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President Truman's statement of US eco-
nomic foreign policy objectives in his speech
at Waco, Texas, has been widely lauded b-
the American press as a timely and per-
suasive appeal for support of objectives of
freer world trade and economic cooperation
as embodied in the proposed charter of the
International Trade Organization.
Recalling that creation of the ITO is to
be discussed at the International Conference
in Geneva this month, the press emphasized
that the trend toward restrictive trade prac-
tices and economic barriers among the na-
tions must be revised if world peace is to
have a healthy foundation. The Press gener-
ally supported the President in his appeal
for strong and united American support of
ITO objectives in pointing out the extent to
which bipartisan support of these aims has
already been manifest in the United States,
both in and out of Congress.
The Washington Post said in part: "In
our opinion the President did not exag-
gerate the importance of forthcoming trade
negotiations in declaring that "success of this
program (for lowering of trade barriers) is
essential to the establishment of the ITO, to
the effective operation of the International
Bank and Monetary Fund, and to the strength
of the United Nations structure of coopera-
tion in economic and political affairs." He
was especially effective in driving home the
dangers to our system of free enterprise re-
sulting from the failure to liberalize trade
policies. The alternative to trade expansion
facilitated by lowering trade barriers is trade
regimentation. That, of course, is today the
rule rather than the exception. Unless the
trend is reversed by positive action along
lines indicated, the United States will be
forced, like other nations, to fight for world
markets and raw materials by resort to res-
.ilne rreblUelL 5tsumIs up tiC Case agaisut
these practices in two short sentences: "It is
not the American way," he said. "It is not the
way of peace." Thus he comes back to the
incontrovertible thesis that "peace, freedom
and world trade are inseparable."
Minneapolis Morning Tribune: "To deny
the need for freer trade is to deny history.
Anyone who lived through the period after
World War I and the depression which
followed 1929 should have a lesson of those
years deeply etched in his mind."
Cincinnati Enquirer: "Through the last
two decades, especially, the trend has been
toward new barriers to trade. Only in the
United States, through the reciprocal trade
agreements program., has there been a counter-
trend. It is from this country that the main
impetus has come for restoration of freedom
in the economic life of the world. The meet-
ings at Geneva in April, therefore, are much
more than an effort to strengthen the ex-
porting industries of the world. They are a
concrete, practical attempt to buttress the
idea of freedom and to broaden the area of
the world committed to the practice of free-
dom in economic affairs."
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, urging the Re-
publican Party leaders in Congress to sup-
port continuation and extension of the US
reciprocal trade agreements program, said:
"This country must show the way to the
elimination of world trade barriers."
Atlanta Constitution: "There will, of
course, be those who, for selfish or partisan
reasons, will seek to incite public misunder-
standing and criticism of work being under-
taken at Geneva. Realizing this, the President
wisely has moved to allay suspicion by ex-
pounding the issue with unmistakable logic
and sincerity."
Toledo Blade: "President Truman's ad-
dress brings before the country the issue on
which our bipartisan foreign policy is to
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