Evening star., 1951-07-19

of our treaties and agreements with
several of these countries, Congress
did not make the change effective
Immediately but directed the
President to take action "as soon
as practicable"
Avoided Violation.
Congress wanted to change our
policy of giving trade benefits to
Communists areas, but did not
want to violate our existing treaties
and agreements. This strict OBJ
servance of international obliga-
Itions conforms to our long -estab-
lished policy.
The State Department has no.
titled Russia and several satellites
of termination of our most-favored
nation obligations, effective at
various dates in accordance with
the provisions for denunciation of
the various treaties and agree
ments. However, no action has
been taken vis-a-vis Czechoslo-
Ivakia, presumably because the
General Agreement (Which con-
tains more than two dozen men,
bers including Czechosloyakiaj has
no explicit provision for expe:lina
a member country.
GAIT does contain provisions
for voluntary resignation, so tina,
one possible way out of our obi.
igation to the Czechs would be fol
us to get out of the whole agree.
ment. But the administration
would regard that as too-strons
medicine, because GAIT now |.
the main stem Of the foreign trade.
! agreements program and the ad
ninistration is strongly committed
% continuation of that program.
/ Accordingly, the State Depart.
Iment can be depended on to ex.
,|plore other possibilities for carry.
ling out the will Of Congress. While
we are awaiting the Department.
decision, little Of the background
might be Of interest.
! OF course. the attractiveness oi
the United States market fol
Czech exports is likely to decline
somewhat If other friendly ma
Itions join us Fundamentally II
cutting off exports of military po-
ftentials to iron-curtain countries
Nevertheless. all the dollars earned
by Czech exports will still be
welcome to the Kremlin. not only
for obtaining civilian goods but
also for the more important pro-
ljects Of propaganda and foment.
ling discord In the free world.
4 Two Agreements Negotiated.
l The United States has negoti'
lated two trade agreements with
lCzechoslovakia, the first in 1893,
! and the second in 1947. Withou
intending criticism Of the Stat
Department, both seem. in retro
lspect, to have been ill-timed from
the point OF view Of the million
|of Americans who have worked
prayed and hoped for Czech free
dom. Each agreement was follow
ed, within a year, by suppression
Iof that freedom by the Nazis il
1889 and by the Communists II
11948.
II The writer does not believe tina
3Ieither agreement contributed t,
/ the death of the democracy il
q Czechoslovakia. Nor did eithe
agreement retard the conquest
But the coincidence of event
might make it seem thai a trad
agreement With the United State
( lis a particularly lethal type Q
poison for a Czech.
81 The 1888 agreement was bi
lateral-that Is, the only partie
to the agreement were Czecho
slovakia and the United States
However, under our establishe,
policy all the duty reductions mad
by the United States were ex
tended to the goods of other coun
tries, except Germany and Aus
tralia. These are the only tw
4 countries that have been black
I listed by the President under tn
trade-agreements program to dat
because of determinations on ou
: trade. (Both are now back in ou
e good grace and get all trade
y agreement benefits that are ap
n Iplicable to the goods they shi
n lus.)
In the 1888 agreement we re
It Educed our tariffs on most of th
n goods the Czechs shipped us an
agreed not to increase already
IS favorable tariffs on other good
e In return, the czechs made con
S lcessions on our exports, reducin
"a 81 - IA