Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-01-15
A CUSTOMS CONGRESS
WILL BE CONVENED IN NEW
YORK SATURDAY.
Result of the International American
Conference in. Mexico
Last Winter.

Secretary Shaw will make the opening
Address of the international customs con-
gress which convenes in New York Satur-
day The purpose of the congress Is to
recommend customs regulations and laws
which shall be uniform throughout the
countries lying to the south of the United
States, and delegates from nearly every
one of these countries are to be in attend
ance on the congress- The congress is d.
rectly the result of the second international
American conference which met in the City
of Mexico last winter, when resolutions
providing for the congress were adopted.
The adoption of these resolutions was
considered by many of the delegates to the
conference to be the most important result
of their deliberations, as 1t was step in
the direction of bringing the American re-
public together in closer commercial rela-
tons.
Purpose Of the Congress.
The name customs congress- has created
the impression in some quarters that the
question of customs tariff rates will be con-
sidered The congress will have nothing
whatever to do with the subject OF tariff
rates in any of the countries represented.
It's functions were clearly defined by the
resolutions adopted by the conference. BY
these resolutions the congress Is charged
Ing about, as far as it Is practicable to do
so, the adoption by the governments Of the
countries represented Of uniform and,
simple methods of custom house proce-
dure and uniform and simple systems
of port regulations and charges 1t is
to consider measures for securing the
adoption In tariff schedules and laws
OF common nomenclature Of the prod
ucts and merchandise of the American
republics, to be issued in English Spanish,
Portuguese and French, so that it may be-
come the basis for the statistical data of
exports and imports. 1t is also to provide
for the organization of permanent inter-
national American customs commission,
which as dependency of the international
bureau OF the American republics or other
wise. shall be charged with bringing about
the execution of the resolutions and decis-
ions of the congress and the consideration
or the customs laws of the several coun-
tries for the purpose of suggesting changes
with regard to custom house formalities
tending to facilitate mercantile traffic
There Will be a preliminary session of
the congress tomorrow. at which no formal
business will be transacted, as several of
Inc delegates must attend President Roose-
Veits dinner to the diplomatic corps to-
morrow evening and cannot be present The
hrst business session will be held Saturday.
when. after an address of welcome by
Mayor Low. Secretary Shaw will deliver a
formal opening address, which will he re-
sponued to by one of the foreign delegates
A permanent organization will then be Of
fected. e-- NC eA
The Countries Represented.
The list of delegates as far as thew b,,o
been communicated to the international
bureau OF the American republics contains
representatives. Of Bolivia Costa Rica
Cuba, Ecuador Salvador, Guatemala Haiti
Honduras, Mexico. Nicaragua, Venezuela
and the United States. The delegates To
represent the United States are VIM. n
Lincoln. president of the Boston chamber
OF commerce. Kenneth oP
Field q Co. Chicago. and Robert B. Arm
s.FVIs' private secretary to the Secretary
OF me treasury. who has been selected to
succeed Mr.. Spaulding as assistant secre-
tary OF the treasury. Morris X Jesun
VINO had been appointed to represent the
new YORK chamber of commerce, will not
Ce aple 10 serve and. at his suggestion
stead. III lis
IT is expected that other countries. in adj
oluon TO those named above, viii appoint
representatives at the last moment nroh-
ably their consular representatives in New
York or members OF their legations in
Washington. The only country that has
aec. .i 10 send representatives. Is the Ar
genuine Republic. This is NOT surprising
10 those who appreciate the resentment
That is felt by the government of that
country on account Of the failure Of the
United States Senate to ratify the recinroc
Ivy treaty which was negotiated between
me Argentine Republic and the United
states. This resentment was made very
apparent by the Argentine delegates to the
conference in Mexico, and the representa-
i've or that country who served on the
committee which drew the resolutions pro-
vldlng for the customs congress took a
pessimstic view of the prospects Of tho
congress The Argentine delegation finally
voted for the resolutions, but without dis
Paying any disposition to help the con-
gress along
Whether the congress Is to be productive
OF good or not will probably depend upon
the degree Of success which NAV attend
tIe eHorts to have the several countries
adopt It's recommendations. 1t has 70
authority of course, to bind any country