New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-08-21
NOT DIPLOMACY NTH A CLUB.

NIT DIPLOMACY NTH A CLUE.
| A Frce-Trade Journal describes Reciprocity
! 80 d;nlomqtic menace to Southern countries.
eve have held club over their heads" 1t re-
marks "and said we would not hit them with
il provided they would buy us off" This is
hardly an accurate explanation of the attitude
Of the United States, which is friendly rather
than hostile and mcnacing. year ago all the
ranuhlican nations Of this continent were repre-
scented at an amphictyonic council at Washing
ron. One of the most important committees Of
the pan-American Congress. after considering
the subject of a continental customs union
pronounced it TO he impracticable owing to d.
yersity of industrial interests and the revenue
requirements of Southern Governments 10
heartily advocated in place of general customs
union tho negotiation OF partial reciprocity
treaties between Governments. The umted
States has acted upon that recommendation IN
response to the invitation of the Pan-Amerlcan
Congress. Instead of holding a club over the
heads of Southern countries it is deliberately
carving out their wishes and respecting their
preferences as expressed in the Pan-American
Congress.
In making coffee, sugar molaSSes and hides
the basis of Reciprocity negotiations the United
States has invited cooperation in securing
less restricted exchange of nOn-competing prod
ucts. If it had offered free market for all
Southern staples and minerals, including to-
bacco wool. oranges, copper and lead, 1t would
have gone beyond the scope of the Reciprocity
report submitted to the Pan-AmeriCan Congress
In restricting Reciprocity to an exchange OF
products and manufactures of non-competlng
zones it embodied in practice the partial scheme
which the Southern delegates had solicited
BY virtue of the authority with which it was
armed by Congress the Administration VIII be
in position at the beginning of the next year
TO suspend the free market for coffee sugar
molasses and hides, if the Reciprocity offer be
declined But that reservation cannot be re-
garded as a menace with club. 1t simply in
wolves the closing Of n limited free market
against T1cso nations which do not care enough
about it to accept it on equitable terms. The
Southern countries asked for partial Reciprocity
the United States has taken them at their word
and opencd its markets for four of their leading
exports with the understanding that the oiier
only holds GOOD until January 1, 1892; and
if duties are reimposed after that date 1t VIII
he the fault of Governments which through
their representatives solicited what they did
not want.
The best proof that Reciprocity is not re-
gardcd in tropical America as menace Is the
success of the new policy Brazil and the Span
sh West Indies, the chief sources of supply
for coffee and sugar in This market, have prompt
" accepted the offer in the spirit in which 1t
was made. San Domingo has also made
treaty. the exclusion of free flour from the
schedules being compensated for by extremely
favorable concessions TO other American exports
The midsummer vacation period at Washington
has interrupted diplomatic work, but there are
strong reasons for believing that before Con-
gress assemblies additional conventions VIII be
made with Venezuela Guatemala, Honduras,
Costa Rica, Peru and probably one or two other
countries If Reciprocity were 4 menace no re-
suits would have been accomplished under the
Aldrich amendment. The Latin races arc as
nrompt to resent the brandishing of a club in
dinon,acv as men Of Anglo-SaXOn breed There
could not be resentment in this matter, since
they are getting the precise offer for which they
asked
The weak point of the Adiich amendment
is that it heavily discounts the free market
which is offered for tropical produce. 1t ought
to have included rubber, raw fibre, dye-woods'
nitrates. silver ore and several other products
which are now in the free list. Rubber, for
example is largely imported from Brazil, Colon
bia and Central America, and while it is exempt
from duty I'm the United States it does not
onter into the Reciprocity proposals. Raw fibre
is also one Of the largest imports from Mexico,
and if it had been included in the Aldrch
amendment the margin for negotiations with
that country would have been materially bread
ened The Reciprocity offer is practically much
larger than the terms of the Aldrich amend
ment imply, and it is based upon tho require
ments of the greatest market for Southern
produce. 1t is properly appreciated by Latin
America, and not misinterpreted as diplomacy
81 a1,-h