The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-02-03

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. 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 inspection
of all fruits, plants, cuttings, shrubs ETC.,
imported into this country | look upon the
ground given for DIR. MiguePs decree as
a mere subterfuge. No doubt exists in my
mind that it is purely a retaliatory meas
ure."
The reason advanced by the German
foreign office" said Representative Hill
born of California, lis the thinnest kind
of preteXt. Nowhere in the world is fruit
so free from disease as in California, and
nowhere is there more TO keep it free from
parasites and disease of all kinds We do
not even allow fruit to come into the state
from other states without inspection"
Other members of the California dele
CATION expressed similar views
Chairman Dingley looked over the Ber-
lin cable and said; This is evidently a
device to prohibit the Importation of
American fruits on alleged sanitary
grounds, in line with the similar prohibi-
ton of American pork. The importation
seems to be prohibited on sanitary grounds
in order TO avoid the provisions of our
commercial treaties with Germany which
give to imports from the United States
equal privileges with imports with other
countries There is not the slightest
ground for the claim that American fruits
are diseased. The United States would
have more ground to prohibit the impor-
tation of German wines on alleged sani-
tary grounds than Germany has to pro-
hibit the Importation of American fruit
or pork on such grounds. We have no
objection to Germanys putting whatever
duty il sees fit on imports of any kind.
That Is their own business. But when that
government undertakes to prohibit the inn
portation of American products on sanl-
tary grounds that do not exist in fact, 1t
violates the spirit of our commercial treat
les with that country
Other members of the ways and means
committee indorsed Chairman Dingley
views and said that if Germany began
such course il was a game at which
two could play 1t was said also that the
result would work serious injury to Ger
man wines and many other lines of Ger
man goods brought in great quantities TO
this country
Representative Dinsmore of Arkansas,
the leading minority member of the House
foreign affairs committee, said he consid-
cred the decree of the Prussian govern
ment a plain case of retaliation, based,
as was the decree against the importa-
ton of American pork on a pretext of
sanitary grounds.
Senator Mills, a member of the foreign
relations committee, says that Germany's
action was the logical sequence of our
high tariff system. Il should not like to
see Americon interests suffer-" he said,
but we cannat expect anything else I'M
der the circumstances"
Senator Bacon of Georgia also thought
the prohibition one of the results of our
tariff system. They have the power "he
said, land l see nothing we can do to pre-
vent their exercising it,"
Senator Elkins said: 1--WE may just as
well have it but with Germany now as at
any other time. There is no denying that
we are as strong as they are. l should go
back at them on their own terms. should
prohibit the importation of their sugar.
Representative Mcguire of California.
late in the afternoon introduced in the
House resolution calling upon the state
department for all the information and
correspondence between this government
and Prussia relative to the decree forbid
ding the importation of American fruit.