Evening star., 1940-01-07
Argentine Trade
Pact Breakdown
Hailed by Critics
rs Republicans Claim
Vindicotion of Stond:
Democrats Reply
BACKGROUND

One of major policies OF this
administration has been negottd-
tion of reciprocal trade treaties
nith foreign nations, designed,
through mutual concessions, to
beat doDn tariff barriers and
facilitate interchange of goods.
In recent weeks, this program
has come under fire, not only By
Republicans, but also by Demo-
crats-pr,ncipaly from the West
ern States-i0ho hare charged
that it 1D1s hurting American in
dustry and agriculture.
BY the Associated Press.
Twenty-Five Republican Repre-
sentatives joined last night in a
statement describing the suspension
of negotiations for a trade treaty
with Argentina as an administra-
ton admission that critics OF the
proposed agreement had made out
a clear case.
Democrats, individually, replied
quickly that it was proof that the
administration vas determined to
safeguard the interests of American
farmers and industry when negoti-
ating agreements.
The Republican statement, issued
through the party's national COM
mittee, said that there was no assur-
ance that the negotiations would
not be resumed if the reciprocal
trade agreement act was re-enacted
in it's present form.
"The only guarantee against such
an event." the statement continued,
lis amendment of the Trade Agree
ment Act to provide that all such
agreements either must be ratified
by the Senate like all other treaties.
or confirmed by the House and
Senate"
Barkley Expresses View.
On the Democratic side. Senate
Majority Leader Barkley said the
suspension of negotiations Should
convince the American people and
the opponents of the trade agree
ments program that Secretary Hull
and the President are seeking to
conserve the interests of the Amer
lean people"
A similar expression came from
Senator Murray, Democrat of Mon
tana, who generally has supported
the trade program, but upheld argu-
wants ky, yIJocfnrv, IHync%~nlx {v,tA fe
against the Argentine treaty.
A forerunner of the arguments
expected when Congress begins q
momentous battle over the ques-
ton of renewing the Trade Act, the
Republican-Democra exchange
came at the close of q day marked
by these other developments on the
subject:
l. Release by the State Depart
ment of a review of Canadian
American trade under the pact with
that country. 1t said that Cana
dian imports of American products
on which the duty was reduced by
the agreement averaged 582 per
cent higher during the three-year
period 1868 than in 1885, the pre-
agreement year, while Canadian i'm
ports of goods on which no tariff
reductions we're granted averaged
only 221 per cent higher.
Grange Applauds Suspension.
2. The National Grange said in a
statement that the suspension of
negotiations was welcome news in
deed to agricultural producer" and
must be regarded as move to get
rid of back-breaking liability that
the administration simply could not
afford to carry into the fight (for
renewal of the act."
g. Charles Holman, secretary Of
the National Cooperative Milk
Producers Federation, said in
statement that the suspension of
negotiations may be a red herring
laid across the path" of those who
opposed the trade program.
The administrations fight for
renewal of the trade law now sched-
uled to expire June IL, will begin