The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1897-05-04

necron with the Dingley shipping &C
He also recalled the fact that when IN
United States was upon the point OF con
Guiding treaty with Spain, granting ex
emptions from duties on sugar from
Porto Rico, Prince Bismarck demande,
without delay to Germany.
The minister for foreign affairs thel
explained that there were precedents OF
| the side of the United States. The lat
| ter, at the time Of the negotiations reIa
i've to the Dingley shipping act, did mo-
! raise the objection that the Prussiar
| treaty was not still in force. The United
States had also made representations in
| 1884 on account of alleged injury done
| by German railroad tariffs to American
| petroleum for the benefit OF Russian pc
| troleum. Upon that occasion, the Unit
ed States minister, If note to the for
eign office. referred to the existence of
the most favored relationship by virtue
of the treaty Of 1928, and added that the
treaty was particularly applicable
against any kind of differential treat
ment in the way Of taxation or imposts
of one government to the detriment o.
the other.
The minister for foreign affairs did not
think Count Won Kanitz was right in
ascrib,ng all the fluctuations Of German
American trade to tariff legislation. In
the speakers opinion, 1.-The fitful changes
which are peculiarly characteristic Of
American economic hte' have had a
greater effect upor trade.
Il confess" continued Baron Won
Beberstein, II fear that the view in
America is that We have obtained the
greater advantages from the treaties.
That is mistaken opinion, and if leg
islation is taken on that basis disap-
poir tment will certainly follow. No doubt
we are bound to give the United States
the tariff reduction recently granted to
Austria, and il would be a breach OF
good faith if, after claiming favored ma
ton. treatment ourselves, by virtue of
treaty, we suddenly denied our own con-
tentior when America asked The same of
Us.
IF formerly, in spite Of the clearly de-
fined state Of affairs, negotiations occur
red, resulting in an exchange of notes, /.
was because the Mckinley tariff raised
doubts when we were legally assured ii
would complete reciprocity. That agree
ment was confirmed by favored treat
ment and made clear how fresh .egisla-
ton would affect IL.
Il make these explanations because we
are now protesting and pressing for our
rights, and we wish to avoid provoking
rejoinders without legal basis. By the
concession Of favored treatment, the
United States in no wise abandoned the
right to change the tariff any more than
We undertook 10 permanently reduce the
wheat duty three and one-half marks.
The entire bearing of the Saratoga notes
is limited by tariff legislation. The Urit-
ed States is bound only TO grant US free
dom from duty for certain products,
while freedom from sugar is granted TO
other states The same applies to US in
respect to wheat.
THE introduction Of a general sugar
tariff of 40 per cent in the Wilson act
was no breach OF the favored nation
right; but a sur-tax on sugar from boun-
ty-paying states would have been a
breach, and we Immediately protested.
The United States admitted the justice
Of the protest, and President Cleveland
called upon congress to remove the sur
tax. The house of representatives acced-
ed but the senate refused. We have not
followed up our protest, first, because
the United States admitted legally our
I'D
fears that our sugar exports to the Unit |
ed States would be diminished have not
been realized.
1--WE have, however, again protested |
against the sur-tax of the Dirgley bill, !
declaring that. in the event Of its adop-
ton, Germany would have 10 consider |
whether she could continue the advan- |
tages Of American imports, especially |
agricultural products.
The American reply" the minister |
for foreign affairs explained, stated |
that the matter was about TO be referred |
to the chairman Of the senate committee, |
and that negotiations would hen be en-. |
cred into.
we did not protest against the other
Dingley bill provisions which injured |
German industry, or the ground that we
believe those interested should complain,
and It might be objected that whoever |
avails himself Of his own right injuries
nobody else. In fact the independence
If both sides is not affected by the fav-
'red nation clause; but il does not fol-
ow that this Independence IS unrestrict-
ID, inasmuch as no state can perman-
antly reckon on a foreign market for its
products il 1t closes its own markets TO
,oreign products.
1T would be the greatest mistake TO
adopt definite resolutions n the present
Unsettled state OF affairs. Doubtless the
position is difficult, ever serious, but /
an only ask the reichstag TO have conf
fence in the federated governments l
believe they are conscious OF the d.ffi-
,u,ty OF the task, and when decisive res