Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-08-25
4 BIG BILL TO PAY
Claims to Be Made by the Republic of
Colombia. ~--ss-s,. -..
She Asserts That Under . Former
Treaty She Should Have Had
Reciprocity Benefits.

An important diplomatic secret has leak
ed out to the effect that our government
has become sadly entanglsd with one Of the
Central American republics, a q result Of
the operation Of the reciprocity treaties.
end will have q bill to pay. beside which the
Bering sea claims will appear trivial in
amount. The country In question is the
United States Of Colombia. one Of the
Central American republics. which steadily
refused all efforts Of the State Department
to induce 1t to become a party to one of the
reciprocity treaties. Moreover, when her
sister republics and Spain (as to Cuba and
Porto Rico) began to ship their products.
duty free, to the United States, under the
terms OF their new treaties, Colombia
claimed the same exemption for her staples.
hides. coffee. sugar and molasses. The
State Department rejected this claim. as it
was obliged to do. else the whole fabric of
treaties would have fallen. the United
States being able to offer no inducements
otherwise.
The Treaty Of 1St6.
Colombia persisted in her claim, and
pointed to the treaty Of 1S46, which declares
that the Colombians shall not be assessed
any duties upon their products imported
into the United States higher than on like
articles imported from any other foreign
country. That meant, they contended, that
IL
United States free from Brazil and Cuba
they should enter free from Colombia also,
regardless Of reciprocity treaties. They
have never abated this contention; many
letters have been exchanged on the subject.
and at last the United States has been
obliged to admit the strength and correct
ness OF the Colombian position.
The Government Must Refund.
This being done. it follows that the gov
eminent must refund to importers the
amounts which they have paid in duties on
Colombian products which should have been
free, or admitted at lower rates. Just what
the total will amount to no one can tell at
present. but steps are taking to ascertain
the amount from statistics. The United
states very recently induced Spain to order
a refund Of five million dollars collected
enormously upon our exports to Cuba but a
stronger case still Is found in an instance
where Great Britain was obliged to refund
duties to US under the terms Of treaty
closely corresponding with that between
the United States and Colombia.
What Senator Gray Says.
Senator Gray, a member Of the commit
tee on foreign relations. says that when the
reciprocity amendment in the Mckinley
bill was being considered in the Senate the
question as to those nations claiming rights
under the most favored nations' clause of
treaties was raised. Mr.. Gray contended
Il en- that any nation having treaty rights
Of this kind would be entitled to the privi-
leges Of special agreements made with any
nation under the reciprocity section of the
Mckinley law. Senator Evarts, then a
member of the committee on foreign rela-
ticns. contended that special trade agree
meLts authorized by laws subsequent to the
time the treaties containing most IA
vored nations" clause were made would
sUpersede such treaties.
Senator Gray says the first question to be
raised in case claims were made of that
character would be to whom the money
was paid. Not to the importers. he says,
because they secured a higher rate for their
goods II they paid higher duties. 1t would
be impossible to find the consumers, and
the Colombian government would not ex-
pect to be paid these sums. II the claims
are made, and Congress Is called upon to
pay them, Ii will lead to a great deal Of
discussion, and the tariff policy of the coun-
try will again be reviewed.