The age-herald., 1898-02-05
CABINET TALKS
 FRUIT DEGREE And ApprehendS No Serious Complica-
 tiOnS. MINISTER WHITES PROTEST Has Been Filed With the Officials Of
 Germany. EXPORTS AMOUNTED TO $1,0O0, ,O0O Yearly to Germany-tls Is Feared Other Countries Will Refuse Admittance to American Grown Fruit-Decree Modified
 to Mean Fresh Fruit.
MINISTER WHITES PROTEST
AMOUNTED TO $1,OOO,OoO

Washington, Feb A number of topics were discussed at today's cabinet meeting, but the one of the most interest was the
 dispensation of federal patronage in the southern states, where the republican party has no representative in congress. It Is probable that several important appoint ments will be made in the south soon, though they have not as yet been finally determined upon.
 The decree of the German government
 relative to American fruit was talked over, and figures were produced to
 show the great importance of the
 trade put in jeopardy by this
 sudden and unprecedented move on
 the part of Germany. The modification of
 the decree made known by the latest ad- vices from Ambassador White was taken
 as an evidence that the matter is still
 subject to diplomatic adjustment The attorney general made known to the cabinet the state of negotiations now go- ing on as to the foreclosure and sale of the Kansas Pacific railroad and it was decided that the outlook was very favorable for | the governments interests. l. Secretary Wilson stated that 1t was un- | doaabteddy true that certain we'll known fruit diseases could be carried in fruit it. | self and thus the infection could be com mundcated to heaJtlful trees at great distance. It is explained that certain | states of tine union in times past had pro- | hibited the bringing into its borders of par ticular kinds of fruits from infected sec tions of the states. The action of Prus- sia therefore might be entirely proper and clearly within thear right. Neither the president nor any of the members of the cabinet were disturbed by the incident or disposed to prejudge the case in the afb- sence of definite information. Secretary Wilson understood, he said, that the total exportations of fruits to Germany during the last year had amounted to only about Sb00O, ,000 but during the last five or six
 years American fruit had grown in favor quite rapidly in that country and the indi- cations had been that within the next few
 years the exportation would have aggre- gated several millions.
 Ambassador Whites report will be awaited with interest and should 1t appear that Prussia's action was prompted by spirit of retaliation for losses sustained by reason of the discriminating duty placed upon German sugars or for any otder req son. there is no doubt that this govern ment would give the matter serious con- sideration.
 Decree Modified
 The state department has been notified by Ambassador White, at Berlin, of the modification of the original decree issued by the Prussian minister of finance, Dr. Miquel, prohibiting the importation of American fruit. According to the ambas-
 sador's cablegram today, the decree does
 not as he advised yesterday, apply to dried fruit, while fresh fruit will be ad- mitted to entry if an examination shows its condition to be satisfactory
 If this modification has been made in | the decree, it would appear that the | prompt representations made by the | United States have received an equally prompt consideration on the other side. | It is certain that if the decree as origi- nally promulgated had been applied to | shipments of fruits in transit as its term | indicated the shipper would have had a right to claim indemnity from the Prus- l sian government for damages sustained by them, and it would have been re- garded by the United States government
 as a matter of duty to sustain this de-
 mand for indemnity
 Awaiting Full Adyices
 | The state department is now obliged to | await the receipt of fudi advices of the exaot nature of the modified decree and | watch its workings. It is hoped that the \ examinations of the fruit may not be made l unduly severe, for it is believed that as in | the of meat products in the early r stages of the exclusion decrees, it will be possible to make these inspecfions so har- E rassing to importers of friut that there will i be no inducement to continue the trade. r If such a disposition is shown it will be the l duty of the state department to lodge a l firm protest, otherwise there is danger that l the success of the German government in 1 excluding this important fruit trade will l have an effect upon the governments of I other European nations which under | Agrarian influences are seeking pretexts i for cutting down American competition
 with their farmers
 Only Fresh Fruits
 | Berlin Feb. 4.-Mr. White last evening | lodged a formal protest with Baron Won
 Buelow, as in spite of the bundesrath's res- | olution American fresh fruit is everywhere | excluded.
 The American consul at Russeidorf tele-
 graphed today that only dried fruits had | been released and there were about Il ,0O0
 barrels of apples in the bonded warehouse there. ss''isa
 The United States embassy during the
 past week has been flooded with appeals | from fruit merchants, dealers and shippers l who have been injured by the decree, and