The advocate., 1897-04-14
GERMANY WILL RETALIATE.
A Matter Of Great Interest to American
Farmers.

A Matter of Great Interest to American
Farmers.
The following recent cablegram from
Berlin foreshadows q retaliatory policy:
"If that section Of the Dingley tariff
bill lately passed by the American House
Of Representatives which authorizes the
imposition Of an additional tax on i'm
ported refined sugar equal TO the amount
OF bounty paid by the exporting coun-
tries shall become q law in the United
States, it is the purpose Of the govern
ment Of this country to exclude all
American hog products, oil wheat and
all petroleum. The first two steps will
be especially serious to Kansas City and
Kansas, and indeed the whole American
Southwest.
"It is possible that an interchange of
diplomatic notes at Washington may
presently foreshadow the existence Of
this retaliatory resolve.
Necessarily the conduct of such mat
tera proceeds in q course fixed by custom
and prescribed by form, and the develop
ment of Germany's challenge may not
speedily be- exhibited to view. AS the
bill stands, indeed, nothing can i'm
mediately be- expected except forceful
protest against the sugar schedule. That
will be made, without doubt, within a
day Or co. II is possible--it ID even
probable-that no attention will be paid
to 1t in the United States Congress, and
that it may merely be filed away in the
cabinet of the United States Senate COM
mittee to which the American Secretary
Of State may be pleased to transmit it.
Regardless, however, Of such disposi-
ton of this protest, it can now authorita-
tivelybe said that the document, when
sent, will be but the initiatory step of
German displomRcy. With equal
authority it can be- declared that the
purpose has crystalized and will display
itself in retsliatory action as soon as the
sugar sections Of the Dingley bill shall
become law.
"Americsn wheat will be excluded
first, as American beef is now shut out.
Then all hog products will be excluded,
and finally discrimination will be made
against all petroleum which does not
come to this empire through the straits
of the Bosphorus. This, ofoourse, admits
Russian and excludes American kerosene.
"Germany took 800, 1854, 1868 Of American
products last year out of the total Amer
lean expectations OF 1868 200847. There
are number OF articles upon which the
levying Of prohibitory tax would mean
commercial disaster. 1t is impossible to
believe, for instance, that cotton would
be 30 taxed, as it would mean ruin to
many important German manufactures,
Yet cotton made up nearly one-half Of
Germsny's total, that country paying to
the United States $4l, ,759,576 for 519,-
229,697 pounds during the last fiscal
year.
"The cereals and their products and
the meat products other than fresh beef,
which is now excluded, would unquestion-
ably be the object Of assault. The exports
to Germany for the year ending June 30,
1896, which may be considered of an as
sailable character, here follows:
articles. Quantity. Value.
Barley ......,.. 9O8462 bushels 5 B56 ,S93 |
Corn ............. 13,692.220 bushels 5,l21 ,573
Oats ........... 72e,8l4 bushels 199,2Gl !
Wheat ........ S92,4l4 bushels 608,450 |
FlUur .......... 190,S44 barrels 632,56 |
Petroleum 12i, ,841 ,266 gallons 6,76G,S08 |
Canned beef m 7,690,806 pounds 6lG,540 |
Jalted beef @ 6,579,729 pounds 876,l58 !
ralIoW ........... 6988,53l pounds &7,S78 |
Bacon .... 9096.825 pounds G03,022 /
I ia "A