Evening star., 1897-05-03
Dingley Bill Discussed in the Reich
stag.
EFFECT ON GERMAN INTERESTS
Count Won Bieberstein Answers for
His Government.
MATTER SETTLED BY TREATY

BERLIN. May 3.-In the reichstag today
Count Won Kanitz. the agrarian leader,
interpellated the government on the sub
ject of the proposed new United States
tariff. He asked If the government wished
to continue the agreement of 1891. and said
the Dingley bill implied less an increase of
American customs revenue than the sue
cessive expulsion of European imports
from American markets.
Continuing. Count Won Kanitz remarked:
THE industry most prejudiced is the Ger
man sugar trade. We should not exagger-
ate upon the consequences to ourselves of
abrogating the most favored nation treat
ment, but we could give a preference to
Russian against American petroleum., place
obstacles in the way of imports of maize,
cotton from the United States, and the
government 1T is hoped, will take such
measures as will tend to the advantage of
our industry. commerce and agriculture
and of the whole country"
Baron Bieberstein Replies.
Baron Marschall Won Bieberstein, the
minister for foreign affairs, replying, said
that as the new United States tariff was
still in suspense. he would confine his re-
marks to the measures of the imperial
chancellor. Prince Hohenlohe, to counter
act 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 become law"
After historical review of the develop
ment of Germany's politico-commercial re-
lattCIs with the United States he con-
tfnued: 1T is true that no treaty exists
between the United States and the Ger
man empire.
There are however. treaties of former
times with individual German states espe-'
cially that of 1923 with Prussia The latter
has repeatedly appealed to both sides in
the question of it's validity and scope, but
the matter has never been thoroughly dis
cussed between the two countries The
federal governments have always acted on
the legal principle of the rights and duties
empire. After the foundation of the en-
pire the validity of the treaty of 1928 was
expressly recognized by both parties, in
asmuch as hereunder rights had been
claimed and obligations fulfilled"
The minister for foreign affairs then citeS
instances In support of his observations.
Former Recognition Secured.
Germany, he continued. had frequently
obtained recognition of her rights from the
United States by virtue of the Prussian
treaty; for instance. in 1884, in connection
with the Dingley shipping act. He also re-
called the fact that when the United States
was upon the point of concluding a treaty
with Spain, granting exemptions from the
duty on sugar from Porto Rico, Prince
Bismarck demanded that the exemption be
extended without delay to Germany
The minister for foreign affairs then ex-
planned there were precedents on the side
of the United States. The latter at the
time of the negotiations relative to the
Dinsley shipping act. did not raise the OBJ
lection that the Prussian 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 bcne-
tit of Russian petroleum. Upon that occa-
sion the United States minister, in a note
to the foreign office, referred to the ex-
istencc of Tie most favored relationship by
virtue of the treaty of 1S2S, and added that
the treaty was particularly applicable
against any kind of differential treatment
in the way of taxation or imposts of one
government to the detriment of the other