Evening star., 1943-04-14
Trading on Wide Basis
Essential After War,
Sayre Asserts
Tells House Committee
IF Goods Cont Cross
Frontiers Armies Will
By the Associated Press.

sold congress To-Day Jhe WOrlu OF
the future must exchange its
goods on a broad trading basis
because "if goods can't cross ma
tional frontiers, armies will"
Mr.. Sayre, high commissioner to
the Philippines when the islands fell
to the Japanese. testified before the
House Ways and Means Committee
In behalf of the administrations re-
quest for renewal of reciprocal trade
agreements with 27 nations. The
agreements expire in June.
"In spite of all his efforts, Hitler
could not make Germany self
sufficient" Mr.. Sayre asserted. He
was forced to cry out Germany must
export or die"
Replying to criticism OF some Re-
publican committee members that
the trade policy with it's lower tariffs
hurt American industry and agricul-
ture, Mr.. Sayre declared that the
embargo policy is and always will be
injurious to labor for it destroys
markets. The practical way to OBJ
tain increased markets is to widen
the field of trades both at home and
abroad"
Four Steps Advocated.
Mr.. Sayre said, ''one thing is sure
1t is utterly impossible to build in
ternational cooperation upon eco
nomic isolation"
Warning that international secur-
tty was involved, Mr.. Sayre told the
committee that these steps must be
taken:
/. Development of effective methods
for organized international co-opera-
ton and for making political ad-
justments without resort to violence
2. Finding a practicable way to
reduce and control ornaments.
g. Creation of an organization to
enforce peace with some form of an
international court of justice.
4. Making of sound arrangements
for stabilizing currencies.
"An of these, however, are not
enough he declared, adding that
security also depends upon in
creased freedom in foreign trade"
If some nations are denied access
to necessary raw materials and mar
kets they will feel forced to fight, ~
he said. asserting that lowered trade
barriers and freedom from trade
determinations are essential parts
of the only foundation upon which
lasting peace can be built"
Barriers Held Overcome.
The Roosevelt trade treaty
policy, he said, has overcome such
barriers and determinations.
Further indications of Republican
support for renewal of the foreign
trade program-provided Congress is
given a check rein-came today from,
high-ranking minority member ol
the Ways and Means Committee.
Representative Woodruff, Repub-
lican. of Michigan said that despite
criticism of the program by some of
his colleagues, he believed Congress
would approve three-year extern
sion if the House and Senate are
given the right to nullify any agree
ments negotiated by the President.
I'VE ought to have the right to
go into any of the trade agreements
now in effect and all future agree
ments,' the Michigan legislator said.
'If this would be agreeable to the
State Department. I see no reason
why the program would not be
approved"
Senate OK Expected.
Such a compromise, it is under
stood, was advanced in the Senate
where Republicans were said to be
ready to go along on that basis.
The hearings on the reciprocal
agreements developed a tide of Re-
publican opposition that has boiled
down to the familiar argument of
high tariffs versus low tariffs.
The broad policy gives the State
Department authority to lower tar
ifs. Republican members of the
committee protested that this
worked to the detriment of the
American producer, notably the
farmer. Their statements were dis
puted successfully by Secretary of
State Hull, Secretary of Commerce
Jones, Secretary of Agriculture
Wickard and Nelson Rockefeller, CO.
ordinator of Inter American Affairs.
Criticism was leveled at Mr..
Wickard yesterday by Representa-
tive Gearhart, Republican of Cali
fornia, who said State Department
diplomats administer the foreign
trade policy like politicians" and
had in the past "encircled Ger
many" with commercial agreements.
Seen As Cause of War.
who can say" Mr.. Gearhart
thundered, whether the misuse of
the trade agreements law did not in
fact cause this war?'
Mr., Wickard retorted that Ger
many set out on the war before the
trade agreements had any effect
The reciprocal trade agreement
program was begun in 1884 and has
twice been renewed.
Mr.. Wickard said the American
farm people want to do everything
possible to promote full unity among
the United Nations and are against
any return to iSolationism
Any policy excluding trade agree
ments would make it very difficult
for the American farmer to get along
in the postwar world, the Secretary
testified american agriculture can
not afford to have the Nation drawn
into its shell"
Jones, Rockefeller Quizzed.
Minority members of the commit
tee also intensively quizzed Mr..
Jones and Mr.: Rockefeller. The
tenor of most of their remarks was
summed up by Representative Jen-
kins. Republican, of Ohio, who said
I'm getting little fed up with
all this good fellowship stuff"
That attitude, Mr.. Rockefeller
responded. is dangerous.
In turn, Representatives Reed. Re-
publican. of New York; Carlson,
Republican. of Kansas, and jenkins
criticized the trade agreements
despite Mr.. Jones plea that they are
needed to assure the world of the
United States postwar attitude. and
Mr. Rockefeller's assertion that the
policy is largely responsible for
solidarity in this hemisphere.
Mr. CarlSon oSke6 Mr. 1orpS IL