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Show 1 - : ' ' . " FOES OF PACT fEXTEH$IOH$Air VICTORY SURE Westerners Band for Battle to Defeat-Program Defeat-Program WASHINGTON, Dec. 13 (AP) Extension of the reciprocal recip-rocal trade program advocated by President Roosevelt was shaping up today as one of the biggest issues for the 1940 congress. con-gress. Shortly after the chief executive ' told reporters late yesterday that he would ask for renewal of the reciprocal trade act, which expires June 12, Senate Minority- Leader McNary (R., Ore.) predicted its overwhelming defeat. "A great many Democrats and practically all Republicans will oppose op-pose the extension," said McNary. "At the present time, I am satisfied satis-fied that there is a substantial ma- jority la th senate against the program." Senator Johnson (D, Colo.), Informed In-formed of the president's announcement, an-nouncement, commented: "We'll be ready for that, I hope." Westerners Pretest Johnson Is one of several westerners, west-erners, including Senators. Borah (R Idaho), Pittman D., Nev.), Wheeler D., Mont.) and Clark (D., Idaho), who have come out against continuance of the trade treaties. The president said yesterday that the trade program, inaugurated by Secretary of State Hull, had met with success in increasing . American exports. He expressed . the opinion that it should be continued con-tinued In an effort to reach potential poten-tial foreign markets offering opportunities op-portunities for increased sales of American products. Many of the foes, however, have said they opposed the program on the ground that It has permitted an Increase In agricultural imports while this country faced crop surpluses. sur-pluses. Denies Competition Secretary Hull told the American Ameri-can Farm Bureau federation In Chicago two weeks ago that most of the agricultural Imports let in under the treaties consisted of noncompetitive non-competitive farm products. Although the federation suggested suggest-ed modification of the law to give the secretaries of agriculture and commerce equal authority with Hull in final approval of the - treaties, few legislators believed that any such compromise suggestion sug-gestion would find approval In administration ad-ministration ranks. Neither were administration leaders said to look with favor on a proposal by some senators that the law be amended to require senate ratification of the treaties before they could become effective. Pacts Weuld Continue Most legislators have agreed that the 21 treaties already concluded would remain in effect even though the law was allowed to lapse. Congress Con-gress could pass a resolution call-In; call-In; on the state department to abrogate existing treaties, but there was little indication that this would be done. Treaties now In operation were made effective for specific lengths of time. Each contains a clause saying that if neither party abrogated abro-gated the agreement within six months of its expiration, the treaty would continue indefinitely. State department officials said, however, that because of changing trade conditions the present treaties soon would become largely outmoded if there were no statutory statu-tory provision for new negotiations. negotia-tions. They pointed out that a second treaty already is in effect with Canada and that negotiations to revamp the treaties with Cuba and Belgium are under way. |