The herald., 1898-02-05

and dried, and all products of American
nurseries.
DIR. Miauel telegraphed the order t
all revenue stations making it effectiv
on February 1st
United tSates Ambassador White i'm
mediately vigorously demonstrated will
the foreign Office by note and verbally
and the decree was annulled temporaril.
on February End
During the annulment the fruit wa
released at Hamburg, Emmerich ani
Dusseldorf The decree was re-estab
lished on February 3rd in milder form
being made enforceable against fresl
fruit only.
Meanwhile, Mr.. White continued max
ing strong protests to Baron Won Bulow
the minister for foreign affairs. who. il
consequence, had special audienc,
with the emperor yesterday upon thu
subject, resulting in the bundersratt
holding a meeting and issuing yester
days resolution, the text of which ha.
not yet reached Mr. White, but it is
known that the wording is so loose as tc
be open to a score of interpretations. II
is generally surmised that it will prac-
tically mean prohibition.
Referring to the utterances of United
States senators and representatives on
the subject especially to Congressman
Dingleys remarks that Prussia had pro-
hibited American fruits in order to avoid
the provisions OF the commercial
treaties, the Cologne Gazette says: THE
German fruit growers supplies are gen.
orally sold out and therefore there is
no ground for speaking of flooding the
German market with American fruit.
After all, every one acquainted with
German relations knows that Prince Ho-
henlohe Ghe German chanccllorj could
in certain circumstance approve n
measure which had the appearances Of
even international violation or limita-
ton of commercial treaties, and that on
the contrary his prompt declaration that
the treatment of German sugar import
ed into the United States was in viola'
tion of Germany's right to the most ia
vorable treatment was Immediately ad-
mitted by the American government.
MODIFICATION MADE
WASHINGTON, Feb. 4.-The state
department has been notified by AM
bassador White at Berlin of the moditi
cation of the original decree issued by
the Prussian minister of finance, DR.,
MIGUEL, prohibiting the importation of
American fruit.
According to the American ambassa-
doris cable today, 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 de-
crees it would appear that the prompt
representations made by the United
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 the
shipments of fruit in transit, as its
terms indicated. the shippers would have
had a right to claim indemnity from the
Prussian government for the damages
sustained, and it would be regarded by
the United States government as mat
ter 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 it's workings.
Mr.. White last evening lodged another
formal protest with Baron Won Bulow,
as, in spite of the bundesrath's resolu-
ton, American fresh fruit is everywhere
excluded.
The United States consul at Dussei-
dorf telegraphed today that only dried
fruits had been released and that there
were about IL 900 barrels Of apples in the
bonded warehouse there
The United States embassy. during the
week, has been flooded with appeals
from fruit merchants, dealers and ship
pers who have been injured by the de-
cree, and all of them have thanked Mr..
White for the vigorous measures he has
1t appears that DR.. Miguel and Baron
Won Hammerstein-Lo Loxten issued the de-
cree without the authority Of the Prus-
sian cabinet or the bundesrath.
DISCUSSED BY THE CABINET
WASHINGTON, Feb A number of
topics We're discussed at today's cabinet
meeting. The decree Of the German
government relative to American fruit
was talked over and figures were pro-
duced to show the great Importance of
the trade put In jeopardy by this sudden
and unprecedented action on the part of
Germany.
Secretary Wilson stated in the course
of the discussion that it was undoubted-
ly true that certain we'll known fruit
diseases had been carried on the fruit
itself, and the infection could be carried
to healthy trees at a great distance. 1t
was explained that the United States
had, in times past prohibited the bring
ing within their borders particular kinds
of fruit infected with disease Germany,
might be entirely right in the
present case Neither the president nor
any member of the cabinet were dis
turbed by the incident. or disposed to
the case in the sense of definite
decision. The president understood, he
said. that the total expectation of fruit
to Germany during the last year had
to only about $1,000 900, but
during the last five years American fruit
had grown in favor quite rapidly In that
country, and the indications had been
that within the next few years the eX-
would have aggregated sew
eral millions of dollars.
Ambassador Whites report will be
awaited with interest and should it APP
pear that Prussia's action was prompted
by a spirit of retaliation for losses sus-
tanned by reason Of the discriminating
duty placed upon German sugars. or for
any similar reason, there is no doubt
that this government will give the mat