Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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THE NEWBERRY SUN, NEWBERRY, S. C. Washington Digest, Reciprocal Trade Is Vital To Well-Being of the World By BAUKHAGE Netcs Analyst and Commentator WASHINGTON.—Despite the spirited battle over exten sion of the reciprocal trade agreement authority, nothing which even its best friends could hope to do about it would be defini tive, for everyone knew from the start that final action must be postponed until next year. Reciprocal trade agreements have been a definite part of our foreign trade policy for 14 years. If they were of any value in the past, they are of even more value now. But with an election a little more than four months off and congress trying to break a log jam of legislation, lengthy debate on the subject was impossible. Putting it backwards, the recip rocal trade agreement policy is this: If a country is prevented by a high tariff waU from seUing to us, it can’t get the dollars to buy from us. Or, if the country has borrowed money from us, it can’t get the dollars to pay us back. That’s what hap- pened after World War I, and the break down in foreign trade was one of the great factors in bringing on depression. But that isn’t the only thing that tariff walls do. They tend to force isolationism, extreme nationaUsm on a country and behind the tariff walls, as ex-Secretary of State Cor dell Hull used to say so often, grow the roots of war. Secretary of State Marshall stated that the Gearhart bill would destroy the substance of the reciprocal trade theory, a theory which is not only the cor nerstone of our general foreign trade poUcy, but the principle which we have insisted must be foUowed by nations participating In the European recovery pro gram. The secretary said that “only the shadow of the original act would be preserved in the substitute bill pro posed by Representative Gearhart, while its substance would be de stroyed.” And he added: “I think our national interests would be bet ter preserved to permit the trade agreements act to expire than to permit H.R. 6556 to be enacted.’’ He pointed out that any serious weakening of the trade agreements act at this critical period in world affairs would "almost certainly be regarded by other countries not only as a surrender of our leader ship in the international economic field, but as a repudiation of much that has been accomplished under our leadership In that field.” Presumably he meant this: When we agreed to the European recovery plan (E.C.A.), one ef the things we emphasised, demanded in fact, was that the countries re ceiving our aid would have to break down tariff barriers against each other and the rest of the world. We knew there couldn’t be economic recovery if there was not a free flow of world trade. Even before the E.C.A. was ever thought of—since 1934, as a matter of fact—by vigorously pursuing the reciprocal idea, by concluding re ciprocal trade treaties with so many countries (we have them with all but six or seven of the Marshall plan participants) we have encouraged the world to reduce tar iff walls. Thus it would hardly seem consistent suddenly to reverse ourselves and go back to the old days of high tariff economic isola tionism. The measure as the house pre sented it had another drawback in the eyes of Secretary Marshall and supporters of his point of view. The bill would force the President either to accept the recommendations of the federal tariff commission, on ad justments above or below a certain bracket or submit them to a con gressional veto. That sounds rea sonable in theory, but what it does is to smash absolutely the whole basis for reciprocal trade negotia tion. A nasty little joker in the meas ure stating that tariff commission recommendations must be made on the principle of protecting the spe cial interests concerned revealed the Intent of its framers. That pro vision would destroy the purpose of negotiation by removing trade agreements from the field of the “general good” and narrowing them down to a question of whether the particular industry is to be pro tected from competition. Thus, not only would international relations and conditions have to be ignored entirely, but broaS national inter ests as well. Secretary Marshall used strong words In criticizing this danse when he said: “The bill. In effect, makes pure protection the sole criterion for tariff action.” Very few groups outside of the big Industries which want to keep down foreign competition oppose the reciprocal trade program. The great majority of the chambers of commerce are for it. Earl Shreve, national president of the chamber ef commerce, has said that any “restrictions on or crippling of the trade agreements program would have very undesirable repercus sions. Discontinuance or impair ment would destroy consistency in United States policy and would undermine world confidence.” Former Republican presidential candidate Alfred E. Landon came out in favor of the three-year ex tension of the trade agreements act as urged by the administration. He said