Evening star., 1954-05-23
The Heart Of the Program Waits


President Eisenhower is being politically
practical in his relatively orderly retreat" from
asking action by this Congress on his compre-
hensive foreign economic program. What he
describes as "the heart of the program
extension and revision Of the Reciprocal Trade
Agreements Act--is highly controversial issue,
SO much so that long delay and debate and per-
haps eventual defeat clearly have been in store
for it.
The Republican Party, historically COM
mitted to philosophy Of tariffs for protection,
has become divided, and deeply so, on this issue
in the past 20 years. So, too, has organized
labor, with most of the, big unions in mass pro-
duction industries favoring freer trade and the
smaller segments Of labor, more vulnerable to,
low-cost foreign competition, fearful and OPP
posed. The President, accepting in substance
the recommendations of the Randall Commis-
sion which made an exhaustive study of foreign
economic policy problems, asked Congress for a
three-year extension of the trade agreements
act with added authority to reduce certain tar
IFS. Two circumstances are primarily respon-
Sible for his request now that Congress simply
extend the present law for one year. One is
that Chairman Reed of the House Ways and
Means Committee, which has jurisdiction over
the legislation, disSented from the Randall
Commission report and Is generally opposed to
the lowering Of tariffs. Although bill embody-
ing the original administration program has
been introduced by Representative Kean, Re-
publican, Of New Jersey, Chairman Reed has
taken no step for its consideration by the COM
mittee. The other circumstance which has re-
duced chances for the broader legislative request
is the letdown in business and the increase in
unemployment.
An all-out push by the President might have
oIHckn nIn 6,,ks L. I,a,v@
meant long and hard fight, accompanied per-
haps by some damage to the Republican pros
poets in the congressional elections, this fall.
Even the simple one-year extension is likely to
arouse furry Of opposition, as 1t did last year,
but the administration leadership should be able
to gain that objective.
AS for the Presidents suggestion that the
Ways and Means Committee hold its extensive
and unhurried" hearings on the larger program
before the convening of Congress next January,
there is question of relative values. It will be
new Congress in January, perhaps under DEM
ocratic control, and 1t is unusual for commit
tee to accept the findings Of predecessor group.
Whether preliminary committee conclusions or
even the record of hearings would influence the
Ways and Means body of the next Congress is
problematic.
The old home town has ordered large signs
to be put up along the highway: "Radar Con-
trolled." The aldermen figure this either viii
or won't work Just about as well as actually
buying the radar equipment and is quite . bit
cheaper.
It's not the loss OF his golden curls or first
teeth that convinces the doting mother her
little boy is growing up. What does 1t is hearing
his third-grade contemporaries call him by his
last name-"Hey, Johnson"
Whenever somebody announces master
plan" to do something we're pretty sure 1t win
get done. but not IN our lifetime.