Evening star., 1948-05-17
Republicans and Trade

Acting as a solid bloc along strict party
lines, the Republican majority of the House
Ways and Means Committee has rejected
the Presidents request for a three-year
extension of the Reciprocal Trade Agree
ments Act. 1t has voted, instead, to renew
1t for only a year. In addition, it has
written in restrictions that would give
Congress the power to veto future reci-
procity pacts not approved by reconsti-
tuted and Independent Federal Tariff
Commission.
To describe these proposed changes as
complete undermining of the fourteen
year-old reciprocal trade program would
not be accurate. If adopted however they
most certainly would weaken that program
and place a confidence shaking question
mark over its future In spirit, they lean
backward toward the days of high protec-
tionism when our tariff making was largely
a chaotic, irresponsible and essentially
dangerous business of selfish logrolling
in Congress. To put them into effect
would be to give the rest Of the world good
reason to suspect the United States of
trending back to policy of economic
isolationism.
This is suspicion we cannot afford to
let hang over us. For years now we have
been trying, with considerable success, to
preach the doctrine OF reciprocal trade as
something essential to the development
of sound peace and a healthy world
economy. Since the end OF the war-at
places like Geneva and Havana-we have
prevailed upon great number OF other
nations to join with us in applying that
doctrine to promote freer flow of inter-
national commerce on a mutually bene-
ficial basis Of quid-pro-quo concessions
concessions aimed at lowering or elimi-
mating the kind of tariff walls that breed
friction and economic depression among
nations. Above all, under the European
Recovery Program, we have made 1t one
of the conditions Of our aid that the
participating countries must put the reci-
procity principle actively to work among
themselves.
Considered against such a background,
the vote in the House Ways and Means
Committee strongly suggests that the Re-
publicans are in mood to exempt the
United States from practicing the very
thing it has been preaching to the rest Of
the world. 1t suggests, too, that they are
inclined to give too little weight to the
fact that our reciprocity program is an
important part of our foreign policy in
the sense that it is key economic support
to the political aspects of that policy.
Finally, it suggests that they are indif-
ferent to this long-range reality: That
trade is two-way proposition and that
unless countries abroad can sell to US they
cannot acquire the dollars they must have
to buy from us-a deficiency that will lead
to factory shutdowrs And large-scale
unemployment I'm America II ever We
revert to Observation-Disclosures - Jy}sss
1t is for reasons of this sort that the
polls have shown great national ma
jority, regardless Of political affiliations,
in favor o. the reciprocal trade program.
Most Republicans An, Congress, however,
seem decidedly hostile to the Idea. If they
are not, then why have they begun to
nibble away at it In the House? As a
party hoping to win the presidency they
ought to make their answer unmistakably
clear, defining precisely where they stand
on the issue of economic isolationism.
The American people have a right to know
in this crucial election year.
The man who doesn't live for himself
alone will plan the garden to include a
row or two of giving away vegetables he
wouldn't eat on bet