Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1902-12-26
England and Germany Complain
of Our Favoritism In Phil
ippines Tariff
SUGGEST WE ARE INCONSISTENT
United States Demands an Open Door
in China and William r. Day Prom.
ised Same in the Philippines, But
United States Gets All the Hemp by
Renting Export Duty.

Washington, D. c., Dec. 26.-England
and Germany have made protest to the
United States against what they de-
clare to be the failure to maintain an
open door in the Philippines. The case
in point involves the matter OF an ex-
port of $3.50 a ton on Manila hemp and
fiber, which is imposed upon the prod
uct shipped to England and Germany
but which Is RENTED on that which is
sent to the United States.
These protests, which came to the
state department, and were then re-
ferred to Secretary Root, because the
war department has direct supervision
over the Philippines, have been trans
mitted to the senate Philippine COM
mittee, to be considered in connection
with the measure proposing to reduce
the tariff ON Philippine goods coming
into the United States from IS per cent
to 25 per cent of the Dingley schedules.
The question Is somewhat perplexing to
the republican leaders, and they are un-
decided as to the best course to pursue
Day Note Referred To.
The protest of Germany mentions the
note addressed by William r. Day, then
United States peace commissioner in
Paris, to Senior Don e. Montero Recos.
Spanish peace commissioner, Nov. ~,
1898, in which he declared that 1T was
the intention of the United States to
maintain an open door in the Philip
pines. 1t adds that "the imperial gov
eminent rests its claim on the principle
of equal treatment for all nations,
which the United States has always IN
voked in eastern Asia and elsewhere,
and requests that the privileges now
enjoyed by the United States be eX-
tended to Germany.
The matter was brought to the at
tention of the Marquis of Lansdowne by
the Association of Chambers of COM
merce of the United Kingdom, and was
followed by note from the British am-
bassador to the state department, In
which mention was made of the note of
the secretary of state on Nov. 2S, 1899,
declaring that this goyerndment would
maintain the open door In the Philip
pines to the worlds commerce. The
with which such preferential treat
ment of manila fiber exported to the
United States appears to be inconsist-
emit
+ Secretary Hay turned the cor
respondence over to Secretary Root.
who replied stating that the matter was
one for congressional action. Congress
having in it's Philippine tariff bill pasel
at the last session legalized and sane
toned the tariff enacted by the Philip
pine commission which imposed the ex-
port duty on hemp.
The effect of the present export duty
is to divert the bulk OF shipment of ma
Mia hemp from England and Germany,
which were large purchasers before the
Spanish American war, to the unltea
States where the tax is RENTED and
the hemp imported free of duty, English
and German rope manufacturers have
suffered greatly by reason of this con-
dition.
This situation now confronts the
Philippine committee. to which the pro-
tests have been referred. The export
duty in the Philippines is necessary to
maintain the revenues of the islands; a
corresponding import duty can not well
be added without destroying the rope
industry in this country, which now en-
Joys a great advantage over It's Euro
pean competitors. At the same time 1t
is evident that the United States IS not
adhering to the policy of an open door
in the Philippines, and England ana
Germany may find a means OF retaiia-
ton.