1942

Postcards to 11 of you in the pre-election period asking for thoughts about the GATT controversy yielded several informative replies. Dick Higgins, former VP of Bell & Howell's international staff, says: "I doubt many in the international trade field would deny that over the years since its inception in 1947, the GATT arrangement has been the mechanism for the significant development of world trade that otherwise undoubtedly would not have occurred. With all the disparity of interests involved, it's remarkable that...such a degree of global cooperation has taken place.... Again, there can't be much doubt that the result has been increased benefits for all participating parties. Enormous restricitive measures still exist, however—stemming from embedded protectionist forces, essentially within the three main trading blocs: the European community with its highly protected agricultural interests, Japan with its relative market isolation due in part to its entrenched cultural mode as well as to the influence of the politically powerful rice-farming bloc, and the 'Keiretsu' (industrial complex). Not the least, also, are our own specialized interests such as agriculture, textiles, apparel, and steel.... The imposition of a new World Trade Organization headquarters in Geneva does pose some question as to the possible relinquishment of too much sovereignty by the U.S. This could require further examination. The whole question, though, is up for political grabs—as are so many important issues before us today. The Republicans (I'm otherwise generally in that camp) don't want to give the administration 'fast-track' authority to act largely on its own in trade matters (with the accompanying political clout) in view of the elections so close at hand. The Dems, on the other hand, don't want to accede to certain related Republican demands...it would seem most unfortunate if, somehow, a compromise can't be reached so that progress can continue on the trade front."

Dick divides his time among his presidency of the Pacific Foundation for Cardiovascular Research, language tutoring of foreign students at Stanford, and the tennis court. He also meets occasionally with Bill Clark and Ernie Friez, with whom he has organized gettogethers for '42s in the Bay Area. He enjoyed seeing (navy retired) Captain Bill Provost earlier this year when Bill was officiating at the opening of the new maritime museum on the harbor at Monterey.

More on GATT in the next issue.

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