The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-12-04
GOING TO FIGHT THE GERMANS
THE KAIsER's TARIFF WAR NOT
TO BE MEEKLY ENDURED.


Numerous UnfriendIy Commercial
Acts on the Part of the German
Government Recited in the PrOcIa-
nation.
! Washington. Dec, 3-There is reason to
anticipate further break in the friendly
relations between the United States and
! Germany. The President to-day issued the
unfrlendly acts of the German government:
| BY the President of the United States:
A PROCLAMATION.
! Whereas, by a proclamation Of the Unit
ed States, dated Jan. 26, 1883. upon proof
then appearing satisfactory that no ton
mage or light house duties or any equiva-
! lent tax or taxes whatever were imposed
upon American vessels entering the ports
Of the empire of Germany, either by the
| imperial government or by the govern
ments of the German maritime states, and
that vessels belonging to the United States
of America and their cargoes were not
required in the German ports to pay any
fee or due of any kind or nature, or any
important due higher or other than was
goes in the United States, the President
did thereby declare and proclaim, from
and after the date of his said proclama-
tion of Jan. 2e, 1888, the suspension of the
collection of the whole of the duty of
cents per ton, not to exceed 30 cents
per ton per annum, imposed upon vessels
entered in the ports of the United States
from any of the ports of the empire of
Germany, by section II of the act of con-
gress approved June 10, 1886, entitled "An
Act to Abolish Certain Fees for Official
| Services to American Vessels, and to
Amend the Laws Relating to Shipping
| Commissioners, Seamen and Owners of
| Vessels, and for other Purposes"
| And, whereas, as the President did fur
| ther declare and proclaim in his procla-
nation of Jan. 26, 1888, that the sus-
| pensions should continue so long as the
! reciprocal exemption of vessels belong
| ing to citizens of the United States and
| their cargoes should be continued in the
said ports of the empire of Germany, and
no longer.
| And, whereas, it now appears upon sat
| isfactory proof that tonnage or lighthouse
| duties, or taxes equivalent thereto are in
| fact, imposed upon American vessels and
\ their cargo entered in German ports high-
| er, and other than those imposed upon
/ German vessels or their cargoes entered
in ports of the United States, SO that the
| proclamation of Jan. 26, 1888, in its
| operation, and effect contravenes the
meaning and intent of said section IL of
! the acts of congress, approved June 18th,
1886, now.
Therefore, I. Grover Cleveland Presi-
| dent of the United States of America, by
| virtue of the aforesaid section II of the act
| aforesaid, as well as in pursuance of the
terms of said proclamation itself, do here
| by revoke said proclamation of January
18th, 1888, suspending the collection of the
whole of the duty of six cents per ton,
not to exceed thirty cents per ton per an
mum (Which is imposed by the aforesaid
section of said acO upon vessels entered
in the ports of the United States from any
of the ports of the German empire; this
revocation of said proclamation to take
effect on and after the second day of Jan,
uary, 1887.
In witness whereof have hereunto set
my hand and caused the seal of the
United States to be affixed.
Done at the city of Washington this
third day of December, in the year of our
lord, one thousand eight hundred and
ninety-six, and Of the independence of the
United States, the one hundred and twen-
ty-frst.
(SeaD Grover Cleveland.
by the President: Richard Olney, Sec
retary of State.
Evidences of an unfriendly disposition
on the part of the German government
towards the United States have been ac-
cumulating ever since the differential duty
on the bounty paid German beet sugar
was imposed by the Wilson tariff law.
American cattle have been excluded on
the pretext of danger of contagion from
Texas fever, which cannot exist in north
ern climates. American hog products have
been excluded even though cooked and
enclosed in cans, on the allegation that
these cooked products might contain tri-
chinae, which cannot exist in cooked food.
Discriminating and prohibitive duties
against American oleo. glucose and pc
troleum and many other exports which
formerly went to the German empire have
followed one after the other. All these
matters have been made the subject of
vigorous protest from the state depart
ment, much of the correspondence having
been conducted by Mr.. Edwin f. Uhl,
now our ambassador in Berlin, while he
was our assistant Secretary of State. Mr..
Uhl is, therefore, particularly well quail
fled to deal with the existing situation
should it grow more tense.
News of the issuance Of the proclama-
ton was received with intense
interest by the diplomatic corps.
especially by the ambassadors of
Great Britain and France. An
fnkling OF the intention had reached
them ten days ago, and had been COM
municated to their respective govern
ments. Both ambassadors have been dill
gently looking up the official correspond
enee bearing on the subject. which is both
interesting and pointed. The reimposition
of tonnage dues on German vessels is un-
derstood to be due to quiet investiga-
tion conducted during the past year by
Mr.. Chamberlain, the United States COM
missioner, who went abroad for that pur-
pose.
He found that, while the imperial gov
ernment of Germany as a nation did not
impose any tonnage duties on American
vessels arriving at German ports, the mar
itime states which compose part of the
German empire do impose such tax In
violation Of the treaty existing between the
two countries. The German tonnage tax
now being imposed is about 6h cents per
ton. or greater than the tax revoked by
the President in his proclamation Of Jan.
26 1885, and which is now revived.
The new proclamation affects all ves-
sells coming from German ports and en-
tering the United States, regardless Of the
nationality OF the vessel. From June 30
1888, to June 30 1894 vessels to the num-