The daily morning journal and courier., 1896-12-04
fl FIT FOR TAT POLICY.
Views on President Cleveland's Retalia-
 tory Proclamation.

tory proclamation against Germany was received with interest by the diplo- matic corps, especially by the ambassa- dors of Great Britain and France. An inkling of the presidents intention had reached them ten days ago and had been communicated to their respective governments. Both ambassadors have been diligently looking up the official correspondence on the subject, which is both interesting and pointed.
 The re-imposition of tonnage dues on German vessels is understood to be due to quiet investigation conducted the past year by MT Chamberlain, United States commissioner of navigation, who went abroad for that purpose. He found that when the imperial govern ment of Germany, as a nation, did not impose any tonnage dues on American vessels arriving at German ports, the maritime states which compose the German empire did impose such a tax in violation of the treaty existing be- tween the two countries.
 The German tonnage tax now being imposed is about six and a half cents per ton, or greater than the tax re- voked by the president in his proclama- ton of January 26, 1888, and which is now revived,
 The new proclamation affects all yes sells coming from German ports and entering the United States regardless of the nationality of the vessel. |.
 MT Chamberlain said this afternoon he would, in accordance with the presi- dents proclamation, immediately begin the preparation of regulations ta carry the proclamation into effect. The regu- lations will be issued in circular form and a copy will be sent to all United States navigation officials at the ports of the United States.
 MT. Won Richineau, the charge daf- faires of the German embassy, declined to express an opinion this afternoon re- garding the presidents proclamation. He stated in a general way that the matter had been the subject of core spondence for some time, but that he could neither anticipate what action the imperial government would take with reference to the proclamation, nor did he care to express an opinion re- garding it.
 It is not believed that the Gemnan government will consent to the impo- sition of a discriminating tax on Ger I n, +n,t The German contention, it is under stood, is that the tax complained of in the presidents proclamation is not inn posed solely on Americal vessels, but upon vessels of all nationalities, in cluding German vessels. The revenues arising from the tax are not converted into the imperial treasury, but become the property of the several states with in whose jurisdiction the tax is laid and by whom the money is used to inn prove their harbors in order to facili- tate the loading and unloading of yes sels It is argued that if Germany should rescind this tax, so far as Amer ican vessels are concerned, it would at once call for the protest, not only from English, French and other European powers, whose vessels would still be subject to taxation, but also from Ger man shippers.
 A bill dealing with this subject of tonnage tax and providing for the re- peal of the law exempting from such tax all vessels from foreign countries which extend a like exemption to our vessels was introduced in the last ses- sion of congress by Senator Frye. Af- ter an exhaustive hearing, in which New York representatives of the Ger man steamship lines were heard, the committee being unable to agree, or January 30 last reported the bill back : without amendment It was subse- quently recommitted to the committee Senator Frye made an elaborate report on the subject, showing that the law had not done what was promised fol it at the time of it's passage. Among other things, Senator Frye's report gave the following information which } in connection with the proclamation, is } of especial and timely interest:
 '"The law providing for reciprocity ir abolition of the tonnage tax was pass
 ed in the belief that the nations of tht l world would hasten to repeal naviga : ton charges. This expectation has no ! been met. Germany and the Netherland alone of maritime powers have accept
 ed the invitation and our experience
 with them has proved a reciprocity only in name.
 : During the seven years since thu : proclamation exempting German ship was issued, the total clearances O t American vessels from the United t States from German ports numbered only fiften of 21 ,156 net tons, and the en , tries from German ports 25 vessels O ', 30,36S net tons. The levy of a tax O six cents ton on Germany by thi = tonnage would have produced betweer - $1 200 and $1 800 during the seven years
 of less than S300 a year. During thu
 same period the entries of foreign yes
 sells from Germany into the United
 States numbered 4,972, of 9,6S0,S37 tons 7 "A tonnage of six cents a ton, tht
 amount which is levied on vessels iron l all other European countries, eXcep Germany and the Netherlands, would . have amounted to over s400,000 or abou .. S60, 900 a year. In other words, under the provisions of the law, which thi; . bill proposes to repeal, the United
 States, to secure an exemption of $20i
 or $500 a year in taxes on American vessels in German ports, have exempted foreign vessels from Germany from an. nual tonnage dues amounting to abou