Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1896-12-05
ouR rRounLE WITH GERMANY.


The New York World and some of the
Washington correspondents. in discuss
ing the proclamation OF President Cleve-
land reimposing tonnage duties upon
German vessels in American ports take
the ground that, whatever the immediate
reason for the Presidents action, the
real cause is long-standing and deep
seated. The long-standing and deep-seat-
ed grievance to which they refer Is the
discrimination of Germany against
American imp ports. The imposition by the
Wilson tariff law of the differential duty
on bounty paid German beet sugar was
resented by Germany. and ever since then
the German Government has manifested
an increasing unfriendy feeling toward
the United States by ruling out from time
to time American products. American
cattle as stated in our issue of yester-
day. have been excluded from Germany
on the pretext of danger of contagion
from Texas-fever. although IL Is pretty
well established that the fever cannot
exist In northern climates. American
hog products have been excluded, even
though cooked and enclosed in cans, on
the allegation that these cooked pro-
ducts might contain trichinae, which cam
not exist in cooked food; and discrimi-
mating and prohbitive duties against
American cleo, glucose. and petroleum.
and many other exports. which formerly
went to the German empire, have fol-
lowed. one after the other. Discrmina-
tion has also been made against Ameri
can insurance companies. and the policy
of the German Government respecting
this whole matter has evoked vigorous
protest from our government. Our AS
sistant Secretary of State and the United
States Ambassador TO Berlin have, it is
stated. conducted voluminous CORE
epondence on the subject. and some OF
she uapers in this country have been I'M
sparing in their criticism of Germany's
course.
However. other papers. and other Wash
ington correspondents. among the lat
ter the Herald's Washington correspond
emit antagonize the view that the pro-
c,aunation stands for anything more than
appears on its face. The Herald's cor
respondent says he is assured by high
officials that no consideration of general
retaliation entered into the matter, but
that the proclamation was issued simply
because 1t had been ascertained that
American vessels In Germany were not
accorded the same exemption from TON
naee-taxes that vessels arriving IRON
German ports were in American ports
The same correspondent explains that
the proclamation Of January Is. 1883. re-
xohed by the proclamation of Thursday
.rd which exempted from tonnage-tax
rsarv,,an vessels In the ports of this coun-
try. was based upon misinformation. MI.
Ravard. as Secretary of State. accepted
as conclusive q letter from Baron Won
Atvensieben, In which the German Minis
Ter stated that no tonnage or hgnt-
house duties. or any equivalent tax or
taxes whatever, were imposed upon
American vessels entering the ports OF
Germany. either by the imperial gov
6rrnent or by the governments of the
German maritime States; whereas. the
fact is. every American vessel arriving
a., German ports since the proclamation
~ 1sss has been subjected TO tonnage
dues or to taxes which the State Depart
ment considers equivalent to such dues
Nevertheless. the proclamation VIII act
as a general retaliatory measure. In that
II win enable us to get decidedly the bet
ter of Germany In tonnage-dues. The
number OF American vessels entering
German ports. as compared with the Ger
man vessels entering American ports, is
small. indeed. The German contention,
II is understood, is that the tax is not
imposed solely on American vessels but
upon vessels OF all nations. including
those sailing under the German iiag II
is. therefore. expected that the procla-
nation will draw from the German Gov
eminent vigorous protest; but how. un-
der the circumstances. our government
can DO otherwise than stand its ground.
We cannot see. The proclamation strikes
US as both right and timely-right. in the
principle involved. and timely. as calcu-
lated TO bring our differences with Ger
many to an adjustment before the fric-
tion between the two countries becomes
moro acute
-
Az a. Wy At