Evening star., 1945-05-27
Truman Upheld
AS Tariff Bill
Passes House
Final Vote 239-153:
Republicans Lose
Move to Recommit
(RoH-CaH Vote on Page A-16.)
BY ]. A. O'LEARY,

The Truman administration
won it's first major battle in Con-
gress last night when the House
passed the new Reciprocal Trade
Agreement Bill, authorizing low
er tariffs to promote foreign
commerce in the postwar era.
The vote on final passage was 23s
to 1853, but the partisan fight over
the tariff issue reached it's climax
when the Republicans failed, 212 to
18l, to send the measure back to
committee to eliminate the broader
rate-cutting authority it confers on
the President.
The bill, which now goes to the
Senate, extends for three more years
the trade agreement program in
augurated by former Secretary of
State Cordell Hull in 1884, but with
new power to cut import duties as
much as so per cent below the
January, 1945, rates. The present
law, which expires June IL, limits
reductions to so per cent of the
rates fixed by Congress in 1880 in
the Smoot- -Hawley Tariff Act.
1913 Schedule Possible.
The pending bill means that an.
other so per cent cut could be ap-
piled to any reductions already
made since 1884. Supporters of the
bill said that if the power is used
fully it would bring American tar
IFS down to the approximate level
of the Underwood schedules of 1913,
when Woodrow Wilson was Presi-
dent.
The House vote was being hailed
by supporters as victory also for
the principle of international CO.
operation in settling world prob
lens now being sought in the con-
ference at San Francisco.
The trade agreement fight is far
from over, however. The scene of
battle now moves into the Senate
Finance Committee, where hearings
may start Wednesday. Further ef-
forts to amend it are expected, in
cluding a fight to give Congress a
chance to vote specific agreements
before they take effect.
Grew Pleased with Result.
If Senate debate on the bill
should run beyond June II, it might
delay negotiation of new agree
ments, but would not affect the
status of the agreements hereto
fore made with % countries.
Acting Secretary of State Grew
last night commented that the
Houses action will hearten every
friend of international collabora-
ton. The power granted by the
legislation, wisely used, can greatly
promote prosperity in the United
States and throughout the world"
The late President Roosevelt rec
commended the broader tariff cut.
ting power shortly before his death.
and President Truman put himself
squarely behind it in last minute
appeal to the House. in which he
described it as of the first order
of Importance for the success of my
administration"
Rayburn Reads Letter.
Speaker Rayburn strode into the
we'll of the House, took the Truman
letter from his pocket and read it
to his colleagues few moments be-
fore the first test vote on the Re-
publican motion to strike out the
additional tariff cutting power. The
reading of the letter was tantamount
to making the vote a test of sup
port for the new President, espe-
cially on the Democratic side.
This preliminary Republican move
was beaten, 1877 to 174. on a count
by tellers. and later confirmed by the
roll call defeat of the motion to re-
commit. which involved the same
major issue.
On that decisive roll call, 13 DEM
ocrats crossed the party line to join
167 Republicans and l Progressive
in voting to reconmit. There were
u Republicans, however, and
American-Laborite who joined 2O4
Democrats to sustain the deeper
tariff cutting program
Mr.. Truman's letter to Speaker
Rayburn was dated May as, and
read:
MY dear Mr.. Speaker:
"Supplementing our conversation
yesterday, wish to repeat that I
regard the pending measure for the
renewal and strengthening of the
Trade Agreements Act as of the first
order of Importance for the success
of my administration.
Il assume there is no doubt that
the act will be renewed. The real
(See TRADE, Page A-l6.)
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