The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-08-28
The Secretary of the Treasury Defends His Views on the
 Treaty With Trance
CAUTIONS THt GOVERNOR
 OF IOWA ID BE PRUDENT
Says He Did Not State in Conven- tion at Chicago That French Treaty Gave Everything
 to France.

Chicago, August 27.-Secretary of the Treasury Leslie M. Shaw today made public the following letter written to Gov. A. B. cummins of Iowa in reply to state ments made by him to Governor Cum mins before the recent reciprocity conyen- tion at Chicago:
 Chicago, August 26.
 My Dear Governor Cummins-Tn a carefully prepared address delivered be- fore the reciprocity convention at Chi cago which the papers say you read, Lest you might be misrepofted.' you used this language:
 The secretary of the treasury in speech recently delivered in Des Mones is reported as saying that the explana- tion of the refusal of the senate to con slider the French treaty is that it gives everything to France and nothing to the United States I must do him the jus tice to believe that he never read the treaty. for otherwise he has committed a grave offense against the proprleties of debate
 Explains Delay.
 q did not see that portion of your ad- dress until I came west, and have de- layed writing that I might ascertain where I was reported to have made such statement. know I did not say it. or anything that could be so interpreted but I was not so sure about the report The occasion was an information lun- cheon, and the speech was impromptu, though not extemporaneous. l find that both of the Des Moines republican daily papers represented at the luncheon re- ported me as saying I was an enthusiast among those who favored the reciprocity treaties. Among these treaties was one with France. The French contract gave her an advtange in entering the American market over every other country on seventy articles, Reconsideration of which she agreed to apply her minimum tariff to our exports to France, except as to twenty articles, including horses, butter eggs cheese, leather goods, machine (ma- chine tools), dynamos. etc. That is if we would treat France better than we did any other country, France would treat us about as we'll as she did any other nation.
 "Of course the treaty was not ratified l say of course.' l mean merely to say 1t was not ratified. There were those in the Senate who declared that they did not believe this nation should discriminate against Great Britain where we sell 5O0- 900 of our exports for the benefit of a nation which takes less than $200 0O00, 900.
 Report Is Correct.
 'While the report is not verbatim, 1t Is substantially correct. Whether I read the treaty before making the statement is rel atiyely of little importance but If the treaty as negotiated did not give France a reduction from our regular tariff rates on substantially seventy articles (to be exact sixty-nine articles), counting every variety of silk manufacture as one ar tic1e, then 1t may be conceded that had not read 1t; and If 1t did not exempt twenty American articles from the pro- visionl of the French minimum rate of duty. as follows: Horses. butter, lucerne and clover seed fodder cast iron, skins and hides prepared, boots and shoes and parts of same, belts and cords and other leather articles manufactured for machin- cry; dynamos, machine tools, dynamo cqyductors and parts, arc lamps. known as 'egulators sugar chicory roots. green or Sdred figs. cheese. honey. porcelain cardboard rough in sheets, then it may be conceded that I violated tho proprie- ties of debate, though an informal talk at a luncheon is several times removed from debate.
 Gives Some Advice.
 You, my dear governor, and I have had some experience in the trial of cases and we have seldom lost through the mis- representation of our opponents Attor- neys usually and lawyers always exer- else great care lest they incorrectly state position of their professional adversa- ries. Certainly friends and adherents of the same political party will be more careful still.
 "Knowing, therefore, that you would not violate the proprieties of debate by quoting me without authority as having made specific statement I write to in- quire where you saw the report of my speech as given in your Chicago address I have not seen it, and I wish to correct the record as soon as possible Please advise me Very sincerely yours.
 .ECI.IIV M