The times., 1897-08-04
ENGLAND S TREATY RELATIONS
Breaks With Germany May Affect
Commercial Relations Elsewhere.

fNtlhliOos T1IStNllSEcs
The denunciation by Great Britain of
her commercial treaty with Germany opens
up a situation that may lead TO exceed
'ngly important results so far as this
countryis concerned. Members OF Congress
and students OF political economy are watch-
Ing the situation with much interest.
This denunciation is the preliminary step
in the direction of the great commercial
empire which is the dream Of Lord Sails
bury, and a closer affiliation between the
mother country, and her dependencies. 1t
is in the latter that the United States has
cause to fear an injury to her trade and
commerce.
Seeing the sudden loss OF trade with
Great Britain by reason Of the abrogation
of the treaty that has operated To the
advantage of the Germans, that people is
already clamoTing for retaliation and look
ing for some object upon which to veht
its spite. The United States appears to
be the handiestand apparently III ehumblest
of the powers, and the German press,
stung by the act of Lord Salisbury, is
demanding stlll further restrictions in the
American trade. In her commercial rela-
tions with other countries Germany has
been Committing grand larceny for years,
protesting against any restriction imposed
upon her trade, while at the same tine
keeping her import doors as tightly shut
as possible IN the face OF other nations.
She has developed her beet sugar industry
through the agency of her bounty until
she Is able almost to supply Europe with
sugar, and yet because this country has
created Il tariff that neutrallzes the ef-
OFT 70 hOu fsa,,
long array of our products shall be sub
jected to conditions that make their i'm
portation into Germany practically fre-
possible. In manufactured products Ger
many mas taken long strides In the last
decade and has built up an enormous buSl-
ness, covering the whole civilized world
To be suddenly confron ted, then, with
proposition that pOrtends loss OF a
considerable amount OF trade by this new
arrangement between Great Britain and
her colonies, is q matter which the Ger
mans cannot be expected to accept with
absolute equanimity.
TO some extent, at least. will the United
States, in like manner. feel the effects
Of this new Commercial deal. Fer years
Canada has been endeavoring to secure a
better footing with the mother country.
and the scheme the British ministry is
now perfecting Promises to In terfere Sc
riously with the trade OF this country and
Great Britain. Canada will become one
of our competitors in the English mar kets
on better terms than she has heretofore
enjoyed, and the jealous care OF the mother
| country, no longer willing to neglect her
| dependencies, will give the rest of her
| colonies n similar advantage. To what
| extent the closer trade relations between
| Canada and Great Britain will affect
| commerce is question that cannot now
be answered. But statesmen who are
| giving the subject some attention are cast
! ing about for a remedy in the event one
| is needed They think they have found
! partial remedy in the clause of the
| Dingiey bill which authorizes, under GER
tain conditions. the imposition OF 10 pc
| cent discriminatory duties
! There are some extremely radical mem
bers in both branches of Congress who viii
| advocate an abrogation of our treaty with
| Great Britain, giving it the most favored
| nation privilege, should the scheme OF Lord
| Salisbury prove destructive to our for
| eign trade There Is no donbt but that
| the whole subject will come up for dis
| eussion at the next session of Congress
| for by that time 1t is believed the scheme
| will have taken definite shape.