Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1898-02-03
WAR VERY IMMINENT
Between tie United States and
Dominions Of the Ger.
man Emperor.
ONLY OF TIE COMMERCIAL k1HD.

no Gore Il Expeeted To Re Spilled -Prus-
sia's Atssmpt 10 Protect Her Fruit-Grow.
sn b. ways That Are Dark Promises
1saHi1asisn BY Uscle sam-Tilinan Takes
Part In the Hawaiiaa Debate In His Own
Brsesy Way-washingtoa Notes.
Washington, Feb. 2.-The state de.
partment has not yet been informed by
Ambassador White OF the decree
against the importa lion Of American
fresh fruits into Germany. and the Of
ncial statement of the matter is awaited
with anxiety at the department, which
desires to know just how far the Ger
man government is willing to yield to
the wishes Of the agrarian party. which
insists upon the exclusion of all Ameri-
can farm products which enter into
competition with the German farmer.
For two years the state department has
been engaged almost fruitlessly to Sc
cure from the German government the
reversal Of a 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 depart
ment sorely and there Is no telling how
far we may go towards retaliation IL
the conditions Justify 1t.
Views Of House statesmcn.
Hit. chairman Of the house commit
tee on foreign affairs. expressed sur
prise at the step taken. particularly that
IL should not have been preceded with
notice TO our representative at Berlin.
Without discussing the motives Of the
government, Hit said ii was evident
Germany based her course on sanitary
grounds which would exclude the idea
that the move was Of a political and
proscriptive character. Other members
Of the house foreign committee ex.
pressed the view that this was a part
OF Germany's retaliatcry attitude to-
ward the United States. Representative
Smith, OF Michigan. a member OF, the
committee. said: The attempted ex-
| clusion Of American fruit from the Ger
man markets is not the first act of
hostility displayed by Germany. Under
the Cleveland administration when our
markets were open to German exports
they dealt very unfairly with this coun-
try. excluding our beef from the mar
kcts 81 Germany on the false pretexi
that II was unwholesome.
To Get Over . Treaty Clause.
Chairman Dingley looked over the
Berlin cable and said: This is evil
IDENTIFY n device to prohibit the importa-
lion of American fruits on alleged SAM.
tary grounds. IN line with the sirli,a.
prohibition OF American pork. The i'm.
portati seems TO he prohibited or
sanitary grounds in order to evade ths
provisions OF commercial treaties witr
| Germany which give to imports from
the United States equal privileges with
imports from other countries. We have
no objection to Germany putting what.
ever duty IL sees fit on imports of any
kind. That is her own business. Bu
| when that government undertakes 4
4 prohibit the Importation of American
products or sanitary grounds which d.
not exist in fact. II violates the spiri
81 our commercial treaties with tina
country. The president under the &C
Of 1880 has authority to meet Just sucl
discrimination as this"
II some Anti Protection Views
Senator Mills. a member of the for
II eign relations committee. expressed
the opinion that Germany's action wa
the logical sequence Of our high tariff
| system. Il should not like TO see Amer
lean interests suffer" he said. but W
can't expect anything else under tn
circumstances" Senator Bacon, @
Georgia, also thought the prohibition
! one OF the results Of our tariff system
They have the power" he said. IAN
! see nothing we can do to prevent thei
exercising it
Senator Elkins said: We may jus
rs well have IL out with Germany no,
as at any other time. There is no deny
ing that we are in a commercial wal
and we should fight IL out on the line
they have laid down. I should go bac
at them on their own terms. I Shout
prohibit the importation Of their sugar.
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