The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1898-12-26
Gernla and
American
TRADE QUESTION.
Much Public Comment But
No Serious Anticipations.

| Copyright, 1898, the Associated Press. J
Berlin, Dec. 25.--One of the leading
subjects discussed throughout the week
| by the newspapers here was the pres
ent and future relations between Ger
many and the United States, more par
| ticularly the commercial side of the
question.
| The correspondent here of the Asso-
ciated Press has interviewed a high
| German official who has exceptional
sources of information. He said
The reports current in the press of
| both countries on this subject are la
mentally inaxact. In Washington they
| seem to have jumped at the conclusion
| that Germany is on the point of leg
| islating specifically against American
| agricultural products and they are taxi
| ing the bull by the horns in order to
| forestall us. The fact is that there is
! no such intention here at least not in
| government circles. The meat inspec-
| ton bill is only on the point of reach
| ing the bundesrath, which is the first
! legislative stage. Then it goes to the
reichstag. So it will probably not pass,
| if at ALL until the end of the session,
next spring. Even then the bill will
not be framed to hit American inter-
| ests particularly.
"On the contrary, Mr.. White (the
| United States ambassador at Berlin)
| has received conditional assurances
that the integral feature of the bill will
| be the abolition of the repeated local
| inspections of American meats, of
! which the Americans have complained.
The bill provides for a strict inspection,
but it will be perfectly fair and will be
| applied as equally to the domestic
/ trade as to imported meats"
| The officials of the United States en-
| bassy generally express the opinion
| that the German government sincerely
desires to improve its relations with the
| United States, and sees indications
| pointing to a successful issue of these
| efforts though the bills simultaneously
introduced in the house of representa-
! tiVes and in the senate at Washington,
| foreshadowing retaliation have been
| received with a great show Of indigna-
| ton by the government and govern
| ment press while the liberal, and espe-
\ cially the commercial press. have unan-
| imously expressed fears that the legis-
| lative action on both sides will culmin-
ate in a regular tariff war.
| The Vorwaerts says: The greed of
| the agrarians has disturbed our rela-
lions with America for years past. I'm
der the pretext of protecting the health
of the German people, the Importation
of American products has been prevent
ed in spite of the treaties
! Continuing, the Vorwaerts demon
strates that German exports of sugar,
textiles and wines to the United States
are worth $4,000, 900 marks, and says;
LAS the financially weaker of the two
| Germany will undoubtedly be the loser
| But, the agrarians ignore this. Pro
vided the enhanced food prices flow IN
to their pockets they snap their fingers
at the hungry masses.
The Boersen Courier, a leading COM
mercial organ, says:
/ 1T is evident that the United States
| is preparing for a commercial war with
Gremany, which the German agrarians
seem to regard as a trifling matter
We hope the Berlin and Washington
governments are more conscious OF
their responsibility. We fear the Ger
man export trade will have to pay the
score the Federation Of HCsbandry has
run up
The agrarians are iubilant at the
prospect of a. tariff war, which has beer
, their dearest aim for years. = number
: of insulting articles have been pub
lished in the newspapers der!ding the
/ United States in every possible way
The Kreuz -Zeitung even throws mud
at the American people on account OF
the recent war and it's results, calling
, the American troops inefficient anC
saying the government is corrupt to the
core
These venomous utterances, however
| are exceptions. The majority of the
press is discussing the question calmly
and fairly.
The emigration bill, introduced in the
/ renichstag by Professor Hasse and
Count Won Arnim, affects the interests
Of the United States. 1t advances the
principle of "once German, always Ger
} man." and refuses to 2ny German the
} right to become d naturaliZed either
of any other country The United
States embassy officials, however say
but even if the bill is adopted, it coulc
not override the GermanAmericaT
treaty of 1868, eXempting German-Anl-
orleans from such legislation
4 The German cabinet at recent meet
ngs has discussed the questions of the
facilities of imports of Russian petrol
cum, and il is said from reliable
source that it has been decided to in
! crease the test points and thus include
inferior grades of American petroleum
provided the Russian government
grants an equivalent
| The result of the trial Of Mr.. Frank
Knaack of New York, who was acquit-
| ted of the charge of referring to En-
peror William as a "blOckheaG" on the
ground that he was in no position to
realize his offence came as great sur
prise, even to consel for the defense,
as the testimony was precisely similar
to that of the majority OF such cases
which have ended in convictions. The
presiding judge, Herr Dense, convicted
r. F. Kneebs, the American horseman,
charged with ringing the mare Beth
ell on the German tucf and sentenced
him to nine months imprisonment and
to pay fine of one thousand marks.
Judge Dense is considered to be very
severe and learned, and there is the
best authority for saying thai the ac-
quittal and unusual leniency shown Mr.
Knaak were due to hint from Emper-
or William that his acquittal, if legally
possible, would be appreciated both by
his majesty and by the German gov
eminent. in view of the present deli
cate relations between the United
States and Germany.