The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1901-01-01
TO EXCLUDE AMERICAN WHEAT.
German AErarians Demand Pro-
hibitixe TarifT ON CereaIs.

German AErarians Demand n Pro-
hibitiye Tariff on Cereals
That Germany means TO close her mar
kets to American wheat is certain, de-
clares our Consul at Bremen, Henry W.
Diederich, in a report 20 this Govern
ment. She has already closed them to
American corned beef. canned meats and
sausages. The opposition 10 American
bread is led by he Agrarians who insist
that the Government shall double the i'm
port tax on wheat. making il about A
cents a bushel
The aim Of the Agrarians,' says Con-
sui Diederich, is 10 make Germany en-
tireIy Independent Of all countries for its
brcadstuffs and food supplies. However,
it is impossible 10 understand how a duty
Of, say, ii cents On every bashel of i'm
ported wheat, as IS now proposed 10 the
Reichstag, can increase the crops Of
wheat and other cereals in this country
or decrease the appetite of its people
Farming diversified and intensified is
done in Germany upon more improved and
scientific methods than prcabbIy any
where else in the world. Though the Ger
mans use less machinery in garnering and
Z
ply more chemistry IN the treatment of
their soil. and use almost every inch Of
ground available for agricultural pur-
poses.
More commercial fertilizers are i'm
ported into this country and E1anUfac-
tuTed here, and more attention is paid
70 soil incubation ia order 10 increase
fertility than in any other country And
yet, with all that science and money
and Ton can do in raising grain. Germany
is obliged TO import from other countries
about one-eighth Of her readstuffs. One
eighth is a rather small fraction and
does not look at all fe -midabIe when II
is borne IN mind that n 1889 Germany
had to import 80. 81 426 busaels Of wheat
for which she paid So. 5000 and q
GS7,l bushels OF rye. which cost he
1915, 200 the question at once assumes
gigantic proportions
For the two items Of wheat and rye
this nation paid TO other nations The
handsome sum of S5S.3S1 AGO, and his azt
sum Of money the AgraTians claim VIII
be retained in Germany If q higher duty
be imposed on wheat and other grains
1t is proposed to add TO the acreage OF
this country by putting under cultivation
ali the barren, waste places now occupied
by mOors and heaJhs and swamps- II is
claimed that ample protection VIII bring
+ better prices for home grown wheat
which VIII encourage the German farmer
/ to grow less sugar beet and more grain
But even should Germany be as success
full in increasing her production Of wheat
and rye as the most sauguine AgrariaGS
expect, it would be impossible for any
length of time 10 supply the home CON
sumption.
With the natural increase Of the pop
uIation Of Germany. the demand for and
the consumption of breadstuEs are con
tinuaIly growing Each year brings to
this country on the average 500 600 fresh
mouths clamoring for food So, after all,
it is difficult TO see how the proposed ma
tioual legislation can have any other eff
feet, in the long run, than to enhance the
price Of the daily bread so needful to
every man, woman, and child in this
country.
AT this writing these seems to be lit
tie doubt that the proposed law viii be
passed by The German Reichstag-"