Los Angeles herald., 1907-12-14
DECLARES SECRETARY
ROOT SURPRISES TRUTH
Protective Tariff League Charges It
Cannot Get Facts Of eermanys
Exportations-Asks Word
from consuls

WASHINGTON, Dec. 13--Under the
heading Holding Back the Truth" an
article in the American Economist. or
gan of the American Protective Tarin
league charges the state department.
with suppressing the truth about the
new commercial agreement with Ger
many The league has extensively criti-
oieed the agreement as a recognition of
lundervamation practices prevailing for
years to the disadvantage of American
industries.
The American Economist quotes a let
ter which Wilbur f. Wakeman, secretary
of the league, wrote on July 20 TO all
American consuls and commercial agents
lin Germany, asking that they furnish
the league with "a comparative statement
of the shipments of merchandise under
the new trade agreement with the United
States for July, 1907 and 1906 giving both
quantities and values of merchandise
shipped for the respective periods
Having heard from some consus that
they were not authorized to furnish such
information without permission of the
state department Mr.. Wakeman wrote
to the secretary of state on August II
and received an answer that instructions
would be sent to the consular offices in
Germany for this information which
would be duly sent to him. II is stated
in the American Economist that no such
Information has been provided after
ninety days, although on November
one of the foremost consular officials in
Germany wrote to the American Pro-
tective Tariff league that the informa-
ton required had been sent to the state
department several months before. The
league, it is stated, has not received any
information whatever from Secretary
Root, and the American Economist has
this to say:
Information has, however, reached the
American Economist direct from some of
the United States consuls in Germany. all
reporting a very heavy increase in the
export of competitive manufactures to the
United States In the case of one impor-
tant line of goods expectations for Octo-
ber 1907 as compared with October, 1906,
have increased 150 per cent. In other lines
there have been several increases of 100
per cent while the total increase for that
district in all lines of manufacture sent
TO the United States has been close to 80
per cent.
"These increases, 1t should be remem-
bered are of entered values-values
named by local chambers of commerce,
values fixed by the exporters. Quantities
are not given. so that itRis not possible
to determine the full extent to which the
figures represent the increase of COM
petitive importations from Germany.
Should the differentiation privilege be
exercised to the extent of an average OF
20 per cent it will be found that the
Increase of dutiable and competitive inn
ports has been fully 100 per cent.
''If this is an overestimate it can be
quickly corrected. The state department
has only to give out the truth OF the mat
ter. Its habit of concealing the truth
strengthens the suspicion that the policy
of surrendering the American market to
foreigners by means OF executive inter-
probation of customs laws is turning out
badly for American labor and industry
A treasury official said there was no
warrant for the statement that there had
been such an increase in German exports
to America, Figures are not available As
yet. The criticism as to the Germans
putting a much smaller value than thes
actual value is weakened. it is declared.
by the fact that all these goods are ac-
cepted at the export price accepted BY
all countries.