Evening star., 1898-02-03
NO REASON FOR 1T
Congressional View Of Prussia's E1-
clusion of Our Fruit.
NAY Be REGARDED as REfALIAFORY
Representative Mcguire Asks for
the Correspondence.
OPINIONS OF THE LEADERS

Members of the House of Representatives
are manifesting indignation at the action OF
the Prussian minister of finance in exclud-
ing American fruit. Chairman Dingley
looked over the Berlin cable in yesterdays
Star and said: This is evidently 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-
hibited on sanitary grounds in order to
avoid the provisions of our commercial
treaties with Germany, which give to i'm
ports from the United States equal privil-
eges with imports from other countries.
There Is not the slightest ground for the
allegation that California fruits are affect
ed as charged; indeed. the evidence is con-
elusive that they are especially free from
parasites. The United States would have
much more ground for prohibiting the i'm
portation of German wines on alleged sani-
tary grounds than Germany has to prohibit
the importation of American fruit or Amer
lean pork on such grounds. We have no
objection to Germany's putting whatever
DUTY it sees fit on imports of any kind.
That is her own business. But when that
government undertakes to prohibit the i'm
portation of American products on sanitary
Z
Ates the spirit of our commercial treaties
with that country. The President, under
the act of $780, has authority to meet just
such discrimination as this
Possible Retaliation.
Mr.. Dingley called attention to the fol-
lowing provision now in force and applica
BILE to the present case: Section 5. That
whenever the President shall be satisfied
that unjust Determinations made by or
under the authority of any foreign state
against the importation to or sale in such
foreign state of any product of the United
States he may direct that such products OF
such foreign state so discriminating against
any product of the United States as he may
deem proper, shall be excluded from i'm
portation to the United States; in such case
he shall make proclamation of his direction
in the premises, and therein name the time
when such direction against Importation
shall take effect, and after such date the
importation of the articles named in such
proclamation shall be unlawful The Presi-
dent may at any time revoke, modify, ter
inmate or renew any such direction as in
his opinion the public interests may re-
quire."
Representative Tawney and other mem
hers of the ways and means committee in
dorSed Chairman Dngley's view and SAID
that if Germany began such a course it was
d game in which two could play. 1t was
said also that the result would work seri-
Gus results to German wines, German ho-
siery. German shoddy and many other lines
of German goods brought in great quanti-
ties to this country.
Chairman Hits View.
Mr.. Hit, chairman of the committee on
foreign affairs, expressed surprise at the
step taken, particularly that it should not
be preceded with notice to or representa-
tive at Berlin. Without discussing the mo
tires of the movement, Mr.. Hit said that
it was evident Germany based her course
on sanitary grounds which would exclude
the idea that the move was Of political
ard proscriptive character.
1t was a right which all sovereign powers
reserved to protect the health of its people
by such sanitary measures rs ii deemed
wise, whether it be against cholera or any
lesser evil. In such cases, while it was
not for another power to question the wis
dem of the sanitary precaution, yet the
facts on which the action were based
were always open to inquiry and proper
representation. Mr.. Hit thought the pres
ent case looked much like the exclusion of
American hogs. In that case the right of
the government to adopt sanitary restric-
items was not questioned, but the United
States made dignifed showing that-the
facts did not warrant the restrictions and
they ware modified.
In the present case Mr.. Hit felt that our
authorities would take steps to learn
whether any sanitary evil could be at
in California, and if this was established in
tho negative, he had 10 doubt a courteous
but firm representation would be made ID
the German government with a view to
showing that their action had bacn taken
without sufficient inquiry into the facts
Mr.. Hit expressed the hope that this was
not step in Germanys retaliatory rolicy
which had been referred 20 in recent ut
terances by distinguished German officials.
Other members of the House foreign
committee expressed the view that this
was a part of Germany's retaliatory atti-
tude toward the United Stat.s Represen-
tative w. Alden Smith of Michigan, a
member of the committee, said: THE at
tempted exclusion of American fruit from
the German markets at Emmerich is not
the first act of hostility displayed by Ger-
many Under the Cleveland administra-
ton, when our markets were open to Ger
man exports, they dealt very unfairly with
this country, excluding our beef from the
markets of Germany on the false rretext
that it was unwholesome wnen they knew
our inspection laws were rigid and that
Great Britain's laws were equally so, and
yet we exported large quantities Of beef to
England without the slightest objection
upon the part of that government Their
present course Is unfair and Nunjustifiable
from any standpoint, and should be re-
buked."
California Fruits Free From Disease.
Representative Barlow, who represents
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 as California fruit is con-
cerned the German decree prohibiting the
importation of American fruit is a mere
pretext California fruits" he said, ..are
singularly free from vermin or disease of
any kind. Our apples have no worms and
tie citrcuS fruits, oranges and lemons are
without fungus. So jealous are our people
in their desire to keep our fruits free from
disease that the delegation from the state
is now advocating the passage of a bill
which was introduced In the house by Mr..
Castle some time ago providing for an in
spection of all fruits, plants, cuttings,
shrubs. etc, imported into thiss country.
The measure is particularly aimed at Mex
leo, where the orange worm exists and
where the grapes are affected with phylox-
era. Untfl within a comparatively recent