that failure to extend the act would be contrary to the Republican policy plank of 1944. Frequent public opinion polls have shown that the majority of the people favor trade treaties. In fact, persons who know what trade ireatles are vote better than eight to one to retain them. Tm no economic expert, but all I have ever read or heard about the old high protective tariff de bates, tfte experience under the Smoot-Hawley bill, the post-World War I debt repudiation and depres sion would seem to indicate that the high tariff idea should and would be dead as a dodo. If not, it means we spin the wheel backward to the grand old days of high tariffs which killed foreign trade, made it impossible for for eign countries to sell us goods and spend their money here, or to pay back the money they owed us — simply to protect certain private Interests. • • • This Convention Is Different As the Republicans swing into ac tion with the greatest hope they have had for electing a president since the fifth birthday of this year’s first voters, there are a num ber of striking contrasts to be noted between this convention in Phila delphia and former GOP conclaves. One big contrast is in the size of the audience which actually will behold the speakers as they step forward onto the rostrum. In 1940, some 10,000 people not actually in the hall witnessed the convention. Two television cameras mir rored the scenes to a fairly select audience, some of it composed of persons fortunate enough to share the hospitality of the Railroad club in the same building as the hail. There one could escape the sound and fury, the glare of the lights, the heat and aridity, and could snack and sip in a comfor table chair. This year in Philadelphia, the estimated television audience will be counted in the millions, for net works will carry the scene to view ers from Massachusetts to Cali fornia. Instead of two lonely cam eras, there will be the pooled equip ment and programming of the va rious nets. But there is a greater contrast in the Republican political situa tion than in the delegates’ physi cal surroundings between today and 1940. No one who witnessed the Willkie stampede can forget. It was just about as unorthodox a procedure as history records, for the candidate was chosen, not in the hall, nor in a smoke-filled room either, but out in the sticks. If this Is to be a “wireless” convention, the 1940 af fair was a convention “by wire.” A group of high-pressure ama teurs, who were no amateurs when it came to organized action, was putting pressure on the "big men” in every community, and the "big men” were getting to bosses or to the delegates direct by telegram and telephone. The Willkie ama teurs “stole” the show from the pro fessionals, and the professionals swore it never would happen again. It Isn’t happening this year. Another highly interesting con trast between conventions — this time between 1948 and 1944—is the hectic atmosphere of today as op posed to the comparative calm then. There was a “Dewey-has-it-in-the- bag” feeling back in Chicago four years ago which took the zip out of the Chicago air. Also the war over shadowed the conclave then. The National Republican (the party newspaper) started off its lead ar ticle on June 26, 1944: “With the invasion news commanding the at tention of the entire convention . . .” Another contrast between ’44 and ’48 is in the attitude toward foreign policy. Then it was the most delicate question which faced the platform committee. To day Senator Vandenberg has for eign policy wrapped up in a neat package signed with his name and sealed with his signet ring. That issue is no worry at aU. DEMO SONGSTRESS...Eighteen- year-old Phyllis Hoyland of Wash ington, D. C., has been selected to sing the Star Spangled Banner at the Democratic national convention in Philadelphia July 12. She is • soprano. AMBASSADOR . . . Newly appoint ed British ambassador to the U. S. is Sir Oliver Franks. A professor of philosophy, the 43-year-old Briton never has held a diplomatic post or political office before. NAVY NURSE . . . Ensign Yoshiko Tanigawa, a native of BossviUe, Calif., is the first and only nurse of Japanese ancestry to be commis sioned as a member of the U. S. navy nurse corps. She’s at work in the naval hospital at Long Beach. DEFIANCE . . . William Z. Foster, head of the U. S. Communist party, told the senate judiciary committee that the party would not obey the Mundt-Nixon “anti-Communist” bill if the measure becomes law. He also testified that American Com munists would not fight against Russia in the event of war. SCRIPT' WRITER ... Rene Borgia, author of allegedly “slanderous” scripts used on Voice of America broadcasts, told congress that ma terial for the disputed programs was taken from a WPA guide book and John Gunther’s “Inside U.S.A.” MONKEY SHINES . . . Three pickets, emulating the three fabulous' monkeys who "see no evil, hear no evil and speak no evil,” are shown in front of tie Republican national headquarters in Washington as they protested against the Mundt-Nixon anti-Communist bill. Whether they meant to