Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1895-01-03
THE TARIFF WAR IS ON.
Antwerp Closed Against American
Cattle and Beef.
ALL OF CONTINENTAL EUROPE
Is Now Inaccessible to American
Cattle and Meat Products-Eng-
land Alone Open to Trade-The
Sugar Tariff the Cause of It All.
Spain Shows an Inclination to
Be More Reasonable.

CHICAGO. January 2.-Nelson Morris
has received a cablegram from his
agent at Antwerp that the Begian gov
ernment has prohibited the importation
Of live cattle from the Omitted States on
the ground that pleuro-pneumonia is
prevalent in this country. This closes
all the ports Of continental Europe
against American cattle and beef pro-
duets and leaves to the exporter only
the British market, which, in It's present
condition is not desirable. This Is
in addition TO the embargo on dressed
beef and packed goods which have been
in force in most OF the European cOun-
tries for some time. According 70 Mr..
Morris, Belgium is merely following the
lead of Austria, Germany, France and
other European nations in taking re-
taliatory measures against the United
States for the abolition OF the reciproci-
" treaty under which their sugar to-
dustry prospered.
The action by the Belgian authorities
not only shut off all access TO the mar
ketS OF that country, but also TO those
of Switzerland and a part Of Austria,
to which meat was sent via Antwerp.
ALL OF CONTINENTAL EUROPE
is practically closed to live stock and
dressed beef from the United States.
Three cities in sthis country sent mil
lions OF dollars worth of live and
dressed beef to Europe every year, and
the present embargo Is blow OF almost
incalculable severity to the cattle
raisI ng industry.
The three cities which have done the
exporting are Chicago, New York and
Baltimore. Trade has recently grown
TO such enormous proportions that
Hamburg firm recently completed i've
steamers for the exclusive purpose OF
shipping cattle alive and dressed beef.
Every week three or four boats, each
carrying SO, 600 worth OF beef, crossed
the Atlantic for the Antwerp port alone.
The National Live Stock Exchange
has issued letter, which will be sent
to-day to every stock exchange in the
West, calling their attention to the i'm
portance of prompt aud vigorous action
in the matter.
IT Is A TARIFF RETALIATION.
WASHINGTON, January 2.-Oficials
of the Department Of Agriculture said
! that they were not surprised at the ac-
| tion of Belgium in excluding American
cattle from her ports. She is one OF the
countries closely allied with Germany
in her commercial interests, and it was
! expected she would follow the example
of her more powerful neighbor in this
matter as Denmark has already done, as
/ IL is believed, Germany is bringing her
influence TO bear upon adjoining nations
/ 10 effect the complete exclusion OF
American meats While this belief Is
not susceptible of proof IL is thought
| that its accuracy would be strikingly
| demonstrated by the promptness with
which Europe would decide that our
meats are pure il Congress should aool-
! ish the sugar duties.
DR.. Salmon, chief OF the Bureau OF
! Animal Industry, says that there has
been no pleuro-pneumonia In the United
States for two years, and that the sew
eral cases which foreign inspectors
| nave bUOuRuh buOJ uicNON"AEN AoNO
been proven by investigation TO be
false alarms. The department has fur
nished TO the State Department state
ments of the thoroughness Of the
American system OF inspection and
expert proof OF the imDossibility of the
transmission OF Texas fever, the drst
alleged cause of the existing meat COM
plications. Some of the agricultural
officials are inclined to believe that the
faction OF the German parliament which
opposes the exclusion policy OF the Agra
rians may succeed, and that the possi-
bilities OF tariff war may be averted.
SPAIN Is MAKING CONCESSIONS.
WAsHINGToN, d. c., January a
From authoritative sources here addi-
tional adyices have been secured re-
spectins the decree signed yesterday at
Madrid bv the Queen Regent Of Spain,
appointing commission 10 revise the
Cuoan Porto Rican tariffs. The infor-
nation fully confirms all that was said
in the announcement exclusively made
by the Associated Press that Spain In
tended to grant Cuba certain internal
powers, especially as regards customs
relations with the United States, in the
hope of avertng tariff war.
TUE REIIGI0N