Washington sentinel., 1901-02-23
RUSSIA AROUSED.

RAShASihOAb ANhb OA viz AH PS'N'
tion OF American iron and ste
products and machinery comes Z
stunning surprise in the midst {
other remarkable events connecte
with that industry, says the Me-
York EVeNtng Pest The reason 70
this action is that the FreasuT
Department at Washington be
lieVes that Russia grants an expor
bounty on beet sugar and there
fore imposes countervailing dut'
on imports of that article from
Russia, equal to such bounty, a
required by the Dingley act. Th'
fact appears to be that Russi;
levies tax on beet sugar con
sumed at home, but RENTS the az
on sugar exported to foreign coun.
tries. She contends that this Is
not an export bounty, and so far
she is right. We allow distilled
spirits to be exported without pay
ing the internal revenue tax. We
allow draw backs of duties on many
other articles of export, including
refined sugar, but nobody has ever
considered these drawbacks as
bounties. They are intended
merely 10 give our producers an
equal chance in foreign markets,
and so long as they do no more,
the word bounty is not applicable
to them. II Russia has merely
RETAINED from imposing her inter
nal revenue tax on sugar exported,
our Government has committed a
stupendous error in putting an ex
ira outy on her sugar.
M. de Witte has replied by deal
ing us che heaviest blow possible,
The suddenness and severity Of it
show that he believes he has just
ice on his side. Russia is pros
pectively the largest foreign mar
ket for our iron and steel products.
We supply her with steel rails and
locomotives, dynamos, and an end.
less variety Of machinery. The
trade now reaches nearly SIo,ooo,-
600 per year. We are building
cruisers for her navy. Her empire
is the largest undeveloped region
in the world occupied by civilized
men. Hence, her future market
Is The largest ore in sight. More
over, L Is a narlseg on both oceans,
and the one on the Pacific is des-
tined to be the greater of the two.
Very likely Manchuria will be
added too soon. Until a few days |
ago our relations with Russia were
extremely pleasant. We had CO.
operated with her in China. She
had been our distinctive ally there.
We had come to an understanding |
with her as to the policy of the
open door," We had joined her
heartily in the Hague conference.
The expressions Of friendship on
both sides were cordial and genu.
me, and on the side OF Russia al |
most effusive. Now our traditional
riend deals us the hardest blow
we have received in the way Of |
.rade reprisals since the war Of
1919.
AS the correspondence has not
pet been given to the American
public, we must speak somewhat
under reserve, yet there are some
acts floating on the surface at St.
Petersburg and Washington which
-all for comment. 1t is said, for
example. that M. de Witte has
Dc en- too hastv; that If he had
waited till our General Appraisers
and perhaps our Circuit Court and
Supreme Court could pass upon
the case, our Treasury ruling
would, in all probability, have
been set aside and the trouble /
avoided. 1t is true that nc case
has yet come before the tribunals.
None could arise until after the
Treasury ruling had been made
and consignment OF sugar had |
been entered at one OF our ports
and refused admittance at the or
dinary rate Of duty. A year or
two might then elapse before a
final decision would be reached. |
The idea that foreign Govern.
ment should draw distinctions be-
tween different departments of our
Government and wait 20 see
il the Executive is overruled by
the judiciary, is rather whimsical. |
It becomes more so when we re-
feet that il is not the sale Of lit
tie less sugar that concerns Russia, |
but what she regards an affront.
We have refused to accept her
averment that she is not paying a |
bounty on her exports. We have
decided either that she is not tell
ing the truth or that she does not
know she true meaning OF the word
bounty, and we have acted on that
presumption by putting an extra
.a~r ~, hap s,vax CT 1T. -