The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1898-02-15
HOW TO DEAL WITH GERMANY.
From the Washington Post.

From the Washington Post.
Without going into the details. which
at present are not definitely understood,
we may safely assert In general way
that Germany is disposed to treat this
country in very unfriendly manner.
We may go even further, in fact, and
say that her method of applying the
hostile treatment Is discourteous. Ger
many Is not only adopting policy or
commercial warfare animated by a spirit
OF retaliation, but she is doing 1t with
what seems to be deliberate rudeness.
o
OF course. no one denies Germanys
right to arrange her tariff affairs ac-
cording to her own ideas. That is the
privilege of every nation. 1t is privi-
lege which we exercise and intend TO ex-
ercise to the end of the chapter. In such
matters, nations consider their own In
terests, and not the welfare OF the rest
of the world. If Germany were to levy
an utterly prohibitory tax on products
of any given kind, she would be well
within her sovereign prerogatve, and no
one could properly reproach her. But
Germany has no right to single out the
United States for harassng and injurious
restriction. We have with that empire
| a distinct and explicit treaty, under the
terms of which we are guaranteed the
same advantages that are extended to
any other nation, and when Germany,
under any preteAt whatsoever, violates
that compact we are justified In com
planning of unfair discrimination.
O.
1t is not difficult to locate the inspra-
| tion of this unfriendliness. The German
government is simply responding to the
Agrarian camor for reprisals on ac-
| count OF our sugar tariff. 1t is an old
story, familiaf to every one who Keeps
pace with public events, and need not
| - Germany been
resentful and hostile in her attitude for
| some years past and has exhibited great
| ingenuity in the contrivance of excuses
| for the exploitation of her sentiments.
| In various ways she has attacked our
trade and embarrassed and prosecuted
| our exporters. This latest demonstration
| against American fruits, plants, etc, Is
merely a new form of expression for an
| old animosity. 1t means, simply, that Gs
| long as we maintain the extra tariff on
| sugars imported from countries which
| pay bounty to their producers we may
| look for these irritating and harmful
| acts on the part of Germany. We may,
| after great trouble and tiresome contro-
| versy, arrange this question of the APP
pies, and so on, but within a very few
| weeks the German animus will take an
| other shape and American interests will
| again be subjected to distress and injury.
The question Is whether we should
| frtter away time in the adjustment of
| these successive and persistent annoy
| ances; whether it were not more digniied
| to recognize their real character and
purpose and to accept the hostile over
| ture with courageous candor. 1t means
| retaliation-why, then, pretend to be-
lieve that it means anything else? Why
| not treat it as it deserves and give Ger
many the opportunity she seems to long
for? We can play at retaliation our
selves. The president is fully authorized
to treat Germany just as she is treating
us. Why not have done with this stupid
| farce and take the game as it is offered
| US?