Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-02-27
ReciprOcity Treaties.


Secretary Frelinghuysen's letter to the
Chairman Of the Senate Committee OF
Foreign Relations. defending the policy
of the administration with reference to
reciprocity treaties, contains some inter-
esting figures. The letter is a reply to
the resolution offered in the Senate by
Mr.. Morrill, last December, in which re-
ciprOcIty treaties with ''inferior nations
were condemned because the benefits re-
ceived were far less than the benefits con-
ferred.
Mr.. Frelinghuysen attempts to show
two things. First, that under our pres
ent tariff system the only way to extend
our commerce and enlarge the volume Of
our exports is by treaties Of reciprocity;
and, second, that such treaties can be
made only with inferior nations.
There are only few nations that are
the equal of this nation, and they are in
Europe. No commercial treaty could he
made with them that would be of much
benefit to this country. They already
take as much of our breadstuffs as they
would if we had reciprocity treaties with
them, and they already have more manu-
featured goods Of their own than they
know how to dispose of simultaneously.
The only nations, therefore, Mr.. Ere
linghuysen contends, that can afford US a
market for the products Of our manutac-
tories are the inferior nations. He points
out with considerable force that the in
feriOr nations south of US are anxious to
trade with us 20 much greater extent than
they now do, and only await the encOur-
agement which reciprocity treaties would
give them. Our trade with Mexico and
with Central and South American coun-
tries is much smaller than the trade OF
those countries is with England. With all
Of them the balance of trade is against
US. We import from Brazil. for instance,
eight times more than we send to her.
The difference between our exports and
imports with respect to other South
| American countries is not so great. 1t
| is, however, much greater than it ought
/ to be.
Mr.. Frelinghuysen says that in 1878 our
| exports to Hawaii amounted to only $780,
900 and our imports to 81, SS3, 600, and that
under the fostering care of a reciprocity
| treaty our exports in 1884 reached $3,523,-
| coo and our imports s., 926, 900. To make
a stronger showing he says that Hawaii
ans now consume per cepita 500
worth of American manufactures per
| annum, while the consumption in lSl6
was only SO 66 per annum.
Arguing from what has been accom-
/ plished under the Hawaiian treaty Mr..
| Frelinghuysen assumes that by judi
| ciOus system of reciprocity treaties we
| could increase our export trade with the
several nations of this hemisphere, not IN
| cluding British North America, at least
| $50, 900, 600 a year.
/ But is it a fact that we have been great
" benefited by the Hawaiian treaty. In
] 1878, according to Mr.. Frelinghuysen'
| figures, our exports to Hawaii were lit
tie more than half of our imports, and in
! 1884 our exports were not quite half of
our imports. The balance of trade against
US, therefore, was greater at the end OF
six years Of the treaty than it was before
the treaty was made.
Mr.. Frelinghuysen neglected to state
| all the facts. In the six years of the
! Hawaiian treaty which he mentions the
amount Of the RENTED duties was $780,
600 greater than the value OF all of orr
exports to Hawaii in that period. 1t
appears, therefore, that while the treaty
has been of vast benefit to Hawaii, it
| hasn't been of any benefit to this country.
1t is true that more of our goods 90 to
| Hawaii now than formerly, but we vir
! tually make the Hawaiians a gift OF
| them.
The treaty has made the Hawaiian
Islands rich, but the bulk of their trade
! goes to England, not to this country. 1t
goes to England because she can under
| sell US, and she can undersel us because
OF our protective tariff system.
Il the reciprocity treaties that are now
pending in the Senate should be ratified
Cuba would dump her sugar into our
market, but would, in all probability, buy
her manufactured goods in England. She
would continue to take from us just what
she takes now. No benefits would
accrue 20 us, but we would
lose annually many millions of dol
| lars Of revenue. Ii reciprocity
treaties should be made with South Amer
lean countries the balance of trade doubt
/ less would still remain against us. The
| tariff duties of those countries would be
lowered so as to permit European coun-
! tries to undersell us.
The way to increase our exports IS not
byreciprocity treaties, but by reducing our
tariff so that our manufacturers can COM
pete with England in the markets OF the
world. That this is the only sure way
| there is no good reason to doubt.