The Portland daily press., 1892-04-04
A TALK With lIR. REID.
His Modest Estimate Of His Good
Work Among the French.
THE SUCCESSFUL DIPLOMAT WILL
RESUME EDITORIAL WORK.

He Believes that President Harrison VIII
Be Re-elected-As to Himself, He Has
Come to Resign Rather than Seek
Office, but Can Hardly Conceive of an
American Great Enough to Refuse
Presidential Nomination.
NEW York, April 3.-Hon. Whitelaw
Reid, United States minister to France,
returned from Paris on the La Cham
payne and was seen on board the steam
ship this morning. He brought with him
the reciprocity and extradition treaties
between the United States and France,
signed by Mr.. Reid and M. Ribot, the
French minister of foreign affairs. Mr..
Reid said: ''The signing of these treaties
completes, in all but few details every
matter of negotiation pending between
the two countries. 1t only remains for
the United States Senate and the French
Chamber of Deputies to ratify them,
bringing to successful issue these ques-
tions that have been in many respects
attended with much difficulty, owing
largely to the difference between the
French civil law code and the English
common law system, the accepted prac4
tice in this country. The reciprocity
treaty will doubtless be of benefit to both
countries, although trade in the articles
affected by it is not as great as might be
supposed. The French do not get great
deal of sugar or molasses from us much
of their supplies coming direct from
Martinique and other West India
islands,
Mr.. Reid said the lifting of the en-
barge from American pork had doubt
less created an increase in quantity inn
ported, although there were some COM
plants about the method of inspection
from American shippers. There was
Great Prejudice Against This Article,
and the French administration in raising
the embargo had to encounter a strong
opposition. To placate this feeling they
made the inspection rules very strict.
This feeling is diminishing and the rules
will doubtless be relaxed. The duties
on pork are high, being 200 per cent.
Whenever he broached the subject to
them, Mr.. Reid was met with the very
reasonable answer that they were only
carrying out the system of protection in
augurated by his own government.
'sThere's a very strong protection
t
''That policy will, believe, have a IA
vorable result on the nations commerce..
The French government made a mistake
in endeayoring to reach at one leap what
has gradually been building in the
United States for nearly a century. For
instance, they advanced duties in some
cases as high as 400 per cent without a
moments warning and the result has
been to disturb commercial relations.
This is especially true between France
and SPAIN
Mr.. Reid stated that
The Dynamite Explosion in Paris
had not created such terror as was rep
resented by the newspapers.
Mr. Reid said he believed the Repub-
licans would win in the next Presi-
Dental campaign. He said he had seen
his name mentioned as Presidential
candidate, and stated that he could hard
ly conceive of any American great
enough to refuse the Presidential nOmin-
alton, but he thought the possibility of
his being put forward as a candidate
very remote. He remarked: II have
come home for the sake of resigning,
rather than to seek ofice.'' He said he
thought that President Harrison had
given the country clear and wholesome
administration, one which intelligent
men of either party can endorse. His
settlement of various international ques-
tions has been wise and sta.emanlike
and given great satisfaction. During his
term of Office. the business interests of
the country have not suffered. While lido
not think he has the adaptability that
would render him personally popular, he
has popularized his administration by
his official acts.'
New York Tribune.