The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1902-11-25
OUR TRADE WITH GERMANY
THREATENED.

By an Overwhelming vote the German
re chstag adopted the paragraph in the
pending tariff bill authorizing the gov
ernment to adopt retaliatory measures
against any country discriminating in
its tariff laws against the goods Of that
country. During the debate on this
proposition it was openly asserted that
the measure was aimed directly at the
United States. The tone of this debate
and the result of the vote following it
should be a warning to u congress
that the time had arrived when there
mast be Il modification Of our tariff laws
or our foreign trade will greatly suffer
in the near future. Germany has been
FESTIVE for some time under the r~estric-
tions of our tariff laws as regards her
products-what she has termed unjust
discrimination against them. If the
measure now pending in the reichstag
becomes a law it will put in the hands
Of the German executive the power at
any time in it's discretion TO declare
that cur government is discriminating
against German made goods and TO
place an embargo upon American pro-
ducts. and with the present feeling to-
ard America existing in German it
will be pretty apt to be inforced in all
it's severity.
En- the debate on the retaiiatory meas
ure in the reichstag Mr.. Bruner, a ma
tfonal liberal member, was one of its
chief advocates. He said in answer 20
the argument that the United States
must not be offended:
at is said that we must not offend the
United States; but they will respect us
more and We shall gain more by show
ing osr teeth than by always giving
pleasant words"
This shows the German feeling toward
our nation. They have grown tired of
always giving pleasant words and
think they can gain by an aggressive
course.
Mr. Bruner illustrated the discrimina-
ton against German goods by the
American customs by citing an instance
where a New York firm had ordered
$sG0. zoe worth of enameled goods from 4
German house. but the customs officials
change the classification lat the in
stance sf the American trust and the
importers Cancelled the order. If this
ST .tenent is correct it shows a most
outrageous use of our tariff laws for
foeterias a trust-the National Enam-
cling and Stamping Company, general
ly known as the enamel trust, a cor
poration with a capital stock of $50, 000,-
OOs. What one trust can do in the way
Of shutting out foreign goods and foe
ing its own products upon the American
people. other trusts can do also. If
this statement be true, then there is
ungeRt discrimination against German
goods, and our government would have
no right to complain were Germany to
enforce the re~taliatory law just adopt
ed by the reichstag. This law of retail
iation already exists in this country and
has been put in force by our govern
ment, notably in the case of petroleum
from Russia; SO we will have no Just
cause ef complaint if Germany Shows
her teeth" by enforcing this proposed
measure. This is a peculiar spectacle
in this Twentieth century-two great
nations. each irving to extend the
sphere of it's commercial and political
influence. adopting measures to curtdiI
its trade with the other. Such a pro-
C ding would work greater hardship to
is than to Germany. None of the ma
tons the world are more dependent
on foreign markets than we. While
the balance of our foreign trade is in
our " still we, as between nations,
are a debtor and We lave to export our
cotton and grain and manufactured ar
ticles to liquidate his Indebtedness each
year Were Germany to strictly enforce
this retaliatory Measure it would great
ly reduce u export trade with that
country and to that extent curtail our
ability to meet our annual accounts
abroad. If Germany puts into effect
this warfare it will fall with greater
hardship upon the agricultural class OF
our people than any other. for it is the
American breadstuffs and meats that
are Meeting the greatest opposition in
that country. 1t is against these that
the agricultural interests of Germany.
as well as OF England. are making this
fight.
This is a grave warning the German
reichstag has given our congress. n
heed Legislation is needed to foster
and increase our trade with Germany
as we'll with all other nations instead ~
such as will hamper and decrease it.
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