Omaha daily bee., 1895-12-06
cunnnRrl1L REr1LtirnnN.

COMMERCIAL RETILfi TfDN
II appears that the reference made
! 10y President Cleveland to the CONNER
clai relations of the United States with
the German empire. in which he sug
| gcstcd that u policy of commercial re-
taiation might become justiiiablc and
necessary In the case of countries which
discriminate against American products,
is regarded with great concern in Ger
many. On the one hand the agrarians
are denounced for having brought about
! the prohibition of The importation of
American cattle, while on the other
hand is is asserted that America is
responsible for the restrictions and
their withdrawal rests with America
| herself" this having reference to the
diffcrcntial duty on sugar imported
from countries paying an export bounty
on sugar, as Germany does.
What the president said was that
while in our dealings with other nations
we ought to be opcn-handcd and scru-
pulously fair. these considerations
should not "constrain us to submit TO
unfair discrimination, nor to silently
| acquiesce in rcNatiOus hindrances to the
enjoyment of our share of the Legitimate
advantages of proper trade relations
If an examination of the situation sug-
gests such measures on our part as
would involve restrictions similar to
those from which we suffered, the way
to such II course is easy" 1t Is not to
hp .lul,tn1 thut This iIn
declaration will be very generally APP
proved 10y the American people, but
we are bound in fairness TO consider
how far we are ourselves responsible
for the situation of which we complain.
When the former restrictions upon the
importation of American cattle and
meats into Germany were removed,
during the Harrison administration,
the raw sugar of Germany came into
the United States free of duty, and it is
unQuestionable that the desire of the
German government to avoid having Il
duty placed upon sugar from that coun-
try, which the president had authority
10 do under the reciprocity provision
of the Mckinley tariff, was what i'll
duced that government to abrogate the
restrictions which had been in opera
ton for ten or twelve years, notwith-
standing our repeated and persistent
efforts to have them removed. This
was one of the most valuable advan
tages this country acquired from the
reciprocity policy. The present tariff
law, in placing dtferential duty of
onet tenth of l cent per pound on sugar
imported from any country which pays
Il bounty on the export thereof, was
regarded by Germany as unfairly dis
eliminating against one of its most i'm |
portant interests. and it gave the agra
rian element in that country, which,
was very much dissatisfied with the |
withdrawal of the restrictions against
American meats, just the opportunity
it wanted, and its pressure upon the
government to renew the restrictions
distinctly retaliatory. although denied |
to be such by German officials and by |
the diplomatic representative of Ger
many to the United States, will hardly |
be seriously questioned, but it must be |
conceded that there is truth in the con
tention of the German government |
organ that this country is responsible |
for the restrictions. The differential |
sugar duty, dictated by the Sugar trust
and which is of no value whatever to
the national treasury. is the cause of
the prohibition of the importation of
American cattle into Germany and there
is reason to believe that the German
government would not hesitate to re-
move the restrictions in return for Il
removal of the duty. In other words,
that government is ready to renew the
reciprocity arrangement that existed be-
fore the present tariff law went into
operation and abrogated all reciprocity
agreements.
The president is right in saying that
Il policy of commercial retaliation
should not be lightly entered upon.
Every effort should be made to avoid
it, for, however easy it may be to in
augurate such policy, no one can fore
see how serious it's consequences might
be. The way to renew broader com
mercial relations with Germany. is sim
pie and free from difficulties and can
be taken without any sacrifice on our
part, but rather with decided benefit
to our people. 1t ought to be adopted
with the least possible delay.