Daily new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1897-1906, 1898-02-03
ANDREW D. WHITE.
He Has Demanded an Explanation From
Germany.

Germany.
Agrar1an party, which insists upon the
exclusion of all American farm products
which enter into competition with the
German farmer.
The information of such a decree
came in the following press dispatch:
"BERLIN. Feb. 3.-The Prussian minis
ter of finance has issued a decree which
goes into effect Immediately, prohibit
ing the importation of every kind of
American fresh fruit. Already large
quantities of American fruit have been
forbidden to be unloaded at various
ports. No intimation of the action had
been given the United States repre-
sentative, and Ambassador White sent
a letter of inquiry to the foreign Office.
Danger from vermin was given as the
cause"
For two years the state department
has been engaged almost fruitlessly to
secure 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 mat
ter is not encouraging, and the an
nouncement of this additional decree
against another great American staple
export has tried the patience of the de-
partment sorely, and there is no telling
how far we may go toward retaliation
if the conditions justify it.
Of course nothing will be done in the
absence of full official information from
Mr.. White as to the facts in the case,
and it may be that the history of the
meat exclusion negotiations will be re-
peated in that there may be long cor
respondence to permit the German gov
eminent to demonstrate, if it can, the
great dangers TO be looked for in Ameri-
can fresh fruits. But, if the facts indi-
cate that there is as little foundation for
this exclusion decree, as was the case
with the meat products, it is said at the
state department that the president
probably will avail himself of his statu-
tory power to retaliate sharply under
section 5 of the act of Aug. 30, 1890.
The retahatory section reads as fol-
lows:
Section 5. That whenever the president
shall be satisfied that unjust discrimina-
tions are made by under the authority
of any foreign state against the importa-
ton 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 prod
Il
proper shall be excluded from importa-
ton 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 import
alton shall take effect and after such
date the importation of the articles named
in such proclamation shall be unlawful.
The president may at any time revoke,
modify, terminate or renew any such di-
rection as in his opinion the public in
terests may require.
TO the knowledge of the state depart
ment no complaint has ever been made
against the character of American fresh
fruit. There was complaint few years
ago from Hamburg and Cologne against
further importations of dried fruits, but
there has never been an attack on the
fresh fruit. The reports of the United
States consuls show that the imports of
the latter have found great favor in
German cities, and the universal testi-
mony Of our consuls is that our apples
are SO superior in every respect that
there is hardly market for the German
apples in their vicinity.
Chairman Dingley, Representative
Tawney and other members of the
ways and means committee, said that if
Germany began such a course it was "a
game i'll which two could play. It was
said, also, that the result would work
serious results to German wines, Ger
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The Weather.