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"Let me point out that during the World War American lace-workers marched side by side with the soldiers of France in France's dark hour of despair, and many made the supreme sacrifice. . . . When they succeeded in obtaining employment, they were required to contribute, through taxes, from their wages, toward the support of this Government, made necessary partly because France . . . not only defaulted but indeed refused to pay to this country the monies loaned her by America during her dark days. . . .
"Not content with all these sacrifices . . . France will . . . call upon our workers to again rally to her economic relief by giving up their own jobs and going on relief payrolls that the lace-makers of Calais and Caudry may be happily employed."
Then lofting his economic arguments to an even less factual plane, Director Driscoll submitted to the committee a batch of photographs so that the French trade pact negotiators "may be able to visualize by actual observation the contented, happy look of our people."
"I am frank to admit that the presentation of these photographs is quite unusual at a hearing of this kind," cried Director Driscoll. "In my zeal and desire to adequately place before the negotiators the problem confronting my fellow-workers, I am eager that the negotiators . . . shall first of all be given reasonable opportunity to gaze upon the countenances of the army of workers whose happiness, contentment and prosperity is in their hands."
Only stony stares greeted U. S. lace importers, who argued in behalf of a tariff reduction. They pointed out that devaluation of the dollar had in effect nearly doubled the barrier to French imports. If the 90% duty on French lace were halved, domestic lace-makers would still enjoy more protection than they did three years ago. What the trade pact negotiators must ponder is whether concessions to France, where lace-making is a major industry employing 50,000 people, will gain markets for enough U. S. exports to compensate for unemployment created in the U. S. lace industry.