Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1894-10-30
UNCLESAM'S BEEF,
And the Recent Prohibitory
Action of Germany.
HOW WASHINGTON OFFICIALS TALK.

Discrimination or Retaliation Against
American Products To He Met with SIM
liar Measures-Co Commissioner Lochren
Has Something to Say About Pensions
That Coachman Case = Tanglefoot in
Bond and Tillman's Dispensary Law.
WASHINGTON, Oct. 3O-"Retaliation is a
game at which two can play. If Germany
wants to play it we can keep her pretty
busy. And fancy she will be the first
to cry enough" So said member of the
cabinet and the inkstand danced as the
officials hand fell upon his desk, and the
subject he was so emphatic about was the
German prohibition against American
cattle. 1t is known that Secretary Gresh-
am has made very strong representation
to the German government as to the in
justice to the United States of the order
complained Of He has protested that
the action which is so severe blow to n
great American industry was taken with
out sufficient evidence of the existence of
disease among the cattle exported from
the United States or its contagious char
actcr or harmful effects.
Hoping for a Reconsideration.
The secretary and the German ambassa-
dor were in conference Mt the state depart
ment on the subject, and the minister
transmitted the protest to his home gov
eminent, promising that it should receive
careful consideration. There is some rea-
son to hope that our government may be
able to secure n supervision of the order for
a time, at least, to afford opportunity for
further Investigation and the proper con-
sideration of such representations as we
can make to support our case and one
reason for this belief is founded on the
change just made in the German chancel-
lorship. One of the secretaries of the Ger
man legation, however, said as to this
point: There is no probability that the
new chancellor will inaugurate any
change in policy toward the importation
of American cattle. With us all questions
Of policy originate with the emperor, and
are not subject to change by change in the
personnel of the government"
Going in for Principle.
The fact stated in an interview with a
Chicago packer that we send mighty
| little of the embargoed product @
| Germany will cut no figurn in this gov
| ernmcnt's policy. Uncle Sam is p ri Ct
| ly willing to have diseased meats and
| cattle stopped at the port of entry. He is
| glad to have them stopped. But when it
has been proved that our products are not
diseased he will expect to have them ad
| mittcd on the same footing as those from
the most favored nations, or know the
reason why 1t matters not whether only
| 1900 head of cattle or 100000 head are
shipped from this country. The principle
is the same, and as the value of our cx,
ports to Germany last year amounted to
nearly 500, 600, 600 the wisdom of sticking
up for the principle is apparent.
Was Made for Retaliation.
| Should the decree be withdrawn the Incl
dent will close. There is no doubt, how
ever. that when the decree was made il
was for rctaliatory purposes. Unless the
dispatch which will be presented to the
German chancellor by the American am
bassader has the desired effect the decree
will remain in force. Should it not in
ducc congress to abolish the sugar dis
eliminating duty Germany will then re
impose the pork embargo, in the opinion
of the state department. There is little
| likelihood, however, that congress will bt
bulldoZed by Germany or any other coun
try into abolishing anything. There i:
mnch more likelihood of it's increasing thu
duty on German sugar, and if that is not
enough, then on other German products
even to the extent of shutting them out al
together.