The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1856-01-02

and the propriey of allowing American vessels pursue
their commercial operations without paying b
ute TO any and without being stopped BY any power
whatever The object which the United States have had
in view Ia denouncng their convention Of with
Denmark has then been exempt thereby American
sells from the Sound dues IL s unnecessary to inquire liz
this place whether the accomplishment OF that object 10 the
logical consequence Of the expiration Of convention Which
does the dues in question: except for the lur
ing of the duties privileged treatment instead Of ths
nonpriveged treatment which bad been applied to them
in former times Denmark desires avoid dscusslon OF
this kind and besides the steps taken by the United States
have only been alluded in this document in order
specify the position into which, IL has been observed
above Denmark has been thrown.
This position has double effect upon the determination
of the Danish government Because after the denunca
ton of the convention Of the 26h Of April 1926 rather
after the declaration on the part Of the United States to
exempt American vessels from the Sound duties the Dam
ish government If 1t decline in view Of this declaration to
conne itself to the reply which has been made 10 them,
could not only not postpone taking the adapted
to the circumstances but it has become prohemat
cal whether the which bad been contemplated Ia
regard to the Sound dues previous to The Aforesaid dea
tons the Consequence, Of whsby the orce of circum-
stances would probably overstep the limits Of dacusson
between Denmark and the United States
If 1t only depended upon ITSELF the Danish government
would determine upon revision Of the Sound tariff
peciay, because this could be adopted without
the Of foreign power and Y Is persuaded
Of goods would be likely to satisfy the reasonable wishes
of the trading public But the declaration above mcn-
TONED not only shows that revision would not SAtSy
great power with which Denmark sncerey desires to pre-
her general relations Of good understanding II hiss
also become than probable in consequences Of sail
declaration that other powers whose views and desires
are equally entitled to be taken into consideration would
not be disposed to find in this suitable expedieat
Under these circumstances the Danish government has
of the Sound proposition Of entirely different chaIac
1t hopes that the plan 1t about to propose will
agreeable to the It Is certain that II will
suit commercial navigation generally hopes above all,
that the United States Of America will be pleased to con-
slider this proceeding the part Of Denmark as an earn
est Of her desire to reconcile as much as cssbe her IN
terests with those of America and especially TO avoid
painful discusson and, it may be- conflict with that
country which 1t justly respects In fact as the Danish
discussion its principal motive in not connng itself 70 the
revision which had been projected is that It docs not find
this calculated to rcoindcr to the steps
taken by the United States
Setting thus aside the project of revision, without
however abandoning the same the Danish governmeat
upon the hypothesis that ahe other government
considering the revision not calculated to prevent te
conflicts which it is the question to avoid would have III
ved to submit them other propositions which, wit
out infringing upon the right Of Denmark might be q
character to unite in higher degree the suages of
parties interested.
II the plan Of revision be discarded it is to declare
least implicitly that the only basis upon which nego
tions would BE entered into with Denmark ought 10 L.
that Of definite settlement Of the affair Of the Sound ane
the problem to be solved would then be to find an ex
dcnt which should the dues to entirely, with
derogating that from the rights Of the Dan
ish Crown This double result could only be obtained .,
capitalization of the dues In order to free at once ant
forever the trading navigation from the payment OF duc
by means OF just compensation to Denmark.
This then is the plan Of settlement which the Danish
submits TO the consideration Of tns powers in
teressed in the affair of tho Sound.
But arrangement of this nature only be realized
by the simultaneous of all the respective
tween Denmark and the other powers relative to tho
Sound ducs do not admit Of special arrangement in
pect this matter between Denmark and another power
Besides this condition, there is yet another which the
Danish regards AZ essential IL is that the af
fair in question shall be treated not commercial
money transscon but a. political matter This would
part which these dues have played in the politics OF tho
north Of Europe; otherwise IL impossible to give to
the negotiation the necessary scope and character IN or
der that it may not be incumbered by questions OF
secondary class which do well in purely COM
merca and fiscal arrangement but not in An arrangement
intended TO serve 40 complement to treaties OF and
to transactions by which the system Of political equil-
brum has been regulated Consequently the Dansh gov
ernment in recommending its proposition to the kind con-
sderaon Of the cabinets also takes the liberty Of request
ing that they win be pleased decide upon entering into
negotiation with the Danish government as soon - posi-
BILE and furnish their diplomatic agents at the Danish
Court with full powers and necessary instructions or to
special commissioners Copenhagen in order to de-
wise and establish definitely general agreement both as
regards the compensation TO which Denmark night think
herself entitled claim indemnity for the losses sho
would sustain by the cessation Of the dues and a to tho
mode of calculation be used In order to ascertan and
to determine, eventually the Just proportion In which
each Of the respective powers would have to contribute Its
quota.
II desirable that this negotiation could be opened
In the Of the month of November OF the present
year In expressing this DESIRE the Danish government
has in view only the urgency Of the affair IN question:
relates Denmark but also the consideration that
era powers and particularly those who by their geogrph
ca position might be very apt TO find this term too close
hand little interested in the Sound dues that they
might deem it necessary to be represented from the be-
ginning Of the eventual conferences might even prefer
perhaps TO themselves 10 be represented at the nego
tiation by some friendly power
The choice Of the city OF Copenhagen the seat of the
negotiation been occasoncd by the circumstances that
city the headquarer Of oil the administrative de-
partmens and that It presents consequently, pccu
liar facilities for furnishing the materials and the Informs
ton which might be desired in the interest Of the negots
ton. sa gt##.
The Danish government docs by means conceal from
itself that the step II haa determined upon taking not OF
character be at first equally well received every
but while regreting such may be the II
thecss chershes hope thai s propositions and It's proceed
ings will ba judged until after they shall have been
maucy examined allowances being made for the position
In which Denmark finds herself placed II expects to meet
with equal justice everywhere and places its trust In the
friendly disposition OF which the powers have on other
occasions, given no many proofs.
On its part IL will set TO work with the best inten-
tons penetrated with sincere dcsre TO prove by fac
that it has nothing else view by way Of final result
than arrangement equally acceptable to ALL
1t only remains to add some general remarks upon
the of carrying out the plan OF capitalization
This ~ not the FIRST time that this plan has been discuss
cd although Il has been formally proposed by the
Danish to- the powers generally II has never
thccss been the subject OF conferences with several cab
nets may therefore be supposed that In principle
nothing which In the powers Interested OF