Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-02-14
HE GAVE NO DECISION
SECRETARY GAGE CORRECTs STATE
NENT ABOUT ATTORNEY GENERAL.
imposition of COuntervailing Duty
on Russian Sugar Continues
to He Discussed.

Secretary Gage said today that an erro-
neous impression prevails as to some par
ticulars of his recent decision imposing
countervailing duty on sugar imported into
the United States from Russia. The state
ment had been made, he said. that the de-
cision was based upon an opinion rendered
by Attorney General Grfggs. holding that
Russia paid a bounty on exported sugars.
This. he said, a mistake. The opinion
of the Attorney General had been requested
upon a few points involved, one of which
was as to whether an appeal by the. ag-
grieved parties in the case would lie to the
board of general appraisers in New York.
After making this request for an opinion it
had come to his knowledge that the courts
had held in the case OF Hill Brothers. In
volving the question of sugar bountes paid
by the Netherlands, that appeal would
lie to the board of general appraisers. He
thereupon withdrew his request for an opin-
ion from the Attorney General and issued
the decision already published Secretary
Gage said that the question greatly in
volved. and in view of all the facts he did
not believe that the ipse- dixit of any gov
ernment official should determine the facts.
Congress had established the board of gen.
eral appraisers, whose specific duty it was
to settle just such questions as have arisen
in the Russian sugar case. 1t is board Of
experts, thoroughly conversant with all the
is unquestionably we'll fitted to pass upon
the question.
Secretary Gage said further that 10 one
could be wronged by his decision, mas
much as when the first case was taken be-
fore the board he would make a request
that it be given preference over all other
business. with a view to an early decision
of the matter.
Object May BE Frustrated.
The Russian embassy has not yet been
supplied with an official statement of the
decision reached by the Treasury Depart
ment relative to the imposition of a conter-
vailing duty on Russian sugar imported into
the United States. Probably it will be sew
eral days before that information traverses
the routine channels and reaches the en-
basSy. Meanwhile it is impossible to secure
anything like an explicit statement of the
purposes of the Russian government. There
is conceament made of the fact that
some drastic retaiatory action Is appre-
hended. 1t has been hoped that the Rus
sian government would await a judicial
Interpretation of the countervailing duty
law as applied to Russian sugar, Accord
ingly, it was expected that test case
would be made up as soon a Russian
cargo reached the United States. A protest
by the consgnees against the payment Of
the countervaling duty, followed by an ap-
peal to the courts. might result In securing
reversal of the treasury decision. But
that the Russian government will consent
to do no such thing. but will pay the
duties on the sugar now afloat bound for
the United States; stop further shipments
of the kind from Russia, and proceed to
impose the maximum tariff rates on United
States imports into Russia. If this course
is followed, it may. be that the purpose of
the treasury to secure a judicial determina-
ton of the character of the Russian sugar
scheme will be defeated, for the courts
could not pass upon the case unless the
ccnsiSnees chose to appeal from the decision
of the treasury officers levying the duty.
However neither the State Department
nor the Russian embassy either knows or is
prepared to predict what will be done. The
certain point is that wha tever move is next
made must come from the Russian side.
Count Cassini. the Russian ambassador,
called at the State Department today and
spent a few minutes in conference with
Acting Secretary Hill. But this was diplo-
matte day, and the count is a pretty regular
caller on such occasions, so that the visit
was not particularly suggestive.