apply the three monkeys symbolism to the anti-Red bill or to their own sentiments is not clear. Also, they aren’t lined up in the correct “see, hear, speak” order. Still, it wasn’t a bad stunt as stunts go these days. TO PLUMB THE UNIVERSE . . . With appropriately impressive cere monies the world’s largest mirror telescope received its dedication in the Palomar mountain, Calif., observatory. It was christened the Hale telescope in honor of the late Dr. George Ellery Hale, pioneering chair man of California Institute of Technology’s observatory council, who first envisioned the project 20 years ago. The 200-inch mirror can be seen at the upper right. LOW LEVEL AIR MAIL . . . Ever since the days of the pony express ingenious Americans have been looking for new ways to deliver mail. Here is one way. The 155-foot blimp “Wonder Ship” set a precedent by making a low level delivery of a mail pouch with contributions to the Greater New York fund. The mail was delivered at the seaplane base at 23rd street and East River in New York. The whole thing only goes to prove what can be done when a press agent sets his mind to it. PRISONERS OF WAR—AN OLD STORY . . . Despite talk of a truce and abortive peace negotiations, the war in Palestine continues its sullen course, producing deaths, destruction and prisoners as all wars do. These two members of the Jewish Haganah were captured by the Arabs after the battle of Kfar Etzyon, a strategic Jewish settlement outside Jerusalem. Arab reports say these were the only two prisoners taken. Republicans Vie for South C APITOL HILL IS TALKING about a move to adopt the re bellious southern Democrats in th# Republican party. The plan is to offer the G. O. P. vice-presidential nomination to a southerner, possibly Virginia’s Sen. Harry Byrd. The idea already has picked up some support among southern Dem ocrats and has been given a strong push by western Republicans. The Republicans are eager to carve up the “Solid South” while the time is ripe. One westerner, who has been Spurring the idea in the cloakrooms, is Utah’s Congressman William Dawson. He proposes a Vanden- berg-Byrd ticket, pointing out that the big Michigan Republican al ready has a reputation for biparti san cooperation while the conserva- | tive Byrd usually votes Republican anyhow. This ticket has the private en dorsement of an overwhelming number of southern Democrats who have asked that their names be kept secret until the merger plan gets off thin ice. Congressmen !rom Florida and North Carolina predict that Vandenberg and Byrd together could sweep their states three-to-one. Biggest southern fear is that the Republicans would shunt them aside after elections, just as hap pened after they helped elect Her bert Hoover In the row over A1 Smith. The mechanics of shifting from the Democratic to the Re publican party also is an obstacle in the way of southern congress men. Dawson has suggested that the Republican party could en dorse certain Democratic candi dates in the South this year; and that a system of cross-filing, as used in California, might be worked out in the future. Florida’s Congressman Dwight Rogers, one of the most active southerners behind the plan, ack nowledged the difficulties, but warned: “If we don’t get together on our own initiative, we are going to be pushed into ifc” Dawson also is harping on the theme of a southern-western alli ance. “The South and the West think alike on most issues,” he told a group of southerners. “There is no reason why we Should be divided up the way we are.” • • • Lobbyists Knife Veterans THE POWERFUL REAL- ESTATE LOBBY has missed no bets in its campaign to block low- cost, public housing for war vets and others. However, the lobby’s latest move, engineered by senate allies, is the shabbiest to date—cn effort to trade off senate approval of a bill to aid 2,200 paralyzed vet erans for another bill, supported by the lobby. The latter bill would provide lush government loan in surance for private home builders. The real-estate senators are not anxious to have their operations known, but here are the facts: At a recent closed-door meeting of the senate banking and currency committee. Sen. Charles Tobey of New Hampshire sought approval of a section of the Taft-EUender-Wag- ner bill providing housing aid for paraplegic veterans. These are the tragic cases of veterans wholly par alyzed below the waist. However, no sooner had the committee voted approval than the real - estate - lobby senators went into action. G. O. P. Sen. Harry Cain of Washington pro posed that “a lot of construction people” needed help. He also wanted to know if the housing bill was to be dismembered and passed in separate sections. Dem ocratic Sen. Willis Robertson of Virginia kept the ball rolling. “Now that we have agreed to the adoption of this section for vet erans’ aid, we ought to do the same with Title I of the bill,” observed Robertson. Title I is a sop to pri vate builders to offset low-cost pub lic housing provisions of the hous ing bill. It authorizes government guarantees up to 90 per cent on bank loans to