The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1899-02-12
ONLY FRIENDSHIP
FOR UNITED STATES
ri
Baron YOn BuelOW Delivers a Notable
Speech to the ReichStag.
THROUGHOUT SPANISH WAR
The StriCteSt Neutrality Was Maintain
ed on Germany'S Part.
BISMARCK SUPPORTS GOVERNMENT
Political Circles Were Astonished At
Prince Herbert's Action in Uphold
ing Won Buelow-Trade Relations
Between the Two Countries.

Berlin, February lin the reichstag to-
day Count Won Kanitz, the Agraran leader.
at the instance of the German government,
interpellated the government on the ques-
ton of the commercial relations between
the United States and Germany. The min
lister of foreign affairs, Baron Won Buelow,
intimated his readiness to reply forthwith.
In introducing the Interpolation, Count
Won Kanitz referred to the prohibitive eff
fects of the Dingley bill and contrasted the
decrease of German exports with the in
crease in American exports. He said that
to denounce the treaties containing the
| favored nation clause was now scarcely
necessary, as the Americans no longer fully
observed their treaty. The Americans. he
! added must be made to understand that the
| Germans had no right whatever to obtain
| their whole list of necessities from them
| alone. If one country closed its markets to
another. good commercial relations could
| not permanently continue. In this connec-
| ton it was in the interest of German agri-
| culture to uphold the purchasing power OF
| the country against American measures. A
| tariff war was certainly undesirable, but In
| the event of such a struggle America, hav-
/ ing great volume of imports had much
more to lose than Germany. The count
! concluded with expressing the hope that
! the federal government would act both
cautiously and theoretically. His remarks
were applauded by the rightists.
Won Buelow Replies
| Baron Won Buelow replied that it was
| impossible in view of the pending negotia-
| tons to make an exhaustive declaration of
| the position taken by the German and
! American governments. In the specific
! question Germanys differences with
America was mainly attributable to con-
fiicting interpretations of the favored ma
h. he ~ Of
! 1928. cloud conservative interruptions)
The baron then read part of the treaty
| and continued: 1.-THE German government
has always considered these clauses of the
! treaty as implying unlimited the most IA
| vored nation treatment for Germany in all
tariff questions. Concessions of any other
| kind which the United States might grant
to third state, in return for some special
| compensation, Germany would only claim
| If she made a corresponding return to the
United States. From this view is based
the well-weighed meaning and text Of the
treaties Germany cannot recede from
that position"
Baron Won Bueow again rose and said:
I'm the despatch by Germany of squad
| ron to East Asia during the Hispano-
| American war were guided solely by
the legitimate obligation imposed upon us
of protecting German subjects and German
trade at Manila. We were never for sin
gle moment disloyal to honorable neutrali-
| ~. NSHSSiS'J
Statements Are Untrue
Il emphatcaly declare that the state
ments which have appeared in a portion
OF the foreign press regarding alleged Ger
man designs in the Philippines or German
support of the Filipinos against the Ameri-
cans is the most barefaced falsehoods
(Cheers) The assertion that the German
consul-general at Hong Kong sold arms
to the tilipinos is one of the fouest
cdnarQS that futtPred from a muddy
hole.
THE whole intercourse between the Ger
man and American naval officers at Ma
Mia was characterized by a spirit of mu-
tual courtesy. Our naval officers con-
Quoted themselves throughout in a man.
ner to which no blame can be attached or
exception taken and the conduct of the
Americans toward them was just as chiv-
alrous
In protecting German lives and property
from injury within the limits of strict neu-
tralty we exercised what was our just
right and fulfilled a national duty. Cries
of quite right.') And we shall never allow
anything to deter US from exercising that
right and fulfilling that duty with calm de-
liberation and to their full extent.
Hope for Trade Development
after the conclusion of the war our
ships withdrew from the Philippines with
the exception of a single cruiser. We do
citizens jeopardized under American
protection and we also hope to see an I'M
interrupted further development of our
trade in the Philippines and the West Indies
under American rule. (Cheers.)
81 believe that between the two strong
manly nations frankness and straightfor-
wardness is the best policy and the best
remedy for political ii-humor, more mag-
mary than real. The mutual relations be-
tween the two governments has never
ceased to be good and friendly and the dis
tingushed representatives of the United
States at Berlin CNfr white) recognized that
in his speech here on Independence Day in
manner which must have redounded to
our satisfaction. He declared that the at
titude of the representatives of Germany
during the war was all America could have
expected it to be. There Is indeed no
reason whatever why the two powers
should not stand In the best relationship
. with one another" (Cries of Every true.")
Dr. Lieber, the eentrist leader, followed.