Evening journal., 1897-05-04
DISCUSS OUR TARIFF
A German Proposes Obstacles to
Our Products.
TREATIES, HOWEVER, INTERFERE.

The Berlin Government Believes That the
Most Favored Nation" Agreement
VIII Act In Favor of aud Pro-
tect the United States.
Berlin, May Am the reichstag Count
Won Kanitz, the agrarian leader, inter-
pellated the government on the subject
of the new United States tariff. He
nsked if the government wished to con-
tinue the agreement Of 1891 and said
the Dingley bill implied less the in
crease OF the American customs reve-
nue. than the successive expulsion of
European imports from American mar
kets. Continuing he remarked.
The industry most prejudiced is the
German sugar trade. We should not
exaggerate the consequences to our
selves of abrogating the most favored
nation treatment but We could give
preference to Russian against Ameri-
can petroleum, place obstacles in the
way Of imports of maize, raw copper
bacon, hams, sausages and cotton from
the United States, and the government
It IS hoped. win take such measures as
viii tend to the advantage of our in
dustry, commerce and agriculture and
of the whole country"
Baron Narschall Won Bieberstein, the
minister for foreign affairs, rose TO re-
ply He said that as the new United
States tariff was still In suspense, he
would confne his remarks to the meas
ures of the imperial chancellor, Prince
! Hohenlohe, TO counteract the danger
threatening German trade, adding:
'But 1 cannot unroll a picture and
show how matters will shape them
selves If the decisions Of the United
States house of representatives be-
comes law"
After a historical review Of the de-
velopment Of Germanys politico-com-
mercial relations with the United
States, he continued: 1T is true that
no treaty exists between the United
States and the German empire. There
are, however, treaties Of former times
with individual German states, espe-
cally that of 1923 with Prussia. The
latter has repeatedly appealed TO both
sides on the question of its validity and
scope. but the matter has never been
thoroughly discussed between the two
countries.
"The federal governments have al
ways acted on the legal principle OF the
rights and duties of such treaties pass
ed by the German empire
After the foundation Of the empire
the validity Of the treaty Of 1928 was
expressly recognized by both parties
inasmuch as Hereunder rights had been
claimed and obligations fulfilled
Opinion Of Foreign Affairs Minister.
The minister for foreign affairs then
cited instances in support of his OBJ
servations.
Baron Won Bieberstein further said
, that when, in 1885. the imperial chan
cellor issued a notification concerning
I the Spanish commercial treaty tn
United States, Sweden and Denmarl
were included in the list Of most favor
ed nations.
When doubts were expressed as t.
whether the United States belonged L
those nations, Prince Bismarck declared
= that the question must be answered il
the affirmative, because Of the exist
ence of special treaties with individua
, states, which could not be separated
, from the empire.
: Germany. he continued. had fre
, quently obtained recognition Of he
rights from the United States by vir
tue of the Prussian treaty-for in
e stance. in 1884 in connection with tn
q Dingley shipping act and also when tn
5 United States was upon the point O
! ! GOnGluulnB Il treaty Win RRtln grant
ing exemptions from duty Of suga
from Puerto Rico. Prince Bismarcl
demanded that the exemption be ex
. tended without delay to Germany.
The minister for foreign affairs the
e explained there We're precedents on tn
? side Of the United States. The latte
4 at the time Of the negotiations of tn
p Dingley shipping act had not raise
objections to the Prussian treaty bein
stin in force, and had also made repre-
I, sentations In 1884 on account OF allege
u injury done by German railroad tariff
n to American petroleum for the beneh
e Of Russian petroleum.
o Upon that occasion the United State
b minister, in a note to the foreign Office
n referred to the existence of the mos
! favored relationship by virtue of tn
treaty of 1928 and added that the treat
was particularly applicable against an
kind of differential treatment I'm tn
way of taxation or imposts Of one gov
ernment to the detriment of the other