The daily critic. (Washington City, D.C.) 1890-1890, 1890-06-19
WITH THE NATIONS OF THE
AMERICAN CONTINENT.
Mr. BLHlNES SIGNIFICANT LETTER
Radical Conversion Of the High Priest
Of Protection.
TEE DOCUMENT SENT TO TIE SENATE
An Eloquent and Logical Appeal 70,
Fair Dealing With Our
Neighbors.

following letter to the Senate to day.
DEPARTMENT OF STATE,
WASHINGTON, June 4, 1890.
To the President.
beg leave to submit herewith the
report upon Customs Union adopted
by the International American Confer.
ence.
The act of Congress, approved MAY
"a, 1888, authorizing the President to
invite delegates to this conference,
named as one Of the topics to be CON
sidered Measures toward the lorna.
ton Of an American customs union. uu-
der which the trade Of the American
nations shall so far as possible and
profitable be promoted
The committee Of the conference 10
which this topic was referred inter.
preted the term customs union to mean
an association or agreement among the
several American nations for a free
interchange Of dometic products, a
common and uniform system OF tariff
laws and an equitable division of the
customs dues collected under them.
Such proposition was at once pro
nounced impracticable. Its adoption
would require complete revision OF
the tariff laws Of all the eighteen ma
tons, and most II not oil our sister re-
publiCs are largely, II not entirely, de-
pendent upon the collection Of customs
dues for the revenue to sustain their
Governments. But the Conference de.
Clared that partial reciprocity between
the American Republics was not only
practicable, but must necessarily in
crease the trade and the development OF
the material resources of the countries
adopting that system and it would In an
probability bring about as favorable re-
suits as those obtained by free trade
among the different States of this
Union"
THE conference recommended,
therefore, that the several govern.
ments represented negotiate reciprocity
treaties upon such basis as would be
acceptable in each case, taking into con-
sideration the special situations, condi.
tons and interests Of each country,
and with a view 70 promote their com
mon welfare.
The delegates from Chilli and the
Argentine Republic did not concur in
these recommendations, for the reason
that the attitude of our Congress at that
time was not such as 10 encourage them
10 expect favorable responses from the
United states In return for concessions
which their government might offer.
They had come here with an expecia-
ton that our Government aud people
desired 10 make whatever concessions
were necessary and possible 10 increase
the trade between the United States
and the two countries named. The
President OF the Argentine Republic,
In communicating to HIS Congress the
appointment of delegates to the Inter-
national Conference, said:
The Argentine Republic feels the liyelest
interest IN the subject, and hopes that It's
commercial relations with the United states
may ind some practical solution Of the
question OF the interchange Of products be
tween the two countries, considering that
this Is the most efiicaeiOus way OF strength
eHing the ties which bind this country with
that grand republic whose institutions serve
us as a model,
1T was, therefore, unfortunate that
the Argentine delegates, shortly after
their arrival In Washington, IN search
OF reciprocal trade, should have read In
the daily press that propositions were
pending In our Congress TO impose
heavy duty upon Argentine hides,
which for many years had been on the
free list, and 10 increase the duty on
Argentine wool Since the adoption OF
the recommendations of the conference,
which l herewith inclose, hides have
been restored 10 the free list, but the
duty upon carpet wool remains, and, as
the Argentine delegates declared, rep
Tesents the only concession we have to
offer them In exchange for the removal
Of ArHHfa1
"Only those who have given the sub.
ject careful study realize the magnitude
Uf the commerce Of these sister na-
lions. In 1883 the combined imports Of
Chilli and the Argentine Republic
reached the enormous sum of F233, 49,
69s. The statistics of Gillian commerce
for 1889 have not yet been received, but
The imports Of the Argentine Republic
for that year were Sl43 600, 900 These
imports consisted In the greater part, Of
articles that could have been furnished
by he manufacturers of the United
States YET, in 1855. Of the total of
1898 600 600 imports, we contributed
but Sl3 600 600. while England con
tributed $50 600 600: Germany, S43.
600 600 and France, S34, 000, GOO
With our extraordinary increase iu
EHH A'AAAHAHA4H anu kAE even NlAE ezra
ordinary increase ia material wealth
our progress ID trade with South
America has been strangely hiudered
and limited
In ISIS. our total exports 10 an The
world were S355. l3l coo, Of which Sj3
l9l 600 went 10 Spanish AmeTica-l4
per cent.
In lssS, our exports 10 an the world
were SAP 35s 600 Gan increase Of 100
per cent y while but 500 213. 900 went
% Spanish America little more than o
per cent and the greatest gain mine
Millions has been noticed during tue
last tw0 years.
II vas the unanimous Judgment OF
these delegates that our exports % these
countries and 10 the other republics
could De increased % q great degree by
the negotiation Of such treaties As are
recommended by tue conference. The
practical every day experience 81 our
merchants engaged In the trade demon
stgates beyond a question that IN All
Glasses 81 merchandise which We have
long and successfully produced for eNs
port they are able 60 compete with their
European rivals nquality and in price
and the reiterated statement that our
Latin American Heigbb3rs 10 net buy
~ rs because We DO not buy 81 them
~ because We taA their products has
be-u annually alHu lielel by lhe sta
t5sties uf ouT commerce fgr Har.eT Of
8 century
IAe auk ID means for reaching leir
markets has been the chief obstacle ID
Die way 81 increased exports The
.auYiu- Trade las been controlled 81
Ear.reau merchants who have forbid
den an exchange ~ commodities. Ius
merchandise we sen in S9l.h America