treaty
program was a wise and safe policy
in view of the European war.
Urging extension of the program
beyond its present June IL ex-
piration date, Eugene p Thomas,
president of the National Foreign
Trade Council, told the House Ways
and Means Committee that the only
alternative was a defeatist and un-
economic isolation policy.
Howard I. Young. chairman of the
Tariff Committee of the National
Association of Manufacturers,
pleaded against continuing the
Trade Agreements Act in its present
form. AS safeguards against the
chaotic future" in prospect as q
result of the war, he said, Congress
should require that the trade pacts
be subject to Senate ratification or
rejection.
The Ways and Means Committee
is considering Secretary Hulls re-
quest for a three-year extension of
authority to enter into the recipro-
cal trade agreement without Senate
action.
Tells Of Increased Exports.
Mr.. Thomas, who said he repre-
sented manufacturers, merchants,
exporters and importers. railroad
and steamship men, bankers, insur-
ance underwriters and others, testi-
fed that during the first three
years of the program exports to
trade agreement countries showed
an increase of 81 per cent while
those to non-agreement countries
showed an increase of SO per cent.
1T is too great strain on human
credulity to be told that the favor
able results shown by the opera
tions of the act-as in the case
practically of all existing agreements
are a mere coincidence" he con-
tinued.
Mr.. Young, informing the COM
mittee of views adopted by some
1000 manufacturers at the Congress
of American Industry in New York
City last December, testified:
"At this moment the life of man.
kind is confronted with a chaos Of
war and wreck of nations. The
issue, therefore, is: Whether facing
an unpredictable future it is wise
to continue the negotiation Of the
most solemn international contracts,
profoundly affecting our domestic
economy, without at least providing
that protective security that can be
found only by referring to the
Senate of the United States pro-
posals which may be negotiated"
AS the committee met today, men,
bers said they hope to finish the
hearings this week.
Asserting that Cordell Hull once
took the position that broadening
of presidential tariff making powers
was Undoubtedly unconstitutional" !"
Representative Woodruff, Republi-
can, of Michigan, called on the Sec
retary of State yesterday to recon-
clle that stand with his present con-
tention that the Trade Agreements
Act is constitutional.
Woodruff Publishes Letter.
Mr.. Woodruff made public a letter
addressed to Secretary Hull in which
he said the Secretarys current opin-
ions were so utterly at variance"
with those Mr.. Hull expressed while
a member of Congress that he was
sure "the public would be glad to
have you explain the discrepancy"
Mr.. Hull formerly served as Demo-
cratic Senator and Representative
from Tennessee.
AS a witness before the committee
on a pending resolution to extend
the Trade Agreements Act for three
years, Secretary Hull opposed a pro-
posal, favored by many Republicans,
that future trade treaties be ratified
by the Senate.
Mr.. Woodruff contended the Trade
Act confers extraordinary" powers
on the President.