| Show C THE DAILY V WASHINGTON Ill I'll Round Merry G R d err y 0 0 11 n Trade do Mark MarkBy MarkBy By Cy DREW PEARSON and ROBERT ALLEN WASHINGTON Probably WASHINGTON Probably no legislation Inthe in inthe th the mass of revolutionary bills passed during the last session was more unprecedented than that of giving iving the president power to negotiate ate tariff treaties without ratification by congress con con- gress These treaties were to be bo pushed through immediately in order to cope with throat cut-throat competition from other nations It was an I emergency y situation and a glowing p picture was painted 1 of f the results to be accomplished during during dur dur- ing mg the summer The summer is now nearly over Almost three months have elapsed since the heralded tariff bill was passed During that period only one treaty with Cuba has been signed under the new bill The Cuban treaty was begun one year ago was almost completed before congress congress congress con con- gress voted emergency tariff powers Tariff Stagnation The status of or the reciprocity situation briefly briefly brief brief- ly is this Francis Say Sayre re assistant secretary of or state in charge of tariff negotiations is in Europe on vacation has been there most of the sum sum- mer Dr Herbert Fels economic adviser of the state department also in Europe on vacation has been there most of the summer An elaborate machine for the negotiation of tariff treaties has hns been created but appears too to function M More re than a dozen countries have sent their representatives to the state Spain department Spain Brazil Mexico Chile Bolivia Peru Portugal Sweden Norway Italy Argentina to to ask for reciprocity treaties without result The United States they were told was not ready The Spanish ambassador Don Luis Calderon Calderon Calderon Cal- Cal deron was appointed to Washington because of his expert commercial knowledge He has called upon Secretary Hull many times He has offered him a reduction of Spanish tariff rates rates on on American automobiles machinery cotton cotton cotton cot cot- ton sausage casings fertilizer and certain kinds of tobacco provided the United States would lower its duties on Spanish wines and cert certain in fruits Mr Hull HuH was polite but evasive Stagnation Stagnation Stagnation Stag Stag- nation has been almost complete Stagnation Reasons Reasons for this arc are threefold There is a split within the administration on tariff matters mat mat- There is no driving force within the state department to whip tariff treaties into shape In some cases it is feared that tariff treaties negotiated during a con congressional election may react against the administration in November This This' is definitely the case with Ar Argentina entina Its commodities are a agricultural would compete compete com corn pete with farm belt and an Argentine Argentine Argentine Argen Argen- tine treaty is considered political dynamite at present But with most countries the issue goes far deeper It results in part from long- long smoldering feuds within the new deal One feud is between Professor ProCessor Moley and Cordell Hull HuH Another is between Hull and George Peek Moley is bitterly opposed to tariff reciprocity reciprocity reciprocity city partly p as a matter of principle partly be because because because be- be cause of his antipathy for Cordell Hull Moreover Moreover Moreover More More- over over- Moley still has power within the admin admin- He has vigorously attacked r reciprocity cipro city in his magazine Today His ex-assistant ex Arthur Mullen Jr son of Nebraska's ex- ex national committeeman is in the Import-Export Import bank Mullen is assistant to George Peek Another Another An An- other assistant is lis John L. L Coulter former high tariff member of the tariff commission Peek also is skeptical regarding reciprocity treaties At one time he was for them But ever ver since Cordell Hull Hun pulled tariff negotiations out of Peeks Peek's hands he has lias been skeptical From the Import-Export Import bank therefore has come strenuous though covert obstruction tion The bank even tried to hold up the Cuban treaty at atthe atthe atthe the last moment because Cuba had defaulted on n loans to the Chase National bank Tariff treaties were one of Secretary Hulls Hull's lifes life's ambition But he is a gentle gentIe soul Also he is sometimes not allo altogether ether aware of what is 75 going on in his o own n department So until Mr Hull gets his dander up or until the tariff tar tar- iff split in the administration heals the much- much Vaunted tariff treaties hailed as one of the thc greatest steps of the new deal will win have to suf fer ministrations from the congealed and lifeless life lile less hands of career carcer diplomacy Feature 1934 1034 United Feature Brn Syndicate te Inc |
