Mr. Andeeson. The difficulty I have is this; I would be wilhng
to give these powers if I knew they were to be exercised all down
the line. I think it has been our experience that if you take control
at one point you are certain to bring about losses and discriminations
unless you extend that control all down the line. For instance, as
you said, the exercise of the embargo power would result in very
great losses which you might have to go back down the line to correct.
Mr. Baenes. My own view. Congressman, is that if these powers
and actions are necessary now, that those powers should be delegated
to an agency that will only redelegate them or use them in case of
absolute need. But I quite conceive that the situation as to that
need in the crop production may clear in the next few months to such
a point the President may clearly define what powers will be exercised
and relieve the trade of any' overhanging fear that embargoes will
be placed on other grains. But I do not see how you can decide a
clear policy now, and it was in the hope that the President could
clearly state to the trade and the business community what powers
would be exercised and what not, just the same as this legislation
would do to-day if it was possible to make it definite. That is why
I make the recommendation that it be intrusted to the President.
Mr. Andeeson. Of course, I do not want to go into the legal
difficulties of the proposition with you, but it seems to me there are
almost unsurmountable legal difficulties in granting a power as
broad as is proposed here for exercise in time of peace.