private home build ers. “The section we just approved and the section you gentlemen would like to have approved are not on a par,” objected Tobey. However, Robertson continued to press for a vote, at which point able young Sen. John Sparkman of Alabama stepped into the fray. “I introduced a bill for the par aplegic vets last year and have tried to help them in every way possible,” declared Sparkman. “However, I have told my veteran constituents that I would not sup port action on independent sections of the T-E-W bill if it jeopardized ; approval of the entire bill, includ ing the public housing and slum- clearance features. Therefore he moved that the en tire housing bill be left Intact. The Sparkman motion carried by one vote, thus upsetting the plan to use aid to crippled veto as a bargaining point to win con cessions for private building in terests. AN OPEN LETTER Messrs. Stalin and Wallace Gents: The letter-and-statement-exchang- ing season is on and everybody is trying to get into the act. * Well, I have been going over once more those statements and letters of you two boys and I don’t know If I ever read two statements which could mean so much to a baffled world if they could be taken as the real McCoy or a reasonable facsi mile thereof. * I have yet to find a fellow who Is not for everything you both say you stand for. Every item you list as representing something you favor has been favored by nine out of 10 men ever since V-J Day. H anybody else but you, Joe, and you, Henry, wrote letters an nouncing a favorable stand on those same points they would not get In any paper in the world on account of they are old stuff. * In your letter, Henry and in your answering statement, Joe, you both came out for: 1. Co-operative efforts for peace. 2. Reduced armies. 3. Non-interference with the sov ereignty of another state. 4. Swifter peace with Germany. 5. An end to obstructionist tac tics. 6. Non-interference with the do mestic affairs of any state. • Who is the fellow who has been against these, Joe? TeU me who has been blocking, frustrating, sabotaging and monkey-wrench tossing whenever a conference on these aims opened up? Who has been walking out on and busting up meetings? Who was that guy who took over Czechoslovakia? (It didn’t look to me like Harry Truman or Georgie Marshall.) Who has been crashing into little countries right and left and telling them where they get off? (The Messrs. Dulles, Hull, Harrlman?) What is the name of that fellow who has been hurling the 200- pound veto? (It didn’t sound like “Byrnes.”) , * And that “century of peace” idea, Henry, what about that? If you had to point out somebody who maybe wasn’t red hot for a century of peace would you point to Uncle Sam? Don’t you know very well that there isn’t an American leader who wouldn’t settle for a half cen tury? So how come two fellows named Josef Stalin and Henry Wal lace put each other out in front as the only men warm for such a treat benefit to the human race? * Joe, you say "I do not know whether the United States govern ment approves of Mr. Wallace’s program as a basis for an agree ment between the United States and Russia.” Please, will you stop acting. The United States gov ernment has been approving of the program ever since the war ended, except for that matter of the atom bomb, and only you two boys see eye to eye on finagling Uncle Sam out of that one. * Well, anyhow the pen is mightier than the sword and it feels better, too. So keep on writing, as it can’t do much harm. Yours hopefully, Elmer Twitcheil. * • * PUBLIC ENVY NO. I A look of triumph lights his eyes And by his knowledge I am floored; For he got underneath those sheets ... And had a look at that new Ford! * • * Vanishing Americanism “Arabs armed with scimitars.” * “They had a little nest egg in the bank for emergencies.” * “Take all the time you need to pay.” * “My time is your time.” * • • A gang caught cracking a safe had gone directly to the job from a ball game. 'They were the fellows who had kept yelling “Steal, ya bum, steal!” * • * Babe Ruth will go to Yale dur ing commencement and present to it the original manuscript of his life story. This will amount to socking one over the old Yale fence. * • • We liked this recent observation by Arthur Krock: “In case of a deadlock the convention may come In a smoke-filled room. There is nothing wrong about it: How, ex cept by conference, can a decision be reached? And it is not yet a cardinal sin to use tobacco.” • • • “President Truman’s western tour will not be political.”—News item. * Wanna bet? FIRST AID to the AILING HOUSE m in by Roger C.Whitmaa QUESTION: How can I put a maple finish on an unpainted wood en table? ANSWER: First rub down the wood with fine sandpaper and steel wool until the surfaces are smooth and ’‘satin”-like; then wipe off the dust with turpentine. If you wish to have an orange maple color, you can get this effect by the applica tion of two coats of pure orange shellac. The first coat should be thinned half-and-half with denatur ed alcohol. 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