The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-08-02
England's Treaties with Germany
and Belgium Denounced.

OOlOnlhl fTemleTb In LOnuOn mas uOb pooh
entirely fruitless. At the request Of Sir
W1LFRID LAURIER and Of other official
representatives Of British self-governing
colonies. Mr.. JOSEPH CHAMBERLAIN has
consented to do what only two years ago
Lord RIPoN, his predecessor In the Office OF
Colonial Secretary. refused to do, namely,
denounce the commercial treaties existing
between Great Britain, on one hand, and
Germany and Belgium respectively on the
other. The prescribed notice having been
given to the Berlin and Brussels Govern
ments, the treaties In question will cease
to be- operative on July 80. 1893. What
will be the effect Of this proceeding on
England and ON her c~oloniesf
1t Is, of course, we'll understood that tho
German INT Belgian treaties, 90 long as
they remained in force, prevented Great
Britain from receiving any commercial
privileges at the hands Of her self-governing
colonies. The fifteenth article Of the treaty
with Belgium provides that ARTICLES, the
produce or manufacture Of Belgium, shall
not be subject In the British colonies to
other or higher duties than those which arc
or may be imposed upon similar articles Of
British origin" OF a purport substantially
identical is the seventh article Of the con-
vention concluded with the Zollverein, to
the treaty rights Of which the German
Empire has succeeded "In the colonie
and possessions [of her Britannia Majesty
the produce of the States Of the Z%ollverein
shall not be subject to any higher or other
import duties than the produce Of the
United Kingdom Of Great Britain and
Ireland" We scarcely need to d
that any advantages granted by Great
Britain to either Belgium or Germany in
virtue Of the stipulations quoted were ipso
JGcto extended to all other countries, the
treaties Of which with Great Britain In
clude tho ordinary most-favored-na
clause. No other treaty, however. contains
such specific stipulations; consequently,
when the Belgian and German treaties be-
como imperative. the British colonies will
be at liberty to admit British goods on
terms moro favorable han those imposed
on similar commodities imported from any
foreign country.
An attempt was made some time ago by
the British Government to obtain the abro-
cation of Article XIV. Of the Belgian
| Treaty and Of Article VII. of the treaty
with the Zollverein, separately, without a
denunciation Of the entire treaties, but both
the Belgian and German Governments
replied that they could not assent to the
abrogation of the articles specified apart
from the rest Of tho treaties. Would
not, then, the imperial government de-
nounce the whole of the treaties with Ger
many and Belgium9 was the question put
to the Colonial Secretary In 1894 by the
Ottawa conference, In which were repre-.
sented, It will be remembered, the Domin.
ion Of Canada, New South Wales, Victoria,
Queensland. New Zealand, Cape Colony,
and South Africa. To this request the
Marquis of R1PoN declined to accede
in a long despatch dated Juno rs, 1895.
He said that for several reasons her Maj.
esty's Government did not consider that 1t
would be prudent to contemplate the de.
nunciation of the treaties in question. II
was pointed out that the annual value OF
the exports from the United Kingdom to
Germany and Belgium in 1893 was about
$2O5, 900, 900, whereas for the same year
the value Of exports from the United
Kingdom to all the self.governing colo
MES did not much exceed $175, 0OO, 900.
The denunciation of the treaties with
Germany and Belgium would thus
expose the trade of Great Britain tc
some risks, and might be followed by q
loss Of some part of the export trade tc
those countries. Lord RIPoN went on tc
say that, after the denunciation of the
treaties, the of the British EN-
pire with Germany n Belgium would
have to be carried on under fiscal condi
tions subject to constant changes and luc
tuations, or, at all events, without thu
permanence and security which arc Of
primary Importance to successful ant
profitable interchange. 1t would be, b,
added, extremely difficult to negotiate new
treaties of a satisfactory character at ar
early date, and the loss which might in tn,
mean time result to a trade of $2O5 ,OOO, 600
would perhaps prove to be irreparable.
be able promptly to conclude for itself new
treaties with Germany and Belgium, thos'
countries, in Lord RIPoN's opinion, would
decline to include the British Colonies
therein, In view of the high tariffs exist
Ing in many Of them. Now, not only wool
but other articles Of colonial export, hav,
hitherto found a market In Germany ant
Belgium, from which their producers coul,
not we'll afford to be cut of, especially sine
they are effectually barred out of tn
United States by the Dingley tariff.
Such are the risks which Mr.. JOSEPH
CHAMBERLAIN has decided to confront
and now the question arises what are tn
counterbalancing advantages upon whicl
he calculatesf There Is no doubt that tn
denunciation Of the Belgian and German
treaties transforms Sir WnFRID LAURIKR'
preferential tariff from a delusion int
a reality. That tariff, it will be re
called, discriminates In favor of good
imported from countries which ADM
Canadian produce duty free. Great Britain
Is not specified by name, but as she is tn
+ only country which answers the definition
she was obviously Intended to be the benz
fciary OF the preferential rates. Conse
3 quently the Laurier tariff was recognize,
on all sides as an attempt to evade tn
? Belgian and German treaties, and Grea
+ Britain, acquiescing in the Justice O