Askov American., 1943-05-20

can be done through intimidation.
The Administration, working through
several national organizations, was
able to sell a considerable number
of our people on the idea that if the
Trade Agreements act were not re-
newed without dotting an "i' or
crossing a st" it would be regarded
as an unfriendly act that would
cause our Allies to view our war
effort with suspicion; also that it
might prolong the war. Of course,
these arguments are as silly as they
can be, but when people are at war,
it is easy to intimidate and frighten,
and that is especially true of Con-
gress.
There was no opposition to ex-
tending the life Of the act but rather
a desire to write into it several pro-
visions that should have been in
serted in the first place. For in
stance, we contended that Congress
should recapture its constitutional
right to pass on trade treaties to be
negotiated in the future, with the
proviso that the treaties would go
into effect automatically in 80 days
if Congress failed to act.
We also sought to provide that no
reductions should be made in the
duties on competitive foreign pro-
ducts which would result in their
entry into the domestic market at
prices which were less than the cost
of production Of similar domestic
products; also that no reduction
should be made on such products
when the domestic price of the COM
parable product is less than parity.
Several years ago the pottery in
dustry, which is largely centered in
the state of Ohio, was rapidly being
forced out of business by imports
from Japan. Governor Bricker of
that state, directed the Attorney
General to go into the Federal courts
for relief, only to find that the state
department had so skillfully worded
the act that court review was not
permissible The matter was carried
to the Supreme Court, which held
that it had no jurisdiction.
In our fight last week we tried to
write in provision to give states,
corporations and individuals the
right to go into court for relief where
they can prove they are being in
jured by rates fixed in trade treaties.
One and all of these amendments
were voted down about as fast as
they could be offered. All of these
amendments were offered at the re-
quest of farm and labor organiZa-
tions, and many industries.
1 don't suppose it will make much
difference so long as the war con-
tinues, as there isn't much civilian
commerce these days, but when the
war is over and the nations of the
world begin dumping their products
on the American market in order
to establish dollar credit, then we
will wish that we were on a pro-
tective rather than free trade basis,
as is now the case. Many of us re-
member what happened after the
last war and how it was necessary
to pass an emergency" tariff act
to keep the country from being
flooded with agricultural and indus
trial products that were being
dumped upon us without regard to
cost. Mark the prediction-it will
happen again.
In the meantime, those of us who
tried to protect the interests of the
American producer on farm and in
factory will continue to be called
"isolationists" by that small but well
financed group of internationalists
who would scrap our Constitution,
lower our flag and set up a super
world government, of which Amer
lea is to be mere state.