Evening star., 1940-04-04
By ]. A. OLEARY,

BY J. A. OLEARY.
For the second time in week,
administration forces today defeated
a major attack on the reciprocal
trade agreement program, beating
the O'Mahoney amendment to re-
quire future trade pacts to be ap-
proved by a majority vote of the
House and Senate. The vote was
A to 80.
The roll call showed supporters of
the program in stronger position
than when they blocked the Pittman
amendment last week, "A to Il.
That amendment would have classed
trade agreements as treaties, requir-
ing ratification by two-thirds vote
of the Senate.
After todays victory, friends Of
the program were confident OF
passing late this evening or tomor-
row the resolution continuing for
three years the authority of the
President and Secretary Of State
to enter into further agreements to
stimulate American foreign com.
merce by mutual concessions with
other nations. Under the original
act there are ~ agreements now In
effect.
Opposed by Coalition.
AS In the case of the Pittman
amendment, the alternative plan of
Senator OMahonev, Democrat, of
Wyoming was supported by a coali-
ton Of Republicans and Western
Democrats.
Just before the vote Senator
Brown, Democrat, OF Michigan re-
vealed he has been quietly endeav-
oring to induce the administration
to agree to some compromise that
would meet the opposition of the
Is or II" Western Democrats op-
posed to continuation of the ad-
ministration's present authority
without restriction. He said, how
ever. he had not been successful
and had reached the conclusion the
OMahoney amendment would create
practical difficulties in seeking to
carry on the program. For tnat
reason, he said, he had decided to
oppose it.
Senator Brown was 4 White House
visitor earlier today.
President Has Power.
AZ the law now stands, and as
the pending resolution would con-
ttnue 1t, the President and Secre-
tary Of State Hull are empowered
to negotiate and put trade agree
ments into effect without submis-
sion to Congress.
In the debate late yesterday Sem
ator Walsh urged Senators who have
been willing to delegate this author
lty to President Roosevelt and Mr..
Hull to remember that they do not
know who will be in the White
House after next January. He ar
gued, therefore. that the trade
agreement power is to be delegated
for q period Of two years and six
months to an unknown executive.
Answering the Walsh speech, Sen
ator Clark, Democrat, OF Missouri,
declared that those who favor the
trade agreement program in prin-
ciple and at the same time sup
port the OMahoney amendment
ARE trying to ride two horses going
IN opposite directions.
Sees Notification Resulting.
To require majority approval Of
both houses would nullify the trade
agreement program as effectively
as would the Pittman amendment,
Senator Clark argued.
Whenever trade agreement was
submitted to the House and Senate
for ratification, the Missourian con-
tinued, 1T would degenerate into a
general tariff bill, with all the old
log-roll4ng methods"
Senator O'Mahoney spoke at length
in support of his amendment earlier
in the day. He declared that even If
the day. He declared that even If
the members Of this Congress are
willing to delegate the authority to
the President, they should not dele
gate it for the men who may sue
ceed them following this years elec-
tions.
Senator OMahoney raised a ques-
ton as to Europe,s capacity to buy
American goods after the present
war Is over, and suggested that this
country's task should be to build up
q home market for American goods.
The bituminous coal industry has
twofold interest in the develop
ment of foreign trade through the
reciprocal trade agreements pro-
gram, Secretary of State Hull in
formed Representative Randolph,
Democrat, of West Virginia today.
In letter to Mr.. Randolph the
Secretary pointed out that the coal
industry received benefits from in
creased exports under the program
and even greater indirect benefits
from improved business generally
which stimulated use of coal in do
mestic industries.
He added that the coal indus
try has no real cause for con-
cern" about concessions made on
importation Of crude oil from Vene-
zuela.
Boating and Fishing