Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-04-19
"Favored Nation, Clause.

The most serious obstacle to the making
of a reciprocity treaty between the United
States and Mexico or commercial treaty
of any kind which would yield mutual ad-
vantages is the fact that Mexico already has
commercial treaties with nearly all other
countries of Importance, and in these trea-
ties is found the favored nation" clause.
That is to say, If Mexico should now con-
clude treaty with the United States CIV
ing special concessions to products from the
United States by the terms of her treaties
with the European countries she would be
forced to Immediately extend the same con-
cessions to those countries. and without
further compensation than she now enjoys.
Under these circumstances 1t would be
question to be answered only by careful
research as to whether the United States
might not lose more by such process than
she would gain, for it would let down the
barriers to European trade IN Mexico to a
degree equal to the facilities afforded the
American trade.
Where Duties Could BE Lowered.
There is another reason why it is ex-
tremely difficult for the United States and
Mexico to arrive at any mutually satisfac-
tory commercial agreement. An examina-
ton of the trade between the two coun-
tries will show that whereas Mexico has
everything to give to the United States, the
! latter has very little it can offer in return.
| The United States imported from Mexico
! in 1900 merchandise to the amount Of $2S,-
646,053. OF this amount only about one
! sixth paid duty, the other articles being on
| the free list. In 1900 the United States ex-
| ported to Mexico about 49,. 000, 900 worth of
| merchandise, nearly au Of which paid duty.
| OF the exports to Mexico $25 100000 came
| under the head of iron and steel, machin-
| cry lumber, wool and cotton. OF the i'm
| ports from Mexico. aside from precious
| metals. the leading articles were coffee,
I II; etcn md foh Fhn ,lNy
| points upon which the United States could
make any concessions to. Mexico which
would be of appreciable value to that coun-
| try are in the direction of reduced import
| duties upon hides, fruits, lead ores and cat
tie. The proposition to reduce the duty on
| fruit from Jamaica SO excited the fruit in
| terests of the United States that they were
| able to defeat the proposed reciprocity
| treaty. The feeling against a reduction of
| the duty on hides ard woods is so strong in
! Congress that a number of democratic rep
resentatives voted for the Dingley bill at
] the request of the cattle and sheep indus
| tries in the southwest. To propose re-
] duction of duty upon lead ores would
| again arouse the antagonism of the miners
| of the northwest, who were successful In
| increasing the duty on lead when the Ding
| ley bill became law. The opposition to
| a reduction in the duty on cattle Is very
strong throughout the southwest as well,
| and a proposition to that effect would
arouse great political antagonism.
Now Better for Mexico.
| For the reasons cited, therefore, it is evil
| dent that the United States and Mexico
will have to get along without any com
| mercial agreement between the two coun'
tries. Mexico, as it is now. has decidedly
| the best of the argument. Public opinion
| would not support any movement to enforce
! the retaliatory feature of the Dingley law
| against Mexico, although that law allows
! the President to impose a retaliatory i'm
port tax of cents q pound on coffee, this
| imposition to be used as club to brins
| about tariff concessions from foreign coun-
| tries. The Mexican tobacco interests would
| be greatly benefited by a reduction Of
| American import duties, but that industry
| Is about as strong politically In the United
States as any other, and it is equally doubt
| full whether such an idea would receive a
| moments consideration in view of the large
| territory which would be presumably un-
| favorably affected by admitting more Mex
| lean tobacco at lower duties.
| The imposition of high import duty or
lead ores caused the erection with Ameri-
can money of some of the largest smelters
in the world, as the wet ores so plentiful
| there were needed in the smelling Of the re-