The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1898-02-03
A MERE pRfTsxT.
What California ami Other ConEressnien
Sec la Germany's Action.

WASHINGTON. Feb. o-The Berlin
,cablegram announcing that Germany
had closed Its ports against American
fruits attracted much attention among
members OF the house Of representa-.
tives. Mr.. Hit, chairman Of the COM
mite on foreign affairs, expressed sur
prise at the step AIKEN. particularly that
It should not be preceded with notice to
our representative at Berlin. Without
discussing the motives OF the move
ment, Mr.. Hit said ha It was evident.
Germany based her course on sanitary
grounds, which would exclude the idea
tina the move was Of political and pro-
scriptire character.
Other members of the house foreign
committee expressed the view that this
was part Of ;Germany's retallatory at
t!tude towards the United States. III
Representative. Barlow, who repre-
sents the Sixth California district, In
which is located the fertile San Joaquin,
valley, one OF the great fruit districts
OF the state, says that SO far us Callfor-
MIA fruitsare concerned, the German de-
cree prohibiting the importation! OF
American fruit Is mere pretext. Cal
ifornIa fruits he said, .'are singulariyl
free from vermin or disease OF any kind.
No doubt exists In my mind that 1t Is
purely q retaliatory, measure"
THE reason advanced by the German
foreign Office" said Representative, Hill
born, of California. rs the thinnest
ind Of a preteYt. Nowhere in the world
Is fruit so free from disease US In Call
fornla, and nowhere,is there more care
10 KEEP 1t free from parasites and dis.
~ 10 IA do ysnk
fruit to come into the SKATE from other
states without inspection" :"
Other members of the California dele
CATION expressed similar views.
Chairman Dingley looked over the.
Berlin cable and said:
This Is evidently O device to prohibit
the Importation Of American fruits on
alleged sanitary grounds. In line with,
the similar prohibition OF American
pork. The importation seems to be pro-,
hibted on sanitary grounds in order to
avoid the provisions OF our comerclal
treaties with Germany, which give to
importers from the United States equal
privileges with imports from other
countries. There is not the slightest
ground for the allegation that Califor-t
mia fruits are affected as charged; in
deed, the evidence Is conclusive that
they are especially free from parasites.
We have no objection TO Germany's
putting whatever duty she sees fit on
Imports Of any kind. That Is her OWN
business. But when that government
undertakes to prohibit the importation
of American products on sanitary
grounds which do not exist In fact, It
violates the spirit Of our commercial
treaties with that country. The Presl-
dent, under the act OF 1890. has author
ity to meet such discrimination as this"
Representative Tawney and other
members Of the ways and means COM
mittee endorsed Chairman Dlngley's
views, and said that If Germany took
such q course. It was q game In which
two could play. OF was said, also, that
the result would work serious results to
German wines, hosiery. shoddys and
many other lines Of goods brought I'M
great quantities to this country.
Senator Mills, u member OF the foreign
relations comittee, expressed the lop!n-
ion that Germany's action was the logi-
cat sequence OF our high tariff system.
II should not like 10 see American in
terests suffer-" he said. but we cannot
expect anything else under the clrcum-5,
stances. 81 % i',i
senator Bacon, OF Georgia. also
thought the prohibition one OF the re-.
SultS VI ouE til III SSckctIl..ttF tlCy IuNe
the power" he said, and sec nothing
We can do to prevent their exercising
It." S
Senator Elkins said: we may Just as
well have II out with Germany now us
ut any other time. There Is no denying
that We are In u commercial war, and
We should fight It out on the lines they
have laid down. j should 20 back Mt
them on thc!r own terms. I should pro-
hibit the importation Of their sugar.
H Representative Mcguire, OF ( Calltor-
mia, late In the afternoon introduced In
the house n resolution calling upon the
state department for all Information
and correspondence between this gov
,crnment and Prussia relative to the de-
crco forDdding the importation OF,
American fruits. & ~, AZ
nerltncrt Dlsplenscd. Il
Z LONDON, Feb. ...--The Berlin cores
pondents of the morning papers arc nil
Sskeptical asitn Tho alleged reason for the
exclusion OF American fresh fruit. They
5doubs that the cause is the discovery OF
a bug IN a box OF aples In South Gers
many, The exclusion Is attributed rather
10 }thP Agrarlan demand for srepr!pals
against tho American ;tarlrf. !. The dccls.
{ion$ has caused the 'greatest surprlsS and
considerable dissatisfaction for Ameri-;
eau apples nre rapidly takenilnithe Ger
man markets by, storm, owing 10 their
ichcapnees and fine quality and Inc poor,
consumers cannot tialforJ 10 buy equally
"a fr.,E nv IL It.t. .