The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-02-12
THE TREATY WITH MEXICO
Interview with General Grant as to
Its Various Provisions.
He Points Out the Numerous Benefits to Be
Derived by Both Countries by
Its Adoption.

nlShed the Associated Press with the follow
ing interview with General Grant on the
American treaty. The reporter was sent yes
terday to ask General Grant what the pres
ent condition and outlook are for the recip
rocity treaty with Mexico, negotiated by
him with Romero, the Mexican minister
at Washington and General Canedo, the
special commissioner from Mexico, sent to
meet and confer with General Grant, Tres
cot and Romero. General Grant said:
Il see by dispatches from Washington City,
while a commercial treaty with Mexico is
likely 10 be reported favorably by the COM
mittee having it in charge, it may meet with
opposition in the Senate from the fact that
seems to leave it possible to ship sugar
from Havana to Mexico and reshlp it to this
country as if it were a product of the Next
can soil. 1t may be possible that such ship
ments will be made from time TO time, but
at great risks, by the persons in that bust
ness, precisely in the same way as goods are
now struggled in from Cuba aud from
Europe Sooner or lat T, however, they
are detected, and the parties engaged
in the business are punished by forfeiture
and fine, and 1t is not probable that this
business will be carried on successfully to
any great extent any more than smuggling
is now. The treaty presents very great adj
NdlldScS lOT Ilt Oulteu dtlN lOi uhCN-
leo. as they touch each other on the frontiers
and have similar institutions. 1t would
seem necessary that the two countries
should enjoy most intimate relations. But
it is well-known fact that for many years
back Mexico has been sensitively afraid of
American encroachmentS. Mexican suspl-
cions of us are now in large degree dis
PEELED, as is shown by their willingness to
negotiate such a treaty as the one now before
the Senate. The development OF our railroads
running into Mexico and the development
in Mexico consequent upon the building
of these roads, and the increase of general
business and industry in Mexico must in
evitably make Mexico a great commercial
center, increasing in importance from year
to year in very rapid ratio, and if we fail
now to use this first opportunity that we
have had of cultvating closer relations, it is
not only possible but very probable
it will be many years before we can expect
another opportunity OF negotiating such
a treaty as this ratified by both governments.
1t may be assumed that it will be possible to
make another treaty subsequently which
shall remedy any defects which may be
found in the working of this Another very
good reason for its ratification is the fact that
it has been and is now violently opposed by
all European merchants and agents residing
in Mexico Foreign merchants there are
an influential class because they i'm
port pretty nearly all the goods i'm
ported into the country, and conse-
quently pay into the Mexican treasury
a large percentage of all the present revenues
of that country. Their influence is increased
by the facts that small retailers are generally
natives of the country, who purchase their
goods from these importers on long credits
paying for them out OF sales of the goods
consequently, as you see these foreign mer
chants have great influence both with the
governing officials and with enter
4.
upon the spot to work against
this treaty, while we have no corresponding
class of American citizens at present in that
country to represent our side of the QueS-
ton, The President of the republic, how
ever, and his cabinet have had the independ-
ence, and as | think. the good sense to ac-
cept this treaty as it is now presented in our
Senate, and they accepted this, though they
had begun by being very strongly preiudiced
against making any commercial treaty
with the United States. l know objection has
been made or may be raised to this treaty
from the fact that there is nothing in it
which prohibits Mexico from making similar
treaties with other countries. 1t would have
been hardly fair for us to have asked Mexico
to have restricted her own powers without
ever restricting Everetts in the same way,
and it is not probable that any treaty could
have been ratified by the Senate of the United
States which contained a clause prohibit
ing Lne OnlLcu OldIcS from making
a treaty like this or any
other treaty with other countries when
ever it should seem proper and advantageous
to do so. But it is not likely that Mexico
will consider a similar treaty with the
European countries, because there is no
European country that can give Mexico a
market for her surplus product. We can;
and they are furthermore remote from
Mexico, and not neighbors as we are. This
treaty, if it goes into effect, will naturally
bring the people of the two adjoining
republics closer together. But it
gives material advantages in another
way to both of us. We receive from Mexico
all the products which she is capable of
producing-unmanufac articles, that
is, of twenty-eight in number. Of these arti-
cles twenty-one are at present on our free
list and six are articles which enter to a
greater or less extent into our manufactures
and which we do not produce. There are
but two articles produced by the United
States which are admitted free from Mexico
under the treaty. One is crude
sugar and the other leaf tobacco. Taking the
later into consideration, first l conceive the
treaty would be very advantageous to us and
certainly very advantageous to Mexico, be-
cause under it we are only to receive tobacco
free from duty in its manufactured state,
and tobacco which they raise does not CORE
spond at all to the article released by us, but
is similar and equal in quality to the to-
bacco tax in Cuba. 1t is to be presumed
that when Mexico raised enough of this
tobacco to supply the market the manufac-
ture of Havana cigars will take place in
our own country and the tobacco of Mexico
being free from export duty in Mexico, we
shall be largely able. to compete with Havana
in the outside markets of the world in the
two articles of manufactured tobacco and
cigars. In regard to her sugar, Mexico at the
present time does not raise per-
haps a quarter of what her
own consumption is or will be- with
railroads to distribute it. The country has
great capacity for raising sugar, but the ter
ritory where sugar can be raised without
irrigation lies exclusively in the low lands
of the Gull or on the Pacific ocean, where it
is so unhealthy that Mexicans cannot be in
duced to live or do any hard work.