Lewiston evening teller. [volume] (Lewiston, Idaho) 1903-1911, 1906-01-10
SCHEM|NC TO
EvADE TARIFF
America Will Apply Mo.
duS Vivendi to
Germany.
Secretaries Root and Shaw Will En-.
dsavor to Get American Goods
Over European Tariff Wall
by Mastery Process
by Late Mr.. Hay.

Special to Evening Teller
Washington, Jan. 10.-Blessed be the
man who invented the modus vivendi.
The personality of the inventor Is
somewhat doubtful. but Secretary Hay
was the first American statesman to
apply 1t to serious international sit
uation as means Of circumventing the
senate. 1t was thus he kept the peace
on the Alaskan boundary for many
years when he knew that If he had
called his 'modus'' a treaty and had
sent 1t to the senate 1t would have been
rejected out Of hand
In the same way now there Is talk of
Secretary Root and Secretary Shaw
getting together with the German am
bassador and fixing up temporary
trade agreement with Germany a mo-
dus vivendi that will soften, in some
measure at least the rigor of Ger
many's new commercial agreement
with seven European countries, which
becomes effective next March and pro-
misses to work great hardship to Amer
lean trade.
Speaker Cannon has given 1t out in
unqualified terms that he will have no
tariff tinkering'' at the present SEES
sion, and there Is a rumor that he has
been able to take this stand, owing to a
tacit agreement with the president that
there will be faith on a satisfactory"
rate bill
This, even If true, still leaves the
matter somewhat open, as there may
be several interpretations Of what Is a
satisfactory rate bill. But mean time
the secretary Of state and the secretary
of the treasury are busy seeing If there
is not some middle and satisfactory
way out of what treatens to be dis
There is difference between the two
secretaries Of course as to the best
method to persue. Secretary Shaw Is
an avowed standpatter. Secretary Root
never has been. Therefore Secretary
Root Is i'm favor of the Lodge bill which
woull make the present Dingley rates
the maximum under which certain re-
ciprocal advantages might be given.
while Secretary Shaw favors the Nc
Cleary bill. which would fix the Ding
ley rates as the minimum beyond which
retaliatory duties might be imposed.
1t is simply the difference between
the velvet glove and gnarled club.
But Secretary Root has the reputation
of never lacking the steel grip inside
the velvet glove and his policy will
probably be a very safe one to follow.
What arrangement may finally be
reached is a question, but IL looks inst
Germany might be reached that would
be short of declaration of CONNER
cial war.
Tariff Trouble with Brazil.
While the large cloud Is looming on
the horizon with Germany smaller
deluge has already burst I'm Brazil. The
state department has been notified Of
an executive order putting into effect
the tariff adopted by the Brazilian gov
eminent some months ago. This tariff
| is general i'm terms and is Of highly
protective nature. said to Se for the
| purpose of fostering native industries.
Whatever it's purpose. 1t bears heavi-
| ly on Omerican trade with Brazil and
| makes the duties on grain. -four and
| harvesting machinery practically pro-
| hibitive. The state department has
| tried for some time to avert this tariff
complication but without avail. Brazil
| thinks II will be a good thing for home
| Industries and this country certainly
| cannot complain at smaller state
adopting the protective policy that has
been so long and strongly held In this
| country.