The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-02-05
FAIR SHOW TO BE GIVEN FRUIT
PRUssIAN PROHIBITIyE DECREE
MODIFIED.

Fruit Not Included in the Decree
Protest if an Attempt Is Made to
Kill the Importation of Fruit
Rights of Owners of Fruit Already
in Transit 10 BE Supported.
Washington, Feb. 4.-The state depart
ment has been notified by Ambassador
White at Berlin of the modification of the
original decree issued by the Prussian min
lister of finance, DR.. Miguel, prohibiting the
importation of American fruit. According
to the ambassadors cablegram to-day the
decree does not, as he advised yesterday,
apply to dried fruits. while fresh fruit will
be admitted 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 Unit
ed States have received an equally
prompt consideration on the other side. 1t
is certain that if the decree, as originally
promulgated, had been applied to ship
ments of fruit in transit, as it's terms in
dicated the shippers would have had a
right to claim indemnity from the Prus-
sian government for the damages sus-
tanned by them, and it would have been re-
garded by the United States government as
a matter of duty to sustain this demand
for indemnity.
The state department is now obliged to
await the receipt of full advices of the
exact nature of the modified decree and
watch its workings. 1t is hoped that the
examinations of the fruit may not be made
unduly severe, for, as in the case of meat
products in the early stages of the exclu-
sion DEGREES, it will be possible to make
these inspections so harrassng to import
ers Of fruit that there will be no induce
ment to continue the trade. If such a DIS
position is shown it will be the duty of
the state department to lodge a firm pro-
test, otherwise there is danger that the
success of the Germon government in pro-
hibiting the importation of fruit will have
an effect on the governments of other Eu-
ropean nations, which, under agrarian in
fiuences, are seeking pretexts for cutting
down American competition with their
farmers.
The decree of the German government
relative to American fruit was talked over
at the cabinet meeting to-day. The mod
ification Of the decree made known by the
latest advices from Ambassador White
was taken as an evidence that the matter
is still subject to diplomatic adjustment.
The Attorney General made known to
the chbineG the state of the negotiations
now going on as TO the foreclosure and
sale of the Kansas Pacific Railroad prop
erty, and it was decided that the outlook
was very favorable for the government
interests.
Secretary Wilson stated in the course
of the discussion over Germany's action
that it was undoubtedly true that certain
well-know fruit diseases could be carried
on fruit Itself and thus the infection could
be infected to healthful trees at a great
distance It was explained that certain
states of the union in the past had pro-
hibited the bringing within their borders
of particular kinds of fruit from infected
sections in other states. The action of
Prussia, therefore, might be entirely prop
er and clearly within their right. Neither
the President nor any of the members
of the cabinet were disturbed by the in
cident or disposed to pre-judge the case
in the absence of definite information.
Secretary Wilson understood, he said,
that the total expectations of fruits 10
Germany during the last year had amount
ed TO only about 81, 900, 600, but during the
last five or six years American fruit had
grown in favor quite rapidly in that coun-
try, and the indications had been that
within the next few years the exporta-
tions would have aggregated several mil
lion of dollars. Ambassador Whites re-
port will be awaited with interest, and
should 1t appear that Prussia's action was
prompted by a spirit of retaliation for
losses sustained by reason of the discrim>
mating duty placed upon German sugars.
or for any other reason, there is no doubt
that this government would give the mat
ter serious consideration
of fIa af11fEf faa
on foreign affairs expects to report fav>
orably in the Mcguire resolution asking
the state department for information re-
garding the action Of Germany.
Washington, Feb. 4.--When the cable
gram regarding the prospective quaran-
tine of American horses was shown to
Chairman Hit he said it was apparently
a part Of a general movement toward ex-
clusion shown by the recent action against
American fruit.
His colleague on the foreign affairs COM
mittee, Mr.. Adams of Pennsylvania, said
the dispatch suggested that it was time
TO discover bacillus in German wines,
and it should be desirable also to deter
mine as to the sanitary character Of the
process of making German sugar sent to
the United States.
Mr.. Cousins of Iowa, another member of
the foreign affairs committee, said: "Our
department should give distinct notice that
If thereis is any desire to stop trade with Us,
this should be done in a straightforward
way. and not by indirectly attacking our
products on sanitary grounds"
Chairman Dinglsy of the ways and
means committee said this was in line with
~be German action on fruit. A quaran-
fine was not an absolute prohibition, how
ever Mr.. Dingley said, and 1t remained to
he seen whether a quarantine so vigorous
as to be a prohibition would be put in
force.
Berlin, Feb. 4.-Mr. White last evening
lodged another formal protest with Baron
Won Buelow, as in spite Of the Bundles
rath's resolution. American fresh fruit is
everywhere excluded.
The United States Consul at Dusseldorf
telegraphed to-day that only dried fruits
had been released, and that there were
about 1000 barrels OF apples in the bond
ed warehouse there.
The United States embassy during the
week has been flooded with appeals from
fruit merchants, dealers and shippers.
who have been injured by the decree, and
several Of them have thanked Mr.. White
-. tha ,,fOoro1Ic measures he has adOnfa1