The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1902-11-18
ANTI-AMERIcAN SENTIMENT IN
REIcHsTAG PREDOMINANT.
ON TARIFF BILL
The National Liberals Are Advocat-
ing Hostility to the United
States.

Berlin, Nov. 14.-The reichstag to-
day adopted by 1872 to II votes the
paragraph of the new tariff bill au-
thorizing the government to retaliate
on any country discriminating
against German goods.
The agrarians openly affirmed that
it was necessary to arm the govern
ment with weapons for reprisal, es.
pecially against the United States GUS
toms practices.
DR.. Brumer, national liberal, cited
an instance in which he said 100000
worth of enameled goods were order
ed in Germany for New York, but
the speaker asserted the customs Of
ficials changed the classification at
the instances of the American trust,
~wAereupon the New York importer
cancelled the order" It was proved
to the customs officials, said DR..
Brumer, that the invoice was in eX-
act accord with the German sellers
books and that instead of the goods
being under-valued, the books show.
ed that shipments had been made to
India at still lower prices.
DR.. Brumer further asserted that
the customs officials treatment was
dictated by the interests of the home
manufacturers, and he continued:
1T is said we must not offend the
United States. but they will respect
us more and we shall gain more by
showing our teeth than by always
giving pleasant words"
Herr Gothein, radical liberal, re-
piled that such words were no fitting
epilogue to the sentiments express
ed by Count Posadowsky, the home
secretary, in the presence of the for
eign secretary, Baron o Richthofen,
at Ambassador Whites farewell din
ner.
"They will make discord," he con
tinued, among the wishes spoken
there for friendly relations with the
United States. Why empower the
government to do something it does
not want to do? Although the pres
ent government would not apply the
paragraph, some succeeding govern
ment might commit such a folly. Re
t%aliatory duties are the weapon of
Chaucinism and not of patriotism"
Herr Fischback, radical, said all the
chambers Of MINER were opposed
to a tariff war with the United States.
Herr Broemel, radical, remarked
that if Germany adopted retaliatory
measures against the United States
because of regulations which applied
to the goods of all countries it would
be a serious breach of the existing
treaties.
The Associated Press is authorized
to announce that the ministry has not
decided to drop the tariff bill, as pub
lished in London but is determined
to persist until the dissolution OF the
%reichstag in June. The tariff debate
will probably be abruptly suspended
nv the presentation of the budget in a
Few days, instead of W. ting for the
first week in Iscce'iber, as previously
intended. Chancellor Won BueloW
finds that the reichstag's time is be-
ing wasted, and wishes to employ the
house on the finance bill. AS soon as
the latter is read, the government
will take up the tariff bill, when lapse
of time will have reduced the major
ity in the house to a more yielding
disposition.
The ministry also has decided o
to agree with Russia or n other
country for a five years extension OF
existing commercial treaties.