The Minneapolis journal., 1902-08-04
The RUSSIAN NOTE


Russia has deemed 1t necessary to state,
through her financial agent in Washing
ton. that she did not intend to assail
the trade Of this country by issuing her
recent note totthe powers who were par
ties to the recent Brussels sugar conven-
ton and by her proposition for an anti
trust conference.
The Brussels conference abolishd boun-s
ties of all kinds on beet sugar grown by
the parties represented at the conference
to take effect next year, and provided
ttat any government paying a bounty on
beet sugar should have it's product sub
jected to count ervailing duty when II
was exported. Russia demurred to this
and has announced that any power levying
such countervailing duty would be regard
treaties with her, and she would consider
herself free from any obligation to OBJ
serve them. Russia has already retail
lated upon our own government for laying
a countervailing duty on Russia's bounty
fed beet sugar last year. She has imposed
an additional duty of 80 per cent on ar
ticles of machinery and other manufac-
lures Of iron and steel. Russia has de-
MED that she has any sugar bounty sys-
TEN, but it has been demonstrated to the
satisfaction of our treasury authorities
that she supervises the entire sugar pro-
duction Of the country and levies a large
tax on all sugar sold at home and RENTS
tod
abroad, the exporter receiving govern
ment certificate of export. This Is what
may be called pretty straight bounty CIV
ing.
The denial by Russia Of any purpose to
inaugurate a European coalition against
American trade is no doubt sincere. She
may desire 1t, but it would not be a
very profitable process for her. The
country squires Of Germany and the shoe
manufacturers, and others, of Austria are
the most pronounced advocates of such a
coalition, but there is no evidence that
any serious steps have been taken toward
such a hostile combine. If they raise
their tariffs on foodstuffs, as Germany
proposes through the tariff committee OF
the reichstag, the price of food will go
up, and there will be trouble at home. If
they lay prohibitive tax on our ma
chinery, which is taken in large quanti-
ties in Europe, they will find themselves
in a poorly prepared condition to meet
the home demand for equally acceptable
goods in quality and price. The course
which Europe will take will be indicated
next year, when large number of the
commercial treaties terminate and must
be renewed. If we are unwilling to effect
reciprocal trade arrangements with Eu-
ropean nations, they will not give US the
advantages of their minimum tariff rates.
Russia has put upon US her maximum
tariff rates on a number of articles as a
Eretaliatory measure against our coun-
| tervailing duty on her sugar AS the de-
mand for our products in Europe is lin
| tied by the prices at which they can be
| bought, the raising of the maximum tariff
rates on us, or what is not unlikely, the
levying of tax additional to the maxi
mum would make some serious difference
with our trade. r.
At the present time the action of con-
gress, or rather the non-action of con-
gress, places us in the position before the
world of definitely repudiating reciprocity
in every FORM. ''Touch not the tariff
schedules is the mandate of the states
men who seemed to have sufficient .influ-
ence in congress to control its action. II
] should not be forgotten that. In 1896
vhen the republican party: was masset
! . save the country from rank Reputation
and financial disaster, It denounced the
democrats for repeating the reciprocitJ
] legislation Of the Harrison administrator
and demanded the renewal Of such legis.
llation and the extension Of the principle