The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1897-06-21
JAPAN IS PROTESTING
Believes Pending Tariff Bill Un-
Justly Discriminates.
RETALIATORY ACTS MAY FOLLOW.

Minister Toru Hoshi Presents Note from
His Government Embodying the OBJ
jectiOns of Japan to the Proposed Tariff
Law-Claim Made That the Manufact-
ures of That Progressive Country Are
Hit Unnecessarily Hard.
Washington, June 21.-The protest
made by the japanese government
against the pending tariff bill is for
mally embodied in a note from Minister
Toru Hoshi Of date as late as the Sd
Of the present month. The note is
couched in the most courteous language,
but there is a firmness of tone obserVa-
bic that indicates the remonstrance may
be followed by acts of retaliation if dis
regarded.
The note begins with an apology for
expressing an opinion that under ordi-
nary conditions might be regarded as
trenching upon domestic affairs, but
cites as justification the fact that i'm
portant japanese interests are involved
and that in the opinion of the minister
the proposed increase of duties will i'm
jure the United States no less than Ja-
pan by retarding the growth OF prom
Using commercial relations.
The articles of japanese productions
that will be most seriously affected,
says the protest, are light weight silks,
silk handkerchiefs, mating. hemp and
jute rags, and carpets and tea. In the
case of silks the minister says the pro-
posed duty will amount To an ad VAL
orem rate of between % and 100 per
of duty will
be 10 per cent more.
Rates Are Practically PrOhibitOry.
These duties, it is stated, are pracu-
cally prohlbitory, and bear upon silks
peculiar to Japan. A prosperous trade
has been built up in japanese mattngs,
now admitted free and i'm general use
among the poorer classes. The proposed
duty. says the minister, will be so heavy
that the trade cannot survive in this
article not now manufactured in the
United States. The duty upon hemp,
| lutte, rugs and carpets will amount to
nearly 80 per cent, and be another Sc
we're blow to Japanese commerce. AS
! to tea the minister says the sudden
| change of the policy of the United
States from free importation to a duty
| of from 80 to 100 per cent. has awak-
| ened in the Jananese mind the gravest
| fear for the stability of the tea industry,
| for years i'm a depressed condition, al
though furnishing two-thirds of the tea
| imported into the United States.
The minister says that while the i'm
! periaI government does not share the
! general belief that this legislation was
I intended to discriminate against Japan
} ese commerce it is an unfortunate CO.
| incidence that the imports from Japan
| iniuriously affected are specialties or
I Japanese production. In conclusion the
! minister says:
| Sentiment should Not BE Ignored.
} "As have had the honor to state, the
| imperial government is far from sharing
| in a belief for which it finds no war
| rant in the cordial attitude always
! maintained by the United States to-
/, ward Japan; but, nevertheless. 1t does
! not think II even wise or prudent TO ig-
| more a sentiment which, under certain
| circumstances, might have a most un-
fortunate effect upon the resolutions OF
! the two countries. 1t hopes, moreover
| that il will not be forgotten that this
| feeling may be attributed in some de-
| gree to the fact that no article OF Amer
! lean importation to Japan pays at pres
ent anything more than nominal duty;
| and to the further circumstance that the
legislature Of Japan has already signi-
fed its intention of hereafter levying
only the most moderate imposts upon
! American commerce"