The citizen. [volume] (Berea, Ky.) 1899-1958, 1907-01-03
GERMAN ATTITUDE
THAT OF TRYING TO ENFORCE AN
UNFAIR ALTERNATIVE.
Not Square Deal First TO Increase
Tariff Rates and Then Force RI
euetlon Of Our Rates As the
Price Of Fair Treatment

In a recent speech Of Count Speck
Won Sternburg at the banquet Of the
New York Chamber OF Commerce no
new light has been cast upon the tariff
controversy precipitated by the Ger.
man threat Of discrimination against
exports from the United States. Ac.
! cepted as spoken In good faith all OF
the ambassadors protestations OF
Germany's earnest desire for amity
alike In political and commercial rela-
tons. the fact yet remains that Ger.
many is alone responsible Tor any
prospective breach. Naturally the
Germans prefer commercial peace.
hut they have started out to get II
90 their own terms
Commercial peace is good thing.
a very necessary thing, for country
which every year sends to the United
States si50.oOO.O0O OF its products.
most of them products competing
with our own labor and Industry. and
whose steamship lines receive fully
as much more for transporting Amer.
ican commerce. A total OF $780, 00..
600 a year is quite well worth keep
ing the peace for The S22O. 200. 600
year OF American sales TO Germany
are. on the contrary. mostly OF non
competitive products. commodities
that are indispensable to German
manufacturers.
II is a big stake that Germany is
playing for. but she cannot win
against a hand full OF American
trumps. The cards are against her.
Her opening suit Is a blunder II is
double tariff with maximum rates
placed outrageously high. purely for
the purposes OF compelling concessions
from the American tarih rates and
from American customs regulation
suchsas will enable her 10 crowd larger
quantities Of competitive goods into
the American market.
Obviously Uncle Sans proper play
is to trump the trick by pointing out
the fact that in respect TO tariff rates
and customs regulations. Germany's
exports TO the United states are
treated precisely as the exports OF all
other countries are treated, and that
II would be farcica, 70 suppose that
we are going 10 reduce our own min
imum tariff in return for Germany's
reduction OF her maximum tariff.
Then, when any move shall be made
10 carry out the threat OF subjecting
American exports 10 the penalty OF the
prohibitive German maximum. the an
swer should be, must be. retaliatory
Increase. OF tariff rates on all i'm
ports from Germany. This play would
end the game. With such certainty
In plain sight the German blum would
never be carried to the point OF &c
tual operation.
German industrial producers can.
not afford the loss OF a market OF
$3.50 600. 900 a year German steam
ship lines cannot afford the loss OF
freight earnings amounting TO another
$3.50. 700, 600 a year.
IL was. OF course, not 10 be ex-
pected that Count Won Sternburg
would incorporate into his Chamber
OF Commerce speech a recognition OF
these facts and conditions. That is
not what he was there for. To have
done so would have been a prodlgious
stretch OF diplomatic candor. lie was
speaking 10 orders. and his orders
evidently did not authorize any lau-
tude on the question OF tariff rates.
Otherwise. the Count might have
limited at the possibility OF square
deal in which Germany would I'M
dertake to reduce her minimum tariff
rates-not her maximum-in return
for tariff concessions on the part OF
the United States.
Such a proposal would at least
open the door for negotiation and
place the United states In the posi-
ton OF deciding whether or not II
would consent TO an increase Of Ger
man competition in manufactures as
the price Of lower tariff rates on our
own exports.
But. as we have said, Germany
starts wrong. She starts with blum.
threat, a club In her hand. She
demands concessions and grants none.
II is impossible to see how the United
States can deal with such a propo-
sition other than by peremptory
refusal. To yield TO Germany's de
mand in its present form would be
a political blunder and an economic
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