Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1906-02-06
COMMERCIAL WARS UNPRoFI1ABLE.

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out that the present strained relations
between the United States and Ger
MANY in tariff matters afford almost
an exact parallel to the troubles be-
tween Germany and Russia which led
to a tariff war in 1898. In 1891 Ger
many adopted a new tariff in which
concessions were. authorized in the
duties on food products as the basis
for reciprocity treaties. The United
States obtained the benefit of these re-
duced rates by the treaty or convention
which Blaine negotiated. Austria
Hungary, Roumania and practically all
the countries which supply Germany
with food products obtained the same
concessions Russia, alone, was left
out in the cold.
Russia at that time, like the United
States today, had a high protective
tariff, with only one rigid schedule of
duties. Under this tariff, Russia could
| not offer any substantial concessions
to Germany, so as to obtain the reduc-
ed rates in the German tariff. After
fruitless negotiation, Russia undertook
to settle the question by maintaining
her existing tariff as a minimum, and
praviding a maximum tariff which
would be 20 to 80 per cent higher Ger
many was notified that this maximum
tariff on all imports from Germany
would be enforced, unless Germany
would apply her minimum rates to
Russian goods Germany refused to
come down and in August, 1898, Rus
STA put her maximum rates in force.
Germany promptly retaliated by rails
ing the German tariff SO per cent on
Russian goods. Many other measures
were adopted on both sides, to restrict
trade, and the situation became so
acute it almost led to war.
Russia had been exporting an enor-
nous amount of food products to Ger
many, but this trade was almost en-
tirely cut off, and the agricultural in
terests of Russia suffered serious loss
es German manufactured products
in like manner, were almost excluded
from Russia, and important manufac-
turing centers in Germany suffered
great losses. The tariff was proved
so disastrous to both countries that
they redoubled their efforts to settle
their differences and within eight
months this was accomplished and
commercial peace was restored. Russia
was compelled to make substantial
concessions as the price of peace, and
obtained the same advantages in the
German market which Blaine had OBJ
tanned for this country without any
war or difficulty.
The standpatters want this country
to follow the fatal policy which Russia
adopted in 1883. 1t is proposed that
the United States, instead Of making
fair and reasonable concessions, should
simply call our present tariff the min
imum and provide maximum which
will be 20 per cent higher. This max
imum they propose to enforce against
Germany, unless the German govern
ment will "corne down" and give
something for nothing. This policy will
lead to disastrous results.
1t was all right twenty years ago for
the United States to maintain a rigid
tariff against the world, but times
have changed. Other nations have
long seen the wisdom of the policy that
Blaine advocated, and the United
States should not be the last nation in
the world to see the wisdom Of fair
dealing and reciprocity in tariff mat
ters.