The sun., 1906-02-25
No Tariff War with Germany.

between Germany and the United States
! as the prompt passage by the Reichstag
| on Thursday of Chancellor Won BUELoWs
bill to apply the minimum rates OF the
new German tariff to imports from this
| country until June 30, 1907. The fact
that such discrimination in our favor
is made bears witness to the Berlin Gov
ernment's desire to win and keep Ameri-
can good will, and it should and will
create a reciprocal feeling on this side
| of the Atlantic.
To appreciate the significance Of the
course pursued by the German Chan
cellor and sanctioned by the Reichstag
the acquiescenoe Of the Bundesrath or
Federal Council may be taken for granted
we should bear in mind that under the
new tariff which becomes operative in
Germany on March she benefits Of the
minimum rates can be secured only by
those countries which have previously
concluded reciprocity treaties with the
German Empire. Such treaties have
been concluded by Austria Hungary,
Russia, Belgium and several other Eu-
ropean States. Those treaty Powers
will have a just ground of complaint in
| that the Berlin Government has granted
| to the United States gratuitously what
they have been obliged to pay for It is
possible that some of the signatories
! may hold that their commercial COM
| pacts with Germany are null and void
in view of the preference shown to Amer
| ican products, which under an express
provision of the new German tariff
ought to be subjected to maximum rates.
| The troublesome renlonstrances and
possible reprisals to which Emperor
WILLIAM and his Chancellor may be ex-
| posed afford measure of the obligation
under which they have placed the United
States.
| We would not, Of course, deny that
large sections of the German people,
indeed all Germans except those en-
gagged in agricultural pursuits-are no
less deeply interested than ourselves in
averting tariff war. Herr kAEMPF a
Moderate Radical put the case correctly
in the Rechstag when he said that nine
tenths Of German industry and German
trade and OF the German ship owners
held the Government bill to be necessary
and for that reason he should vote for it.
Herr MoLKENBUHR said that although
he and his fellow Socialists are FREQ
traders they considered the provisional
arrangement proposed by the Chancellor
to be indispensable and should there
fore vote for it. For similar reasons
DR.. PAAscHE speaking for the National
Liberals, and DR.. HERoLD, representing
the Centre party, declared themselves in
favor of the bill As was to be expected,
some protests were heard from the
Agrarian wing Of the Conservative party
For example, Count Won SCHwERIN-
LoEwITz, speaking for the land owners,
announced that he should vote against
the Governments proposal consider
ing it a surrender to the protective
tariff policy of the United States. The
objection seems to have been perfume
tory, however, for only part Of the Con-
servatives concurred in it, and the bill
temporarily subjecting American prod
ucts to only the minimum rates was
| pdSscu ny dli lullIltlSc illdJOIIlS
The note sent by Secretary Roof last
week to the German Ambassador al
Washington and forthwith cabled tc
Berlin undoubtedly had much to do with
procuring the assent Of the Reichstag tc
remarkable discrimination in favor
of the United States. In that letter Mr.
Root expressed the hope that the pros.
pect OF certain alterations in the customs
! regulations might be regarded as proof
, OF President RoosEvELT's earnest wish
, to free the American customs admins
, tration from the appearance of being
. severe on German exporters. There are
/ three things which German exporters
, especially desire, two of which might bt
J brought about by Executive order, while
! the other would require the assent o.
Congress. The first request is that th'
, certificate issued by the American Con
sui at the port of shipment shall be ac
l cepted as conclusive proof of the valu
; of goods. If assent to this proposal il
r refused, the German exporters ask tina
0 the hearings undertaken for the purpos
| of determining whether given consign
! ment is undervalued may be public, s.
g that the consignee may have the privi
2 lege Of cross-examining witnesses AM
A producing counter evidence. The thir
D request is that if on hearing a con
t signment shall be adjudged undervalue
not more than 10 per cent, the under
valuation should he ascrbed to acciden
and treated as negligible. 1t is this de
q mand which could not be granted with
|, out the assent of Congress, but it is prob
d able enough that, appreciating tn
Il generous procedure of The German Ges
!. ernment, our Federal legislators wi
4 agree that an undervaluation not ex
O ceeding per cent, should be considere
!. immaterial.
r 1t may be that after next November
when a new House St Representative
d and many State Legislatures are TO b
= chosen. the opposition to reciprooit