The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-02-03
DENOUNCED 1T WASHINGTON
MANY CONGRESsMEN IN FAVOR OF
PROMPT RETALIATION.
Germany's Action Merely Another
Step in the Commercial War She Is
Waging Against This Country.
Special to the indianapolis journal.

StateS-her discrimination against our prod
ucts--there is danger of an outbreak of
jingo retaliation sentiment in Congress.
BY one pretext or another the German gov
ernment has issued discriminating orders
against American meats, live stock, bread
stuffs, mineral oils, fruits and several inn
portant manufactures, and American insur-
ance companies and other concerns have
been harassed. In fact, there is an evident
purpose to close the doors of Germany to
everything made or grown in this country
Besides this, reports from our consuls show
that a wave of dishonesty-of commercial
thevery, it might be called-is sweeping
over the Kaiser's domain. German business
firms invite shipments of American bicycles
and other machines and turn them over to
manufacturers, who counterfeit them as
closely as possible and put American trade
marks on the German-made wheels. In
deed, it is said there is nothing left undone
by the mass of German manufacturers and
storekeepers to destroy the trade of Ameri-
cans Our bicycles are so much superior
in style and workmanship to those made in
any foreign country that they are much
sought after, but when inferior German
wheels are labeled American it will not be
long before American made will be a
term of reproach instead of guarantee of
excellence In regard to the discrimination
against our meats, breadstuffs and fruits,
it may be said the Agrarians' (farmers) as
sociations-the Populists of Germany-are
responsible for the embargoes. The Agrari-
ans are strong politically, and the govern
ment is doing all it can to placate them.
These farmers, who are unable to raise suf-
ficient food supplies for the people of the
cities, or who are unwilling to sell at rea-
sonable rates, think that by barring out
American products better prices can be OBJ
tanned for their own. Like some of our
own rabd Populsts, they imagine the
rights of urbanites should be made sub
servient to what the Agrarians call their
rights.
THE DISCRIMINATING DECREE.
The latest discriminating order issued by
the German government is contained in the
following dispatch from Berlin:
1.-The Prussian minister of finance Dr.
Miguel, issued a decree yesterday which
goes into effect Immediately, prohibiting the
importation of every kind Of American
fresh fruit The decree has been sent to
all the German ports and frontier stations
excepting Bavaria, Saxony and Wurtem-
burg. The United States embassy was not
previously warned, and the ambassador Mr.
Andrew d. White, sent a formal letter to
the Foreign Office to-day. inquring on what
authority this inimical step was taken. The
United States consul at Hamburg, DIR. Hugh
Pitcairn, telegraphed that $1,000 barrels of
American apples have been forbidden to be
unloaded, and that two trains of Ameri-
can fruit have also been forbidden to cross
the frontier at Emmerich which, aside
from Hamburg, is the principal place of en-
try for American fruit. On receipt of this
news Mr.. White sent second and stronger
remonstrance to the Foreign Office. calling
attention to the evident violation of the
treaty. AT the Foreign Office it was learned
that the Prusian government prohibits the
entry Of American fruit on sanitary
grounds, claiming that California and other
vermin threaten German trees and fruit"
PRESIDENT MAY RETALIATE
The State Department has not yet been
Informed by Ambassador White of the fruit
exclusion decree and the official statement
of the matter is awaited with anxiety at
the department, which desires to know just
how far the German government is willing
to yield to the wishes of the Agrarian party,
which insists on the exclusion of all Ameri-
can farm products which enter into com
petition with the German farmer For two
years the State Department has been en-
German government the reversal of a de-
cree like the present one, but applied to
our meat products. The attitude of the
Germans in this matter is not encouraging
and the announcement of this additional de-
cree against another great American staple
export has tried the patience of the de-
partment sorely, and there is no telling how
far we may go towards retaliation if the
conditions justify it. OF course nothing will
be done in the absence of full official in
formation from Mr.. White as to the facts
IN the case, and 1t may be that the history
OF the meat exclusion negotiations will be
repeated, and that there will be Il long COR
respondence to permit the German govern
ment to demonstrate, if it can the great
dangers TO be locked for i'll American fresh
fruits. But if the facts indicate that there
is as little foundation for this exclusion
decree as was the case with the meat prod
ucts, it is said at the State Department that
the President probably will avail himself
of his statutory power to retaliate sharply
under Section Of the act of Aug 80 1890
To the knowledge of the State Department
no complaint has ever before been made
against the character of American fresh
fruit. There was some complaint a few
years ago from Hamburg and Cologne
against certain lulpOildllOu VI QTleQ fruits,
on the ground that they contained traces of
zinc taken up from the trays on which
they were dried, but there has never been
an attack on the fresh fruit The report
OF the United States consuls show that the
imports of the latter have found great favor
in German cities and the universal testi-
mony of our consuls is that our apples are
so superior in every respect that there is
hardly a market for the German apples in
their vicinity.
GERMANS NOT SINCERE.
The officials of the Agricultural Depart
ment have, as yet. received no information
on the subject. They are disposed to be-
lIeve that the explanation that importations
of fresh fruit will be prohibited because of
danger from vermin is not sincere one
but that Germany, having in mind the re-
cent legislation of the American govern
ment imposing a discriminating duty on
bounty-paid sugar has taken this action
a sort of retaliation. Mr.. q. b. Brackett
chief OF the pomological division of the de-