The potters herald. [volume] (East Liverpool, Ohio) 1899-1982, 1940-02-15

Not alone is the Buying Power of
our nation greater than that of any
other nation, but no nation in the
world has such an attractive market
for it's own products. All the more
reason why American businessmen
and statesmen should think twice be-
fore indulging in day dreams Of con-
quering other markets. The biggest
fish are to be caught right here in our
own stream of commerce.
Anything that displaces and COM
petes with that which we PRODUCE
ourselves, whether it be the products
of our farms or factories, curtails en-
ployment; reduces our own BUYING
POWER; lessons CONSUMPTION; ;
and eventually curtails PRODUC-
TION, which is the very life of Am
erican BUSINESS.
Early Americans fought and died
to make our country independent. We
Americans of the present day and
age must do all in our power to keep
it so. When Congress delegates to
the State Department the authority
vested in it by the Constitution to ne
gotiate these so-called reciprocal trade
agreements, it violated this funda-
mental American principle. The State
Department is the last place in the
world wherein the responsibility of
negotiating and consummating these
so-called reciprocal trade treaties
should be placed.
If the matter of negotiating these
Reciprocal Treaties had been left in
the hands of the Department of Com
merce; the Tariff Commission; or at
least in the Treasury Department
which for the past one hundred and
sixty years has administered the
tariff, we might have had some semb-
lance of scientific administration of
this important question.
Many well-versed tariff experts
feel that the State Department Off
cials, to whom the Congress has alb
dicated and surrendered it's constitu-
tional control with regard to the
tariff, have about as much funda-
mental knowledge and experience in
the intricacies of Tariff Administra-
ton and its effect on our economic
life as the average grammar school
student.
Nine out of every ten State Depart
ment officials abroad, whether they
be Ambassadors, Ministers Plenipo-
tentiary or Consular Officers succumb,
more or less, to some degree to the
wishes of the Foreign Office in the
country to which they are accredited.
AS result of this we have in our
State Department here opinions that
are half-international and half-Amer-
lean. There are rumors that these
so-called' Reciprocal Trade Treaty ne
gotiations are greatly influenced by
the opinions of our accredited officers
abroad and that some Of them are as
pliable as puppets in the hands of the
willy, slick and suave foreign diplo-
mats in the countries wherein they
serve.
The officials Of the State Depart
ment in the foreign field are wined
and dined to the Queens taste with
view of matchmaking them with the
local foreign viewpoint on all matters
of state economics and international
affairs, and of course the question of
tariffs. AS result of this we have
State Department that is distinctly
Observation-Disclosures. 1t is not PRO
AMERICAN. Visualize, if you please,
this vast bureaucracy with it's lines
of communication extending to every
nook and corner of the world, Liaison
Officers in every word capitol-other
lines of communication leading out
from these capitols or general head
quarters to every important point in
each nation through the State Depart
ment's Consular Service.
All this throws some light as to
why some of our State Department
officials go off haIf-cocked and make
fantastic and absurd statements re-
garding the economic value of these
so-called Reciprocal Trade Agree
ments. One of these absurd state
ments was made by Mr.. Henry F.
Grady before the National Foreign
Trade Convention in New York City
in October of last year. At that time
Mr.. Grady stated:
Excessive protectionism is i'm
posed upon the country by inter
ests whose efforts to obtain special
privileges, in their disregard for
the general economic well-being,
threaten the very foundation of
our democracy"
If the above statement had been
made by soap box orator in Colum-
bus Circle, it would have been passed
up as being just so much "buncombe." ;"
But, when it emanates from respon
sible government official of the State
Department in Washington and is
given wide publicity in the daily press
of the nation, then we question the
motive behind this most strange pro-
nouncement.
| seriously doubt if Mr. Grady him
self can clarity his statement or give
any sane explanation for making
same His statement surely comes
with poor grace when during the same
week his Committee heard representa-