Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-09-15
A TARIFF CONTEST
Commissioners Appointed by Both Ger
many and Russia
Not Able to Come to q Determfn atior
In the Matter of q CONNER.
cial Treaty.

In the Matter of q CONNER
cial Treaty.
1.-THE Russo-German tariff contest
forms the subject Of several interesting re-
ports to the State Department. Consul
General Edwards at Berlin invites atten-
ton to the following facts. which. he says,
may prove Of interest at this season of
agricultural depression.
The commissioners appointed by Ger
many and Russia to negotiate a CONNER
cial treaty have not been able to come to
terms.
The negotiations having failed to result
IN an agreement Russia announced her
determination to enforce the tariff against
Germany from August l.
Germany. in answer to this announce
ment decided to levy an additional i'm
port duty Of so per cent on articles from
Russia.
An Additional Duty.
The customs acts Of 1889 empowered the
German government, with the assent of
the federal council, to levy an additional
duty of so per cent upon the products of
those countries which treat articles of Ger
man origin less favorably than those of
other states
The increased tariff may be enforced at
once but the decision to do so must be
laid before the imperial diet as soon as II
meets In the autumn
The imperial diet has the power to snnul
the decision. 1t is therefore impossible to
mercial war will have on Our trade or the
prices OF our agricultural products
should the war be prolonged any length
or time beyond the autumn Germany must
n hA Iyv,tN
supply Of cereals than heretofore
The rye harvest Of Germany promises to
turn out well. STILL very large supply
OF cereals will be required not only for the
the army.
This Is favorable moment to push the
cause or Indian corn in Germany.
The Importation Of hay and straw from
Russia into Germany has been prohibited
from August Is until further notice
IL is alleged as reason for this step
that the import trade in these products
may bring with 1t the cattle disease and
Of Russia
These products will be admitted in cases
where 1t can be shown that they come
from non-infected districts in Russia.
Commerce Between the Countries.
VIM. d. Warner. consul at Cologne. In a
report on the same subject says:
1T will be interesting to study the re-
lation of the commerce between these two
countries. The statistics show that Ger
many sends manufactures exclusively 10
Russia, which consisted in 1891 of the fol-
lowing articles: Wooden yarns and woolen
cloths. aniline colors, lead and zinc white
raw, malleable and cast iron. steel rails,
needles. pianos. astronomical and other in
struments, machinery, alumni .u,n. nickel
ana nickel ware. clocks. glove and ether
leather. &c. The total value Of the exports
from Germany to Russia in 1921 amounted
to S@.6seS7o. discriminating duty Of 80
per cent on these articles will. 1t IS said.
render 1t impossible for Germ my to con-
inue her exports to Russia.
The value OF the imports into Germany
from Russia Is considerably greater than
that Of the exports from Germany to Rus
sia and amounted in 1891 to Sl37, 800 83S,
against $34, $50 $40 from Germany to Russia
for the same year.
THE imports from Russia into Germa ny
consist almost exclusively Of agricultural
products.
Wheat for Germany.
''The total quantity Of wheat imported in
to Germany from Russia In 1892 was only
257. 2se tons. against 5155s7 tons In the proceed
ing year. The deficiency was supplied by
other countries. notably the United States
and the Donau countries. For instance,
the wheat imported into Germany from the
United States in 1891 amounted to llAS7s
tons. against 630213 tons in 1892 or an IN
crease OF osS,5S5 tons over the year 1891.
For the first Ave months of the current
year the import from Russia amounted to
only 6.033 tons. against 126. 369 tons for the
same period from the United States.
In former report I said that the staple
food of Germany was black bread (rye)
and 1t was from Russia that she was get
ting her deficiency supply Of This cereal.
In 1891 Russia sent to Germany GlS777 tons
Of rye. and In 1892 only l23.374 tons The
United States sent to Germany g.. 2.2 tons
Of rye in 1891 and l36. 12s IONS in 1892 Thus
a great increase occurred in the imports of
wheat and rye into Germany from the
United States. and a falling of in the i'm
ports from Russia. What effect the in
creased duty on the part of Germany
against Russia will have IN still increas-
ing the imports from the United States re-
mains to be SEEM
American Cereals Favored.
]. c. Monaghan. consul at Chemnitz,
says:
1T Is well known that American cereals.
especially our hard ones. are looked upon
favorably by German inillers and bakers.
Persons who should know say that Ger
many was better of selling even her own
grain, grown on her Siesian and Branden-
burg wheat fields, to England and rcplac-
Ing 1t by wheat bought IN the United
States. Her own grain. softer and more
glutinous than ours. produces a much in
ferior bread than does a -four made from
a mixture Of German and American wheat
Now that Russia has practically closed her
gates to German imports, hundreds of
thousands Of tons Of wheat, rye, oats and
barley. formerly supplied annually by Nus
covy. must be bought elsewhere To the
United States. with her enormous supply
Of grain of excellent Iualities-Just those
most desired by the bakers and n,llers-
the German public must turn.
Deeply as such a contest Is to be de-
plored 1t will not be without its conpensa-
tons II 1t turns continental Europe more
completely toward the wheat fields Of our
own Countrywide worlds lnexhaustible
store house Of cereals suited to every hu-
man need"