The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1897-05-04
merce and agriculture and of the whole

/ minister for foreign a1alrS. replying.
! said that as the new United States
tariff was still in suspense, he would
confine his remarks TO the measures
/ of the imperial chancellor, Prince ho-
! henlohe, to counterfeit the danger
threatening German trade. adding:
/ But l cannot unroll a picture and
show how matters will shape them
selves if the decision of the United
States house of representatives be-
comes law
After d historical review of the de-
velopment of Germany's political COM
mercial relations with the United
States, he continued:
1T is true that no treaty exists be-
tween the United States and the Ger
man empire. There are. however,
treaties of former times with individual
German states, especially that of 1928
with Prussia. The latter has repeated
ly appealed to both sides in the ques-
ton of its validity and scope, but the
matter has never been thoroughly dis
cussed between the two countries.
The federal government has always
acted on the legal principle of the right
and duties of such treaties passed by
the German empire. After the fOunda-
tion of the empire, the validity of the
treaty of 1928 was expressly recognized
by both parties, inasmuch as thereun-
der rights had been claimed and obli-
cations fulfilled
The minister for foreign affairs then
cited instances in support of his OBJ
servations.
Baron Marschall Won Bieberstein fur
Their said that when. in 1885. the i'm
perial chancellor issued a notification
concerning the Spanish commercial
treaty with the United States, Sweden
and Denmark were included in the list
as most favored nations. When doubt
was expressed as to whether the United
States was one of those nations, Prince
Bismarck declared the question must
be. answered in the affirmative, because
of the existence of special treaties with
individual states which could not be
separated from the empire. Germany,
he continued, had subsequently, OBJ
tanned recognition of her rights in the
United States by virtue of the Prussian
treaty, FOR instance in 1884, in conec-
ton with the Dingiey shipping act. He
also recalled the fact that when the
United States was upon the point of
concluding a treaty with Spain, grant
ing exem. tions from duty on sugar
from Porto Rico Prince Bismarck de-
manded that the exemption be ex
tended without delay to Germany.
The minister for foreign affairs then
explained there were presidents on the
at the time of the negotiations relative
to the Dingley shipping act. did not
raise the objection that the PruSsian
treaty was not still in force. The Unit
ed States had also made representa- ms
in 1894 on account of alleged injury
done by German railroad tariffs to
American petroleum. Upon that coca
sion The United States minister, in
note to the foreign office. referred to
ha or of no fax n
ton relations bv virtue of the treaty
of 1928, and added that the treaty was
particularly applicable against any
kind of differential treatment in the
way of taxation or impoStS of one gov
ernmert to the detriment of the other.
The minister for foreign affairs did not
think Count Van Kanitz was right in as
cribing all the fluctuations of German
American trade to tariff legislation. In
the speakers opinion the titful changes
which are peculiarly characteristic of
American economic life have had d
greater effect up trade.
Il confess. continued Baron Marschall
Won Eieberstein, Il fear that the view in
America Is that we have obtained the
greater advantages from the treaties
That is a mistaken opinion. and if legis-
lation is taken on that basis. a disappoInt-
ment viii certainly follow. No doubt We
are bound TO give the United States the
tariff reduction recently granted to Aus
t-ia, and il would be a breach of good
faith If, after claiming from the nation
to treatment ourselves by virtue of a
treaty, We suddenly denied our own con-
tention when America asked the same OF
us.
IF formerly. in spite of the clearly de-
fired state of affairs, negotiations oc-
Cured resulting in an exchange of notes.
= is because the Mckinley tariff raised
doubts when we were legally assured 1t
would complete reciprocity.
That agreement was confirmed by ia
4 two oil
fresh legislation would affect it.
Il make these explanations because we
are now protesting and pressing Tor our
rights. and we wish to avoid provoking
rejo.nders without legal basis. BY the
OF favored treatment, the
United States in no wise abandoned the
right TO change the tariff any more than
we undertook to permanently reduce the
wheat duty 3Is marks. The entire bear
ing of the Saratoga notes is limited by
tariff legislation. The United States is
only bound to grant US freedom 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 !
hut a surtax on sugar from bounty-pay- 1
ing states would have been breach. and
we Immediately protested. The United
St@teS admitted the justice OF the pro- |
test and President Cleveland called upon |
TO remove the s'IrtaX. The house /
Of representatives acceded. but the senate |
refused. We have not followed up our I
protest: first because the United States |
admitted legally our contention. and sec /
ondly. because the fears that our sugar |
exports to the United States would be |
diminished have not been realized
We have, however, again protested |
against the surtax of the Dingley bill. !
declaring that in the event of its adop- !
ton, Germany would have 10 consider
tn al
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 then be entered
INTO.
We do not protest against the other
Dingley bill provisions which injure Ger
nan industry, on the ground that we be-
;e..e those interested should complain,
nd il might be objected that whoever
walls himself of his own right Injuries
nobody else. In fact the independence
If both sides is not affected by the IA
ro-ed nation clause; but ii does not fol-
ow that this independence is unrestrict-
ID. inasmuch as no state can permanently
{ Il closes its own market to foreign
PRODUCTS.
1T would be the greatest mistake to
ldo2t definite resolutions in the present
Unsettled state of affairs. Doubtless the
position IS difficult, even serious. but /
an only ask the reichstag to have con-
idence in the federated governments. l
relieve they are conscious of the diff
ulty of the task and when decisive reso-
utions must be taken. they will combine
nth TIE firmness which our right fully
the cool. calm consideration TO
vhich the great worldwide interests in
'olved have a well-founded claim Cap
iause from the Lett
Or. Barth, Radical Unionist opposed
40 farppoS.l NJ IJa cold