Omaha daily bee., 1897-12-01
CONTEST FOR SUPREMACY
John Bull and the Teutoas Lock Horns in
Earnest.
PRESENT WAR is A COMMERCIAL ONE
Termination of English Treaties with
Germany the BcGinning of u Great
StruRuIc-Chincsc Markets
the GREAT Prize.

WASHINGTON, Nov. 30 Commercial
Agent Stern, at Bamberg, in report to the
State department has given a great deal
of general Information ccucerning the re-
cent notice of England to terminate the COM
mercial treaty made with Germany. MIR.
Stern says that negotiations have been en-
tered into at the lnstlgation of Great
Britain for new treaty. The commerce
between England and Germany comprises
nearly 20 per cent of the atter's trade. Ger
manys exports to Great Britain proper In
1896 were valued at Sl69, ,9S2, 900 and to the
British colonies S26 900. The great
amount Of trade, he says, is due to the treaty
Of most favored nations existing between
Germany and England and its colonies. The
treaty about to be terminated ccuceded to
German trade the enjoyment of any con-
cesston or privilege granted 10 the colonies
of Great Britain or to the mother country
| by the colonies. Germany does not have the
same advantages with the Dutch, French or
Spanish colonies. The relations of the three
latter mother countries to their colonies Is
much closer in matters of trade than Eng
land has with hers. Referring to the fact
that Canada has recently made concessions
in it's tariff to English goods, and after ex-
pressing tho opinion that there Is no doubt
that other English colonies will soon follow
Canadl, Mr.. Stern says: GREAT Britain VIII
then be obliged to make concessions in It's
turn and amend all its customs laws in such
way that certain products of its colonies
may be imported into the mother country
under more favorable conditions than the
| corresponding products Of other countries.
| This would be carrying into effect tae plan
| to amalgamate all parts of the British en-
| pre into one customs union
ENGLAND THD GAMER.
| MIR. Stern says that in the German tariff
a certain amount of consideration seems to
| have been extended, resulting in a great in
crease of trade, and in comparing the figures
| 1t is shown that imports to Germany from
| England and its colonies have been consider
| ably greater than Germany's exports thither
| He instances a number of articles which
| England and its colonies send to Germany
and upon which the tariff amounts to but
| very little Influential German papers, dis
| cussng the termination Of the treaty, say that
| It will be easy for Germany to make reprisals
and that an increase in German tariff rates
would be much more serious for England
than Germany. Prof. Carl Rothgen, a well
known national economist, in discussing the
| question, says the most favored nation
| clause should not be applied to the customs
duties, but be conceded only to a small cir
Gle of countries which are economically re-
| lated to each other. It is not advisable
| to concede to the British empire and
tho United States after the new tariffs have
come into force any treaty rights by dealing
with the imports upon the basis of the most
favored nation clause, thus creating fresh
obstacles for closer commercial and political
relations between the middle European
States"
The writer considers the ultimate conse-
quence to be that the struggle for supremacy
will necessarily lead Germany to a conflict
of interests with England, and finally a strug-
gle for the markets which shall remain open
to Germany.
In closing his article Prof Rothgen makes
some remarks which are significant, in view
of the late German seizure in China. He
says that Germany must look to other mar
kets China is principally to be considered.
The German merchant has gained a good
footing there, but Russia, Japan. England
and France are always ready to snatch parts
of the country away. THE twentieth cen
tury will bring the struggle about China"