75. Editorial Note
President Eisenhower and Secretary Dulles made an informal visit to Canada, July 8–11. On July 9, Eisenhower addressed the Canadian Houses of Parliament, speaking at length about U.S.-Canadian trade relations, discussing U.S. surplus wheat disposal policies, imbalance in U.S.-Canadian trade, and U.S. private investment in Canada. He also reassured his audience that the United States would continue its reciprocal trade program. For text of his statement, see Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: Dwight D. Eisenhower, 1958, pages 529–537.
On July 15, the Senate Finance Committee reported the reciprocal trade legislation, H.R. 12591. As reported by the Committee, H.R. 12591 extended the Trade Agreements Act for 3 years and authorized tariff reductions of no more than 5 percent each year. It also included a provision, added in an amendment proposed by Senators Strom Thurmond and Robert S. Kerr, requiring congressional approval if the President rejected Tariff Commission recommendations to raise tariffs or impose quotas on imports. Should the Congress fail to vote with the [Page 175] President, the Commission’s recommendations would automatically go into effect in 90 days. For text of H.R. 12591 as reported to the Senate, see S. Rept. 1838, Eighty-fifth Congress, Second Session.
Secretary Dulles telephoned Under Secretary of State Dillon the afternoon of July 22 to inquire about the bill’s progress on the Senate floor. Dillon said “he has not heard recently but we got a good vote on striking out the Kerr amendment, and the Sec said he saw that in the newspapers. The Sec said Adams stopped him and gave him a confused story re the Payne amendment failing—going to conference and could we get the concurrent vote of a majority. D does not think he has been following it in detail. We always expected it would go to conf and we would work it out there and we have a deal with Mills, LJohnson and Rayburn to work it out. D does not think anything has gone off the track. Anderson talked with LJohnson at 4 and said everything was all right.” (Memorandum of telephone conversation; Eisenhower Library, Dulles Papers, General Telephone Conversations)
The Payne amendment proposed enabling the Congress to override the President’s veto of Tariff Commission recommendations with a majority vote in both houses. The Senate passed H.R. 12591 with amendments the evening of July 22; the Payne amendment, however, was defeated. Action on the legislation then went into conference. See Document 77.
On July 23, the House passed S. 3420 to extend the Agricultural Trade Development and Assistance Act of 1954. Among its provisions, S. 3420 extended P.L. 480 for 1 year and increased the authorization for foreign currency sales to $5.5 billion. Action on the bill then went into conference. See Document 78.