Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1899-01-25


trail rights as to blorkades, but insisted
that the treaty should be followed by
commercial convention that should es
tablish policy of maritime reciproci-
ty''-an "open door" to freighting-
under which the present state of our
marine might be brought about. We
had to treat with our enemy or fight
him single-handed-s we treated. To
enable the Executive to meet in ICON
yentiOn" our exacting friend, of the
firm and universal peace just rati-
fed, Congress passed the first act for
stripping off our ship Protection, March
3, 1915, as follows:
That so much of the several acts inn
posing duties on the tonnage of ships and
vessels, and on goods, wares, merchan-
disc imported into the United States, as
imposes a discriminating duty on tonnage
between foreign vessels aud vessels of the
United States, and between goods import
ed into the United States in foreign yes
sells and vessels of the United States, be,
and the same are hereby repealed such
repeal to take effect in favor of foreign
nations whenever the President of the
United States shall be satisfied that the
discriminating or countervailing duties of
such foreign nation, 50 far as they oper-
ate to the disadvantage of the United
States, have been abolished.
rust for the Public Eye.
The assumption that any discriminat-
ing duties of foreign nations operated
to the disadvantage of the United
States was false and absurd. Besides,
the British system Of ship protection
consisted for the most part of prohibi-
tons, as already shown. Several of
these it was not expected they would
give up, nor did they. We had no pro-
hibitlons, but were to give up all our
system; the British only part of theirs.
We have had historians whose ac-
count of our submission to fate wells
the truth. The experience of twenty
six years had proved that our discrim-
NATIVE duties were highly protective,
much more than offsetting those of 9th
er nations; and especially effective in
| securing to our vessels cargoes in for
eign ports for carriage homeward. On
rested the whole advantage of our ship
| Protection. This it was that Great
| Britain wanted removed. Only the pro-
| hibitions of foreign nations INSTRUCTED
our navigation. These the act of 1915
| did not touch. The only gain from the
convention of July 3, 1915, at London,
was the continuance of the peace pro-
vided for by the treaty of Dec. "A, 1914,
at Client. That is to say, our ship Pro-
| lection as against the British was cast
away as the price of pacification. The
convention" of 1915 provided as fol-
I lows;
| Article 7. Freedom of commerce and
navigation, as to 1.-The territories of the
| United States of America. and all the
territories of his Britannia majesty in Eu-
| rope" but not elsewhere.
| Article H. No discriminating duties on
| imports. exports or vessels; equality of
duties and drawbacks, and reciprocity in
freighting; but intercourse with the West
Indies unsettled; prohibition in force
| there.
Article III American vessels to be ad-
mitted Eat the principal settlements of
| the British dominions in the East Indies, y
| but cargoes must be carried TO the United
| States-not elsewhere-and in time of
war prohibited articles not to be carried
| at ALL The coasting trade in the Indies
reserved
Article ". The convention" to be
binding for four years from signature.
More Conventions"
| 1,hnro y,.oS a sncond .scouvnntion'' Mt
London, Oct. 20, 1918, respecting fish
cries. boundary, etc, that by its fourth
| article extended the time of the reci-
procity convention for ten years; and
by a third convention" at London,
| Aug. 6, 1927, the time was further in
definitely" extended by it's first article
from the date of the expiration of the
said ten years." but Article Ii. follow
ing reads thus:
1t shall be competent, however, to either
of the contracting parties, in case either
| should think fit, at any time after the said
ten years-that is, after the Goth of Octo-
Der, 1S2S-on giving due notice of twelve
months to the other contracting party, to
annul and abrogate this conventions;
and il shall, in such case, be accordingly
entirely annulled and abrogated, after the
| expiration of the said term of notice.
Thus the 'cons e. ion" might have
been annulled and abrogated by either
party ON the 10th of October, 1929, OIL
at any time since, in conformity with
its own provisions. 1t has been In force
over sixty-nine years at least against
the interest of the United States, and
for the last thirty-seven years to the
lingering sufferance of the country
Why should we longer submit to the
winner of an unjust contest? If she
insists we shall, are we to be her sub
ordinate forever?
A wrong impression Is abroad that 9
return to the early ship protection OF
discriminating duties involves viola
ton of treaty with Great Britain
There Is nothing of the kind involved