Statement by the President on the Restriction on Imports of Dairy Products.

THE SECRETARY of Agriculture announced yesterday that he was applying some additional restrictions to imports of dairy products, in accordance with the provisions of section 104 of the Defense Production Act.

Section 104 requires the Secretary of Agriculture to put restrictions on imports of dairy products in various circumstances, including the situation in which the restrictions may be needed to prevent unnecessary expenditures under a Government price-support program. Since the Government has recently been buying considerable amounts of butter, and other dairy products, the Secretary had no choice but to restrict imports which might add unnecessarily to his purchases.

It is a thoroughly objectionable piece of legislation. It was tacked on to the Defense Production Act in 1951, over the administration's opposition. The measures which the Secretary of Agriculture has been forced to take under its provisions will not be helpful to American interests. On the contrary, this kind of step, in the end, is bound to hurt not only our relations with other friendly countries, but also the agricultural interests that the law is supposed to protect. While the restrictions themselves are going to have very little effect on the American market, they are going to hurt our friends in the Netherlands, Sweden, New Zealand, and a number of other countries. These countries are going to lose dollars. They are going to be in a poorer position for buying American agricultural products and in a poorer position to finance their defense efforts. This is the kind of law which makes the job of the Kremlin's propaganda experts a great deal easier. The only recourse I can see is to repeal this provision of the law.