The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-02-14
AUTO TARIFF ACT
GERMANY PREPARING TO DIRECT
1T AGAINST NATIONS WHICH
COMPETE KEENLY.
AIMED AT UNITED STATES.
IT'S UTILITY AS A TRADE WEAPON
TO BE TRIED ON THIS
COUNTRY.
EMpERoR's NAVAL PROGRAMME
Centrist Organs Say to Press 1t VIII
Result In the Defeat of the
Government.

BERLIN. Feb. 13.-The declaration in
the reichstag by Count Posodowsky,
secretary of the imperial treasury, that
the so-called automatic tariff will be
adopted by Germany, has created
sensation in commercial and financial
circles, as it is the general belief that
such a tariff, at the expiration of the
existing commercial treaties, will be
used as a weapon against countries
whose competition the Agrarians dread
the most, and against the United States
even before then.
An official Of the foreign office, who
enjoys the full confidence Of Baron
Marschall Won Bieberstein, the minis
ter for foreign affairs has informed
the correspondent here Of the Associat-
ed Press that the new tariff will be
prepared Jointly by the foreign office
and finance department. The first stage
Of the work is just begun. Expert
statements are being obtained from
every point Of the empire in order to get
an accurate picture of the condition
Of the various industries and trades,
especially husbandry, so az to fix pre-
cisely the degree Of protection needed
in each case.
The new tariff, based on this inquiry,
will be passed by the reichstag in time
to be used as means of pressure to con-
clude favorable commercial treaties
dating from 1903. The scheme provides
for general and special tariffs. The
latter will be granted to treaty nations
and the former will be used against
nations with which Germany has no
treaty. All the present treaties will
be terminated and there is no doubt
that Germany's present relations with
the United States and Russia will be
considerably modified. The competi-
ton is yearly becoming keener and
more dangerous, but the government
believes that with suitable measures
fl. the sense indicated, Germany can
largely protect herself by increasing
the specialization of her products and
raising the quality Of her goods.
Emperor Williams remarks at the
parliamentary dinner given by Dr..
MIGUEL, the minister of finance.
strongly urging that the strength Of
the German navy be increased and adj
vOcating a coalition Of the COnserVa-
tives, Imperialists and National
Liberals, in order to carry out this pat
TlOI1C WOFk, nave DeSn COullHeIPleu
upon throughout the empire, and the
newspapers point out that it is evi-
IDENTIFY still the life dream of his maj
esty to make Germany as powerful
at sea as she is on land. But nearly
all the papers, even the Conservative
organs, maintain that his dream is
unrealiZable, and the CentriSts, as the
strongest party in the reichstag, are
deeply offended at being omitted by
the emperor from his list Of the ma
ttOnal parties. The leading Centrist
organ, the VOlkszeitung, says definite
ly that the Centrists will not support
rsuch inflated naval plans" adding:
And, if the reicnstag is dissolved fer
rejecting them, the elections will only
put the government in a worse position.
The election cry Of new vessels and
new taxes
SPELLS SURE DEFEAT
for the government. Let the Conser-
natives and National Liberals consol-
idate. They will still be powerless."
The agrarian mouthpiece, the
Deutsche TageZeitung, also fatty de-
nounces the naval scheme. It claims
that the national parties will only
united under the banner of agrarian-
ism.
Articles published in the French press as to
the ACCESSIBILITY of a Franco German entente
against Great Britain are followed with much
interest here, Prince Bismarcl1's organ, the
like TO welcome in the interests of peace the
choice of France in favor of Germany against
England yet we do not believe French poll
tics Will yet make such a choice. France is
ready, temporarily, to cooperate with Ger
many in the instance in the far East or in the
African colonies when directed against En-
gland, especially if Russia sanctions It, But
we do not believe for a moment that France
under any circumstances would relinuuish her
hopes of recovering Alsace-L Lorraine and re-
gaining military and political preponderance in
Europe"
1t IS announced that Emperor William will
attend the Stockholm exposition in the middle
Of July and take part, with the Meteor. in the
yacht races there. Both Count Won Mirbach
and Baron Won Manteuffel, the two abIest of
the Conservative leaders, intend to resign
their seats in the reichstag
Inc Prusslan minister for the interior
Freiherr Won der Recke Vonderhorst, is pre-
pairing bill to reorganize the Prussian MUM
cipal electoral system to deprive them Of their
present plutocratic character.
Herr Auer has replaced Herr Liebknecht as
edltor or the Vorwaerts, and since this
change, that paper has been more violent in
tone. Herr Liebknecht will be pensioned by
the Socialist party.
According to the Miitar WochenhIa+t mill
tary bicycles have proved success and the
example of France in forming whole COM
panies Of bicyclists will be followed by Ger
many. ~ oo
The four hundredth anniversary of the
pirth of Melancthon will be celebrated Feb.
10 throughout the Protestant part Of Ger
many. At the Berlin university, a special
address will be delivered by Dr. Adolf Har-
mack professor of ecclesiastical history. and
the best known exponent of broad evsno oil
cal theology in Germany. In Leipsic. Gier-
sen, Marburg, Goettingen and Heidelberg as
wei as IN other universities, the day will be
suitably celebrated. A monument of Meianco
thon, erected In his native place Bretten, near
Beden, VIII be unveiled Feb. 16 by the Grand
Duke of Baden in the presence of a large
thrOng. So
Redmond Received.
LONDON, Feb. 1S.-John E. Redmond M
r, the Parnellite leader who recentiv' 70 .