The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1891-10-02
THE BRAZILIAN TREATY.
An interesting Letter from Minister
Mendonca to Mis- Government.

IhE BRAZILIAN TREATY.
An interesting Letter from Minister
Mendonca to Mis- Government,
correspondence of st. Louis Globe Democrat I
RIO DE JANEIRo, August lathe report
Oh the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr.. JUS
TO Lelte Chermont, has just been, given to
the public. Abiding to the commercial agree
ment with the United States, he says:
However, ought to state that some Euro
pean Governments, judging their CONNER
cial interests prejudiced, have sought to OBJ
tain similar fayors to those conceded in that
agreement to certain American products.
In no treaties with these countries has the
republic inserted the nation more favored
clause, and as its revenue consists chiefly of
collections on imports, without bringing
ruin on itself 1t could not concede this point
| yet for awhile, however necessary the con-
| cession may be to complete reciprocity so
| difficult of establishment. Notwithstanding
therefore the sentiments which actuate these
| Governments Brazil has not seen fit to COM
| ply with their wishes. 1t believes that they
have recognized meanwhile by experience
that their products are not excluded from
Jul iuulhCt. WIN bUIo I6SptCb MI. MeU-
donca makes some important observations,
which L subjoin."
The document to which he refers is dated
February II, 1891, at the Brazilian Legation.
washington, and says:
MENDoCA's LETTER
have the honor to congratulate you and
our country on the happy termination of the
negotiations, which have resulted In the
| commercial treaty of the 31st of January, put
! simultaneously In force by degree of the Pro-
| vlsionalGoveinment OF the United States of
Brazil and by proclamation Of the President
of the United States on February5.
| Let the arguments Of the opposition
| which have beer made against this treaty be
| what they may, the treaty Is the beginning
| OF new era, both In our International re-
lations and in the internal economy of our
| States. The opposition can only arise from
ignorance Of facts and the lack of knowledge
| of the state of political and commercial re-
lations between the two republics, or from
| pefsonal interests which have been affected
| by the modification Of our tariff. The gen.
| eral interests of our nation are guarded, The
| treaty guarantees us the virtual monopoly of
| this great market for cur principal produc.
tions. opening particularly their ports to our
sugar, and thus restoring the richness of the
northern States of Brazil.
In September of the year past, after the
passage of the Mckinley tariff bill, we found
ourselves In this positions On the 1st of Jam
uafy, 1882. In the event that we would not
United States, the President thereof was, BY
virtue OF that tariff law, to reimpo Sc the duty
OF &c per pound on our coffee and of lie per
pound on our coffee and Of lac per pound on
hides admitted from Brazil, and from 81 to ~
per cent ad yalorem, or about &c per pound
on sugar OF our production.
The reimposltion of these duties does not
remain In the power of the President,
does. The law is imperative on this point.
What is left to the power of the President
Is to Judge If the favors which the United
States receives for those which that law con-
cedes are. In his opinion, sufficient.
I'm that situation, to fold our arms was to
leave the most vital interests Of Brazil In
the United States, both commercial and pol
itical, to run the utmost risk. 1t is certain that
the .r'sl@eesition of the tax of Sc per pound
on coffee would prejudice very little our ex-
portation of that product, although other
countries might introduce theirs free of
duty. because we have the monopoly of this
market In such manner as to this article
that the consumers would have to bear the
burden Of the tax. The United States has
| no other source from which to draw its cot
| fee supply than Brazil. Coffee of all count
ries. including that of Asia, scarcely amounts
to a third OF what 1t receives from our ports.
While every coffee tree in Brazil produces
the average of 3 pounds. the average pr0duc-
tion OF other countries varies from one
fourth ofapound in Mexico to pound in Java.
n we nave, thereWt1re nothing to fear from
not, our coffee expectation would not be
affected to the extent of single pound.
1T Is also certain that hides would not be
affected sensibly by the duty of lie per
pound. Our two great markets to-day for
that article are the United States aud Eng
land, but the production does not keep peace
with the consumption. The best proof Of
this is that the price of the raw material con-
tinually advances as the leather manufactu-
ers Of the two countries meet In our ports
to purchase. Ii the United States should
Impose tax on this article, they would only
make dearer raw material they need, and
then would result that English leather man.
fractures would Introduce their products In
to the United States and undersell the
domestic manufacturers.
WHERE IT HURT.
As to sugar, however. the case was entire
ly different. Ii until ON an equal footing as
to duty, our sugar could not compete in the
United States market with the sugar of Cuba
and Porto RicO, for reason OF the advantage
which those islands have over us in freight
| aud insurance, much less would 1t be able
| to make its way, in case the duty Of &c would
| be reimposed on our sugar and the same pro-
| duct Of the Antilles should remain exempt.
| Not to make treaty would be to give a NOR
tai blow to that industry in our country, be-
| cause Europe is almost entirely closed
against sugar cane for beet sugar, and the
market OF the United States would also be
shut against us where is yet consumed near
| ly a million tons of sugar cane.
And at last, could we be able to enter on
policy OF retaliation and of war of duties
with the United States? 1t would be bet
ter for our rising republic not to depart from
the pleasant relations which to-day happily
exist between our nation and that great
Union, and to enter on a path of strife with
nation whose friendship the greatest Pow
ers OF the world desire to cultivate. l
thought we could not afford to do SO, and in
my official correspondence said so frankly to
my Government.
"ln reply to my communications of Sep
TENDER z. Mr.. Ruy Barbosa, then Minister
October rs to continue negotiations In agree
ment with the opinion which i have ex-
| pressed to him. Since the first of DC tober
| l have sought leave Of the Government to 20
to Brazil to lay before 1t the situation of the
negotiations confided to this special mission
| and receives its instructions and orders.
| That authorization was given to me. Be
tween October 26 and November 81 concluded
Inc negotiaatlo Ions relative to the commercial
ment OF Brazil further than the authority II
| gave 10 Its plenipoteniary. Mr.. Blaine de-
ciaredthat he would nominate for completing
the negotiations Of the treaty Mr.. John W.
Foster, ex-Mtnister of the United States in
Spain. Accordingly, on October 26 Mr.. Fos-
was presented to me, duly accredited, and
since then, in my residence, we resumed the
negotiations suspended in April when the
Mckinley tariff bill was presented to Con.
| gress.
| AMERICAS DEMANDS.
"Mr. Foster began by demanding compen-
sation for Sic, 1000 Of duty on coffee &c.
100000 hides Isl. 500, 0O0) and sugar "a, 00O, O00
which the United States would lose by the
treaty, and as means of obtaining that COM
pensation presented to me list which in
clnded nearly all the articles of North Ameri-
can production, demanding for them either
exemption Oh duties or q reduction of 80 per-
ceht n our present tariff. l commenced by
establishing as preliminary the exclusion Of
every compensation as to taxes on coffee and
hides, with 1.-The arguments | have before
stated. l firmly declared that Brazil would
diminish thereby Its revenue. NECESSARY to
the maintenance of the republic,
After discussion, Mr.. Foster accepted nv
preliminary. | prepared list OF North
making q calculation Of the average annual