St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1890-03-05
AKIN TO FREE TRADE.
Pan-Amerieans Are Heartily
in Favor of Unrestricted
Reciprocity.
Naval Martinez MeCslla Asks
tor an Investigation and
Gets 1t.
President Harrison Warns
Canucks to Steer Clear Of
Behping Sea.
The Gar Invites an American
Journalist to Visit SibeP-
ian Prisons.

WASHINGTON, March 4.-The Pan
American conference to-day discussed
the report of the committee OH interna-
tional law, and finally adopted it. The
first committee of the conference to
make majority and minority reports was
that on customs union. They we're pre-
scented to-day. The majority say that
the establishment of customs union,
as generally understood, would require
not only partial sacrifice of the ma
tional sovereignty OF the American ma
tons. but more radical changes in their
respective constitutions than they are
willing to accept. The majority believe
that the principle of unrestricted re-
ciprOcity is acceptable, and that Its
adoption would in all probability
bring about as favorable results as
those obtained by free trade among
the different states of this Union. n Gus
toms union on this basis however, the
majority deems impracticable as a contIn
entail system ut present. But ii 1t IS
not easy" says the majority, 10 ar
rive at once at unrestricted reciprocity,
that end might be obtained gradually
and partially. The first and most eff
cient step in that direction is the nego-
tiati0n of partial
RECIPROCITY TREATIES
among the American nations. whereby
each may agree TO remove or diminish
their respective import duties upon
some Of the natural or manufactured
products of one Or more OF the otntr
nations, in exchange for similar ana
equivalent advantages, for ii the mutual
concessions were not equivalent the
treaties would soon become odious.
lin,ifln
would diScredit the system. If,
after this has been tried
for some reasonable time, a
good result should follow, as ii is to be
expected, the number of articles on the
free list might be enlarged in each case
from time to time. until they attain,
through the development OF the natural
elements of wealth, other sources of
revenue OF an increase of the existing
ones. which would allow the contract
ing nations to reach unrestricted rec
iprOcitY or free trade among some or
all the American nations. Therefore,
the majority proposes to recommend to
such t the governments represented IN
the conference as may desire partial rec
iprocity, TO make commercial treaties
with one or more OF the American
countries, under such basis as may be
III CdSCs IuhIuS IIIIO CNh-
sidpratiOn the 81 ecial situation, cOndi-
tiopS and interests of each country, and
with view to promote
THEIR COMMON WELFARE.
Mr.. Henderson. the member from the
United States, signed the majority re-
port, with reservation of his right on
final consideration to present some
amen !ments offered in committee. The
minority, Mr.. Alfonso, of Chilli, and
Pena, of the Argentine Republic, pre-
scented a minority report, stating that
the committee had been unanimous in
advising the conference to reject the
idea of customs union, but differences
OF opinion in regard both to the form of
the report and the recommendation led
the minority to report resolution to
reject the whole subject. These dele
gates, it is said, felt that as long as the
United States lays tariff on wool, the
principal article produced in their cOun-
tries, reciprocity would not benefit them.