Daley Pushes for Free Trade

U.S. Secretary of Commerce William M. Daley spoke before an audience of over three hundred undergraduates, graduates students and faculty members at the Kennedy School of Government (KSG) last night.

Daley's speech, entitled "Building the Case for Open Trade," was presented by the ARCO Forum of Public Affairs and is the first of two lectures during February featuring members of President Clinton's Cabinet.

In an address that mainly sang the virtues of free trade, Daley emphasized America's duty as a global economic leader to protect international commerce from its opponents, both at home and abroad.

"My message is very clear," he said. "In a post-Cold War era, world leadership is economic leadership".

Daley visited Harvard just four days before he was scheduled to depart on a trip to Japan, South Korea and Singapore to reaffirm America's desire "to help restore sound economic conditions" in those countries.

Daley's address comes at a time when the Clinton Administration's commitment to shoring up the global financial system is being tested by the expanding economic malaise afflicting Southeast Asian nations.

Daley stressed the need to break down trade barriers and encouraged the U.S. to lend its full-fledged support to the World Trade Organization.

But the focus of Daley's argument was largely domestic in nature.

Daley criticized those opponents of trade in this country who adhere to the allegedly false notion that "trade leads to a lowering of living standards and wages for Americans."

Expressing his disappointment that such allegedly incorrect beliefs had defeated a fast-track trade authority bill in Congress, Daley announced the Commerce Department's plans to educate the American public about the advantages of free trade.

"We want producers and consumers to understand the benefits of trade: new opportunities, lower prices and better quality," Daley said.

But beyond these ideas and figures Daley cited demonstrating recent increases in the number of American jobs, he did not go into detail to explain the positive effects of free trade.

Nor did Daley address the potential dislocations of low-skilled American workers caused by the export of U.S. factories to developing nations, as under scored by an audience member's question.

Given Daley's pro-labor pedigree-his father was a popular Democratic mayor of Chicago and his brother is the city's current mayor-such omissions concerned some audience members.

Byron Mclain '00 expressed his disappointment that Daley "didn't mention any specific policies."

"I would have liked to have heard a more focused response," C.J. Mahoney '00 said.

Daley did, however, use his speech to advertise some of the Clinton Administration's economic policy successes, including NAFTA, the Uruguay Round of trade negotiations and the balanced budget agreement.

The event was co-sponsored by the Center for Business and Government, the KSG, the Institute of Politics Student Advisory Committee, the Harvard-Radcliffe College Democrats, the Kennedy School Democratic Caucus and the Kennedy School Business and Government Professional Interest Council.