BALDRIGE WARNS OF WORLD TRADE WAR DANGER U.S. Commerce Secretary Malcolm Baldrige predicted Congress will pass a reasonable trade bill this year and said tough protectionist legislation could prompt a trade war. "The mood of the Congress right now is as tough on trade as I've ever seen it in six years in Washington," Baldrige said in a weekend television interview. "I think we'll still be able to get a reasonable trade bill out in spite of that because the whole Congress is trying to work together with the administration, but there is a hardening trade attitude," he said. President Reagan opposes protectionist legislation but agreed to support a trade bill when it became apparent that opposition Democrats would pass such legislation. However, Baldrige warned measures that would penalize trading partners such as Japan, South Korea and Taiwan for failing to cut their trade surpluses with the U.S. could lead to retaliation and he said he would urge Reagan to veto any such bill. When asked if there is a rising danger of a worldwide trade war, Baldrige said: "Yes, I don't think there's any question about that."