Evening star., 1955-05-18
President
|0f Trade Bill
|RevisionsHit
By J. A. O'LEARY

1LcpTcSGIlIdtlfS Mills, bcIIlO-
crat, of Arkansas, charged today
President Eisenhower has "sur-
rendered to the protective tariff
wing of his party" by going along
with changes the Senate made in
his foreign trade bill.
Although this indicated some
Democrats are far from happy
over the Senate concessions,
House conferees are expected to
reach an early agreement on the
Senate version in conferences
which began this morning.
It will be difficult for advocates
Of more liberal trade policies to
hold out against a conference
agreement in view of the position
taken by the administration.
The first meeting of the con-
ferees today failed to produce
an agreement. They will meet
again tomorrow morning. but
final settlement Of differences
between the two Houses is not
expected before Friday.
1t is understood the conferees
did not get down to the mai.
controversy over the escape
clause today.
Chairman Byrd, Democrat, OF
Virginia this morning made pub
lie the text of the White House
letter, signed by Gerald D. Nor
gan. special counsel to the Presi-
dent acquiescing in all but one
of the Senate changes.
"Tll-Advised"
Mr.. Mills, a House conferee,
said the President was "ill-ad-
vised" in accepting most Of the
Senate amendments.
II am still disturbed about the
effects of these amendments,
and I believe any supporter of
more liberal trade in the free
world will find it difficult to ac-
cept them" said Mr.. Mills.
I'm my opinion, these amend
ments create a great deal more
pressure on the President than
under existing law to raise tar
ifs or impose quotas and with
draw concessions granted under
existing agreements"
An amendment by Senator
Morse, Democrat, of Oregon, in
tended to help producers of raw
materials to get relief from the
Tariff Commission when the
competing imports are finished
products, was the only Senate
change criticized in the White
House letter. Mr.. Morgan wrote
this amendment "goes to ex-
tremes, and would be impossi-
BILE to administer"
Modification Possible
''It would permit, for example,
manufacturers of nuts and bolts
to claim escape-clause relief on
account of the importation of
automobiles" the letter argued.
The amendment was intended,
however, to help growers of
cherries or other fruits to apply
for relief from competition in
volving imports of processed
fruits. Some effort may be made
by the conferees to modify this
amendment.
The more important Senate
changes, to which the White
House found no objection, would:
l. Protect articles covered by
the forthcoming Japanese trade
agreement from the danger of a
double tariff cut. first under the
old law, and again under this
bill.
2. Enable the President to
grant such relief as he deems
necessary if he finds that any
commodity is being imported in
such quantities as to impair
national security. This was a
compromise to overcome de-
mands of the oil, coal and other
mining industries for tariff or
quota protection.
8. Broaden the scope Of the
Tariff Commissions authority
to consider applications for re-
lief under the escape clause.
when American industries be-
lieve imports are threatening
serious injury. Under one part
of the amendment the commits
sion would no longer have to
find that the imports were the
sole source of the threat, but
could act if imports contributed
materially to the threat. 1t also
would allow the commission to
consider injury to one segment
Of an industry without finding
injury to the business as a whole.