Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1901-06-27
CASSINI OFFFOR Home
He Will Try to UntangIe the Tan.
gle Regarding the Duty
on Sugar. .
SAYS IT Is A VERY SMALL MATTER
But Intimates That the Bears Claws
Are Strong and Sharp-Trou-
bic With Italy.

New York, June 27-BefCre sailing
| for Russia on the steamship Kaiser
Wilhelm der Crosse Count Arthur
Cassini, the Russian ambassador in
| this country. said some interesting
| things about the tariff trouble between
! the United States and Russia. He
said that the first thing he intended
doing on his arrival in st. Petersburg
was to see NJ. de Witte, the Russian
minister of finance, about it. He did
not think that Russia. in reprisal for
our duties on Russian petroleum,
would impose 4 high duty on agricul-
tural machinery of American manu-
facture.
"POuffi It Is of no Consequence" --..
THE diplomatic relations" he said.
between Russia and America are Of
the most friendly nature, and this So
called conflict between them on ac-
count of the tariff is an exceedingly
small matter, and Will no doubt he set
tied within very short time, and sat
isfactOrily TO both countries. 1t is part
of my duty To clear away any clouds
of misunderstanding between the two
countries. and there is absolutely no
danger that the present cordial rela-
tionS will be disturbed by the tariff
business. 1t is very small matter,
but, TO be pesfectly frank, the agitation
was started on this side OF the wafer
and / shall do all / can to stragihten
out the trouble. @
Gives Us a Small Hint. However.
The Russian minister of finance
declared that Russia did not pay any
bounty on her sugar. and il was said
here that the question left one in doubt
and to give what is termed in a jury
room the benefit of the doubt a high
tariff was placed ON our sugar. This
doubt, is of a rather questionable ma
ture. for should there he n commercial.
war-which is altogether unlikely
between the United States and Russia
this country would he the loser, as the
Russian exports OF these shores
amount to annually only S3.000.OOO,
while the United States sends millions
of dollars worth of her products TO
Russia every year. The volume of
trade is increasing every year. and it
is only beginning TO grow on Russian
soil. so you see what / mean when l
say that Americans would be the losers
by a commercial war.
Could BUY Goods of Germany.
'Of course. Russia. if hard PAR.
could get her goods from Germany. hut ,
this would surely not he desirable to
Americans. and another thing our trade
belongs to this country. As
l said before, the trouble does not
amount to much. and with such men
as Secretary Gage at the helm the mat
ter will be Strengthened out. but it is
to he depicred that such n thing has
happened NJ this time. The relations
between both countries are very cor
dial. and no better testimonial of this
can he had when you look at the policy
each country adopted in relation to the
recent trouble in China. Both are al
most alike. I do not think that there
is any danger of Russia imposing n I
prOhibltive tax on any agricultural ma |
chinery coming from these shores. but |
America should meet us half way in !
this affair, and especially so in view !
Of the incalculable benefits American |
Industries will reap from the opening |
Of the Siberian railway"