Evening star., 1947-02-07
6. 0. P. Leaders
Back Trade Act
With Proviisos
Vondenberg, MilIiken
Urge Five Changes
In Administration
By Gould Lincoln

Chairman Vandenberg of the
Senate Foreign Relations Com
mittee and Chairman Millikin of
the Senate Finance Committee,
in a joint statement today, lined
up against any legislation at this
session that would threaten this
Nations reciprocal trade pro-
gram, provided the President
adopts five recommendations for
procedure under the existing
Reciprocal Trade Agreements
Act.
The State Department already has
given sympathetic consideration to
these proposals
Members OF the House Ways and
Means Committee, however, have
been unsympathetic. They hold the
matter should be dealt with by
legislation and that the Vanden-
berg-Millikin proposals do not go
far enough.
Proponents See Fears Allayed.
The proposals, which the two Sem
ators said would afford improved
safeguards and would, without DAM
age to legitimate reciprocal trade
negotiations, allay many of the
fears" are as follows:
l. "The United States Tariff Com
mission to review all contemplated
tariff reductions and concessions in
all future trade agreements and to
make direct recommendations to the
President as to the point beyond
which reductions and concessions
can not be made without injury to
the domestic economy
2. Inclusion of the escape clause
in every trade agreement hereafter
entered into or renewed whereby the
United States, on the initiative OF
the President, can withdraw or
modify any tariff reduction or con-
cession if in practice it develops that
each such reduction or concession
has imperiled any affected domes-
tic interest.
3. 1.-The Tariff Commission to keep
closely and currently informed on
the operation of all our trade agree
ments and its own motion, or on the
request of the President, or of the
Congress, or of any agreed party, to
hold public hearings to determine
whether, in its opinion, any partic-
ular escape clause should be invoked,
and to recommend direct to the
President, withdrawal or modifica-
ton of any rate or concession which
imperils any affected domestic in
terest.
Public Inspection Provided.
4. Recommendations of Tariff
Commission to President for with
drawal or modification of rates
under operation of escape clause, to-
gether with any dissenting opinions
of members, and nonconfldential
supporting data, to be open to public
inspection.
5. Efficient procedures and pol
icieS to assure that nations which do
not make available to us their own
tariff reductions and concessions to
other nations shall not receive gen.
eralized benefits from us resulting
from the inclusion in our own trade
agreements of the unconditional
most favored nation clauses, except
at our option exercised in the public
interest"
The attitude of the two Senate
chairmen, who deal particularly
with foreign affairs and with the
revenue laws, including the tariff,
is that any fundamental changes in
the present law should properly be
made next year-if any are needed
when the Reciprocal Trade Act
must. be extended or allowed to die.
They hold that the President, by
executive order and under the au-
thority of the existing law, can
follow out the recommendations
which they have framed.
Is Invitations Cited.
They point out, moreover, that
under the Reciprocal Trade Act
which does not expire until June,
1948, the State Department has
invited 18 nations to bargain with
the United States in April for trade
agreements; that elaborate plans for
(See TRADE Pace A-41