Washington.
The gossips have it that the proposed cotton barter agreement with Germany is just about dead. According to events of the last few days, it appears as if these gossips are right. Secretary of State Hull is making progress under his reciprocal trade agreement policy and nothing will be done which will depart from that policy.
Reciprocal agreements with Latin American countries are holding the center of the stage at present. The State Department revealed that compacts between the United States and Brazil, Colombia and Haiti have virtually been concluded. Negotiations with Belgium, Sweden, Spain and Switzerland have reached an advanced stage.
As Secretary Hull is bringing to fruition his trade agreement program, there seems less prospect for the conclusion of the German cotton barter deal sponsored by George N. Peek, foreign trade adviser to President Roosevelt and head of the Export-Import Bank. And so it appears as if the deal is dead. Secretary Hull opposed it. President Roosevelt turned it down. And Secretary of Agriculoure Henry A. Wallace asserted that the plan was in a “comatose” condition.
The Administration, it appears, intends to give the Reich cotton barter scheme a quiet, unobtrusive burial. Few, if any, officials care to discuss the matter. The latest report is that an interdepartmental committee of trade experts unanimously held the deal undesirable.
While the South would like to see the cotton deal with Germany, leaders are beginning to realize that the amount of cotton Germany would take under the proposal would be only a drop in the bucket compared with what is needed in the way of cotton exports. The Texas Weekly, one of the outstanding farm publications in this country’s leading cotton producing state, points out that while the German proposal for 500,000 to 800,000 bales of cotton is welcome, the importance of the deal is exaggerated. If the deal should go through it would do no more than bring sales to Germany up to about normal and effect small change in the general situation, which is not to be remedied by such casuel expedients.
Another factor which is making the South less anxious for the deal is the rising trend of cotton exports which started in August. Since August the value and volume of cotton sold abroad has doubled. This trend has loosened the tension in the cotton export situation and has done away with much of the hysteria in the South.
United States imports from Germany are falling off, the Foreign Commerce Department of the U. S. Chamber of Commerce reports. During the first nine months of this year imports from Germany declined 7.1 per cent. German governmental efforts to curb imports are proving quite effective in holding down goods from the United States and other countries. The value of American exports to Germany was only one per cent larger during the first nine months of this year than in 1933.
Palestine is developing into an important market for American goods, the Chamber of Commerce reports. During the first nine months of this year United States exports to that country were 68.7 per cent larger than last year.
The special House committee investigating un-American activities is now holding a series of meetings to consider its final report. Indications are that the committee, headed by Representatives McCormack and Dickstein, has completed its investigations into Nazi, Communistic and other subversive propaganda activities.
Members of ###oup state that the investigation has yielded much valuable information which will serve as the basis for specific recommendations to Congress. It is expected that these will include suggestions for legislation to curb subversive activities and will provide for deportation of those undesirable aliens who advocate overthrow of the American government.
Dr. Julius Deutsch of Vienna, who commanded Austrian Social Democratic forces in the sanguinary battle with the Dollfuss army last February, was a recent visitor to Washington. He was the guest of Benjamin Meiman, correspondent of the Jewish Daily Forward. Talking to Washington newspapermen, Dr. Deutsch urged neutralization of Austria. He declared this to be the one means of preventing Austria from becoming the cause of another war. Dr. Deutsch is touring the United States to arouse American interest in the drive for neutralization of his country.
On January 2 the Democratic members of the House will meet to elect a speaker and a floor leader. Representative Adolph J. Sabath of Illinois, dean of the House, is an avowed candidate for floor leader. He has conducted his own campaign and is expected to receive considerable support, but will not be elected.
The Democratic House delegation from Illinois is expected to give Representative Sabath a favorite-son vote, which is considered quite an honor. Representative Sabath is one of the powerful members of the House. He holds places on the all-important Rules Committee and the Democratic Steering Committee. The coming session of Congress will mark the beginning of Representative Sabath’s fifteenth consecutive term of service.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
