The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1898-02-03
WHITE MAKES PROTEST
THE PRETENSE OF VERAIIN IN
CALIFORNIM FRUIT.
RETALIATION FOR DUTY ON SUGAR
A Suggestion That We Shut Out German
Woolens and Cutlery. Several Senators Ex-
press Themselves FeelingIy on the
c..L..., ro,.oo,oroo IS Tariff
Subject. Consequence Of Tariff.

Berlin. Feb. 2-The Prussian Minister
of Finance, DIR. Miguel, issued decree
yesterday, which goes into effect imme-
diately, prohibiting the importation of
every kind of American fresh fruits.
The decree has been sent to all the Ger
man ports and frontier stations, Elk
cept:ng Bavaria. Saxony and Wurtem-
burg. The United States Embassy was
not previously warned, and the United
States Ambassador, Mr.. Andrew ID.
White. sent formal letter to the For
eign office today, inquiring upon what
authority this inimical step was taken.
The United States Consul at Ham
burg, Dr. Hugh Pitcairn, telegraphS that
10000 barrels of American apples have
been forbidden to be unloaded, and that
two trains full of American fruit have
also been forbidden to cross the frontier
at Emmerich, which, aside from Ham
burg, is the principal place of entry 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 PrussiaI government prohibits
the entry of American fruits on sanitary
grounds, claiming that California and
other vermin threaten German trees
and fruit.
DISCUSSED IN WASHINGTON
Washington. y. c.. Feb. 2.-The State
Department mas not yet been informed
by Ambassador White Of the decree
against the importation Of American
fresh fruits into Germany. The official
statement Of the matter is awaited with
anxiety. sls the department. desires TO
know Just how far the German gov
ernment IS willing to yield to the wishes
Of the Agrarian party, which insists upon
the exclusion of all American farm pro-
duets that enter into competition with
the German farmer.
For two years the State Department
has been engaged almost fruitlessly TO
secure from the German government the
! reversal of decree like the present one,
but applied TO our meat products. The
attitude of the Germans in this matter
is not encouraging. and the announce
ment of this additional decree against
another great American staple export
has tried the patience of the department
sOrely and there is no telling how far
we may go toward retaliation, if the
conditions justify it. OF course nothing
will be done in the absence of full official
information from Mr.. White as TO the
facts in the case, and it may be that the
history of the meat exclusion neg0tia-
tions will be repeated, in that there may
be a long correspondence to permit the
German government to demonstrate. If
it can, the great dangers to be hooked
far in American fruits. But if the facts
indicate that there is as little foHnda-
tion for this exclusion decree as was the
ease with the meat products, it is said
ut the State Department that the Presi-
dent probably will avail himself OF his
statutory power to retaliate sharply
under section 3, OF the act of August
Both, 1890. To the knowledge of the
State Department no complaint has ever
before been made against the character
Of American fresh fruit.
The reports of the United States con-
snls show that the imports of the latter
have found great favor in German cities,
and the universal testimony of our con-
suls is that our apples are 80 superior
in every respect that there is hardly a
market for the German apples III their
vicinity.
The officials of the Agricultural De-
partment have as yet received no in
formation on the subject. They are
disposed to believe that the explanation
that importations of fresh fruits wall be
prohibited, because of danger from yer-
min is not n sincere one, but that Ger
many having in mind the recent legisla'
tion of the American government I'M
posing Il discriminating duty on bounty
paid sugar, has taken this action as q
sort of retaliation. 1t is said that CAN
forn;a fruit is the freest from yerinin OF
any iii the United States.
Senator Mills, a member of the For
cign Relations Committee, expressed the
opinion that Germany's action was the
logical sequence of our high tarik sys-
tenn. Il should not like to see American
interests suffer-" he said, but we can't
expect anything else under the c;rcum-
stances"
Senator Bacon, Of Georgia. also
thought the prohibition one of the re-
suits of our tariff system. s"They- have
the power" he said, ''and / see nothing
we can do to prevent their exercising it,
Senator Perkins, of California, when
shown the dispatch from Berlin, said
that the prevention of importation ON
sanitary grounds was a mere pretext.
and that it was simply to keep out fruits
which competed with German produc-
tion and the order was no doubt is-
sued as a retaliation against the United
States because of the differential tariff