ABSTRACT
The media read by businessmen contained copious information, at least about the main course of debate over major pieces of trade legislation. The specialized media came only to those individuals who felt some need for information on foreign-trade policy. Use of general sources might be taken to imply less concern with the narrower and more technical features of foreign-trade policy and more concern with matters of broad policy. In the large and medium firms, over 60 per cent of the men had talked about tariffs and foreign-trade policy in some circumstances. Communications activity with respect to foreign-trade policy may thus clearly be treated as an indication of interest. Although both business and public opinion strongly favored a liberal-trade policy, the weight of the mail was the contrary. The other pattern of communication, where foreign trade figures as an operating problem of the respondent's business, involves much oral communication with fellow executives and less use of published media.
