| Show w p p o oar g fr i ar Importance of World Trade Turns Spotlight a on Sec See Hull War Post b War Post Rebuilding of International Structure Structure Structure ture Will Get Consideration Before Armistice A ABy By BAUKHAGE News New s Analyst and Commentator Service Ser 1343 1313 H n Street NW Washington D. D C. C Hints to the effect that the President President President dent will wm make a discussion of postwar postwar postwar post post- war conditions a part of his forthcoming forthcoming forthcoming forth forth- coming message to the congress foreshadows the re-entry re on the diplomatic diplomatic dip dip- stage In Jn a prominent role of the figure of Secretary of State Cordell Hull In wartime diplomacy plays its part chiefly behind the scenes the scenes the brass hats have their day In public But there are now several indications that Secretary Hull is about to take the spotlight again in an old familiar role namely namely namely name name- ly as spokesman for the economic platform which he made a part of our foreign policy before the war ar To understand Secretary Hulls Hull's Importance today it is well to recall recall re re- re- re call caIl the words spoken to me not long ago by a very keen diplomatist Secretary Hull he said was probably chosen as secretary of state for four reasons One because of the Presidents President's political debt to him and because they were friends two because he had a diplomatic gift gilt three because there was vital need for liaison between the state department and congress and four because of Hulls Hull's deep knowledge of international trade relations Reason No 3 is more important than ever and although reason No 4 may have been a pure coincidence at the time it is turning out to be one of the most important factors Today reason No 4 is coming to the front There are those in inthe inthe inthe the administration who believe that America must play a vital part in inthe inthe inthe the building of the war post-war world If It freedom of enterprise is to be main- main tamed They realize too that unless unless unless un un- less conditions of peace are arc outlined before the armistice isolationist sentiment may break out again and force America back into extreme nationalism when the war is over as it did in 1918 Turning Point Toward Depression Americas America's withdrawal from world affairs in 1918 is considered by the people who believe in Hulls Hull's international inter international national trade policy as the turning point that led straight to the depression depression depression depres depres- sion of the twenties Then it was that America began building up her tariff walls which many economists i j I consider one of the causes of World War II Throughout this period the foreign war debts were festering America continued d to demand payment of those debts and at the same time to raise trade barriers that curtailed international commerce and thus made the debt payments impossible Then came the fhe New Deal and the Introduction of many measures some of which tended further toward nationalism Secretary Hull Hun who had b been en fighting an uphill fight tight for tor free trade relations without much success especially after the sabotaging sabotaging sabotaging sabo sabo- taging of the London Economic conference conference conference con con- ference in 1933 finally launched his reciprocal trade agreements plan Hulls Hull's progress was retarded for many natural reasons In the first place placeit it was too slow and tic tica a procedure to engage the Presidents President's Presidents President's Presidents President's dents dent's active support The President leans to the dramatic does not pretend pretend pretend pre pre- tend to understand fiscal matters In the second place the traditional state department attitude de was one of aristocratic disdain of all matters involving trade Lend Lease Policy Fitted Into Picture Then came that new and strange device the lend lease policy It was inaugurated first in the hope that we could fight the war in absentia by furnishing Britain the tools and secondly to avoid the recurrence of that painful phenomenon the war debts And then just when it Is not known or exactly bow Secretary Secretary Secretary Secre Secre- tary Hull was able to revive his policy of unhampered trade by introducing introducing in introducing in- in Article VII VH into the lend- lend lease agreements Briefly Article VII provides In In Inthe the final of the ben B Benefits to be provided b to the United States of America Americ by the Government Government Government Govern Govern- ment of in return for aid furnished under wider the Act of Congress of March 11 11 1941 1911 the terms and conditions thereof shall be such as s snot not to burden commerce between the two countries but to promote mutually advantageous economic re re- re- re lations between them and the betterment betterment better better- ment of world wide economic reIn reIn- To that end they shall include provision for agreed action by the United States of America andopen and open to participation by all other countries of like mind directed to the expansion by appropriate international international international inter inter- national and domestic measures o of production employment and the exchange exchange exchange ex ex- change and consumption of goods which are the material foundations of the liberty and welfare of all al peoples to the elimination of al all forms of discriminatory treatment in international commerce to the reduction reduction reduction re re- re- re of ot tariffs arms and other trade barriers and in general to the attainment attainment attainment at at- of economic objectives identical with those set forth in the Joint Declaration made on August Augus 14 14 1941 by the President of the United States of America and the Prime Minister of the United King King- domAt domAt dom At an early convenient date conversations conversations con con- shall be begun between the two governments with a view to determining In the light of governing governing governing gov gov- economic conditions the best bes means of attaining the stated above-stated objectives by their own agreed action action action ac ac- ac- ac tion and of seeking the agreed action action ac ac- ac- ac tion of other minded like govern govern- ments The chronology of Americas America's approach approach approach ap ap- ap- ap to a peace founded on the principles of free economic intercourse intercourse intercourse inter inter- course is Autumn of 1940 1910 The Atlantic Charter March 1941 19 Lend-Lease Lend law February 1942 Master Lend- Lend Lease agreement with Britain June 1942 Presidents President's clarification clan clari of Article VII Secretary Hull believes that a sound and equitable international economic policy must be laid down dOw before we can hope for tor international political stability He will be as he always has been the champion of ot that view That is the Internationalist view Washington's Second City The The Pentagon This aint a building this building this Is a city with a roof root over it that's what I calls It it This was the remark of my dusky dusky- skinned guide between bites of a aham aham aham ham sandwich which one of his colleagues colleagues colleagues col col- col- col leagues had offered him as we made our journey through the maze o of corridors in that amazing building the Pentagon in Washington which houses the war tear department It is a city for it houses no less than workers When they leave they begin at p p. p m. m one group after another every ten min min- utes Otherwise all the busses and cabs and private cars that jam the labyrinth of highways which cost cosi a mile to build would never be able to take care of them Recently I took a cab with an inexperienced inexperienced inexperienced in in- experienced driver driver- Im I'm afraid I took the hard way There were four policemen at the thedoor thedoor thedoor door and a huge receptionist desk I found my proper stall labeled Press and showed my pass to the girl She had never heard oJ of me or the Western Newspaper Union or the Blue Network and she spelled my name wrong three times However However However How How- ever I was eventually moved up to toa a waIting bench and finally a guide appeared and escorted me to the officer officer of of- fleer I wished to see We passed two beverage rooms on the way and as I was somewhat exhausted exhausted exhausted ex ex- hausted I dropped into one for a soft drink and a cigar It took me 30 minutes from the time I got cot in the building to the time I reached my destination and some of the people there told me they had already been waiting longer long long- er than that The officer whom I was visiting had an inside office He told me that if the lights ever went out they would be in pitch blackness at noon for of course there were no win win- dows I asked what w would happen if ii the ventilating system broke down He said he had not thought of that I had had and and I imagine the air would get pretty bad before very many minutes if the air conditioner ceased to work This huge institution is only a fraction fraction traction frac trac- tion of the expansion of Washington which has bas been caused by the war but It is a concrete symbol of th the tremendous clerical effort required to beat the Axis |
