Page images
PDF
EPUB
[blocks in formation]
[blocks in formation]

MEANS

WEDNESDA

Te committee met pursua
2.324, Senate Office Buil
presiding.

CHAIRMAN. The comm
Fish to state that I am
responded to the call
oted to meet and dis
and have in a large
vital question and one th
America.

rica today has gradua
affairs that makes it
commercial, financial, a
great resources, the in
e of our export trade.
ant the discussions of thi
I hope no one has c
Ace of the street, with a
ant to find out why we a
es of the losses, what a
git, and without any s
the problem.

are invited here those f
ble, voluntarily and som
of American affairs, an
ss this problem here
the problem. And I
The genius of our Gov
rtunately, are Member
representatives. We ca
ge of the working of
can know. Theoretic
ows, we have an exporta
en talking about getting
some surplus theories an
American practical sugg

MEANS OF RECOVERY

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 30, 1935

UNITED STATES SENATE, COMMITTEE ON AGRICULTURE, Washington, D. C.

The committee met pursuant to call, at 10 a. m. in the committee room, 324, Senate Office Building, Senator Ellison D. Smith, chairman, presiding.

The CHAIRMAN. The committee will come to order.

are

I wish to state that I am certainly obliged to those of you who have responded to the call that I made for those of us that are interested to meet and discuss our export trade, why we losing and have in a large degree lost our export trade. It is a very vital question and one that affects every man, woman, and child in America.

America today has gradually, naturally, assumed a position in world affairs that makes it predominant. The expansion of our great commercial, financial, and industrial life has gone on because of our great resources, the ingenuity of our people, and the vast volume of our export trade.

I want the discussions of this question to be from a national standpoint. I hope no one has come hear today, to use the ordinary parlance of the street, with a particular and personal axe to grind. We want to find out why we are losing our export trade, what were the causes of the losses, what are the difficulties in the way of recapturing it, and without any selfish or personal interest to frankly discuss the problem.

I have invited here those from every walk of life that are responsible, voluntarily and some of them involuntarily, for the carrying on of American affairs, and I hope each and every one of you that discuss this problem here will discuss it freely and frankly as you see the problem. And I want to make this statement to this body. The genius of our Government is such that we, fortunately or unfortunately, are Members of your law-making body; we are your representatives. We cannot naturally have that intimate knowledge of the working of affairs that you that are in actual business can know. Theoretically a great many of us know—and God knows, we have an exportable surplus right now of theory-we have been talking about getting rid of our surplus; if we could get rid of some surplus theories and get down to actual hard, commonsense American practical suggestions, I think we might solve this problem.

1

« PreviousContinue »