The Washington herald., 1907-01-16
INDORSE ROOT PLAN
Trade Delegates in Favor of
Tariff Modification.
STRONG OPPOSITION IS MET
Secretary of states Address DecIar-
ing FIatIy for a Maximum and Min
imum Rate ArOuses Members of the
Foreign Commerce Convention.
Again Urges Need of Ship Subsidy.

an extent the delegates to the National
/ Convention for the Extension Of Foreign
| Commerce yesterday by declaring him
/ self unequivocally In favor Of a maxi
mum and minimum tariff for this country
| that resolution indoTsing his policy was
adopted during the afternoon meeting
after an animated discussion. Secretary
| Strdus was another among the speakers
! al the afternoon session.
| The resolution was offered by A H.
/ Sanders, president Of the American Recip-
/ rocal Tariff League. It provides for a
/ maximum and minimum tariff for a pc
/ riod of five years up TO 20 per cent Of
| such existing Duties. at the discretion Of
/ the President. as might be necessary TO
/ secure most-fav0red-nat treatment for
Ike period without general revision.
| While the resolution was finally passed,
! il was not without opposition. Several
hours were occupied with the discussion
/ by those in favor Of the proposition and
by those who opposed it. The former,
however. We're greatly In the majority.
one Of the leaders Of the opposition to
the modified tariff resolution was Wilbur
f. Wakeman, Of the American Protective
| Tarif League. He said he could point to
twenty men IN the hall who would be put
| out Of business within a few weeks II the
tariff resolution as proposed should be-
come a law. Five hundred thousand peo-
pie, he said, would be thrown out Of work
in this country If the purpose Of the reso-
/ luton should become effective Mr
Wakeman appealed TO every protectionist
| and every delegate TO support him in vot-
/ ing against the resolution. Several 9th
ers made strong addresses. with the idea
In view that the proposed resolution bel
not adopted as the voice Of the conven-
ton.
Single Tariff Outgrown.
During his speech Secretary Root-Said
that the day Of the single tariff had
passed, and that the United States, in or
der 10 obtain commercial advantages
from other countries. must grant similar
privileges. and that this could only be
done through the maximum and mini
mum tariff plan.
Mr Roots address was enthusiastically
received. and frequently he was inter
rupted by applause. for almost every point
seemed to meet the approval OF his hear
ers. When DE- came out fiat-footed for a
double tariff the audience went fairly
wild with enthusiasm. He did not go
quite as far In advocating reciprocity as
some OF the delegates would have liked F..
Du- he made his position clear upon the F.
subject. and il was evidently satisfactory I
When Mr.. Root reached the han where 4
the convention was at is morning ses-
sion. be found the place crowded and the /.
delegates waiting 90 welcome him. He /
was greeted with an outburst Of applause 4
as he mounted the platform and was in (
trodUced by President NcCarrO1 After a (
few preliminary remarks MIR Root
launched forward into q discussion Of the I
Pau-AmeFic3n railroad project. and told 4
the convention what was being done TO /
push it 90 completion.
Amid great applause he predicted that I
within the lives OF men there present il /
would De- possible 10 ship merchandise /
and travel by rail practically the entire 4
length and breadth of the American con-
tiueut
FavOrs ship Subsidy.
4Ir Root then took up the question Of /
steamship communication. The Postmas-
ter General informs me-" Mr.. Root con-
tinued, that the best way 70 get dis
patches from nay Office TO South America .
is 70 send them by way of Europe That
condition of things ought not TO con-
tnue, and one reason why it exists is
because American shipping is driven off /
the sea by two great obstacles interposed /
ia its way"
a bill which would overcome this dis
advantage to t.e American merchant 1
marine he said. was now pending in /
Congress, and. he added. slowly and with .
emphasis.
Il hope that all Of you who agree with
me in the belief that our government
ought 90 be fair 10 the American mer-
chant marine viii say so out loud, viii /
say 50 tc your neighbor, will say so in
such a way that the American public 4
opinion will realize that that kind Of fair
treatment is not matter for lobbyists.
but a matter OF broad American public /
policy
Taking up the subject Of Cuba and I
Santo Domingo, Mr.. Root said: Now,
there is one other subject, very i'm
pOrtant in connection with our general /
American policy toward South America.
That is our special relation toward the
small countries bordering on the Carib-
bean Sea, and particularly the West IN
dian CounUies-the islands that lie di-
rectly on the route between our ports
and the Panama Canal Some Of them
have had "a pretty hard time; the con-
ditions of their lives have been such
that it has been difficult for them to
maintain frequent revolutions.
Outlines His Policy.
Poor Cuba. with her wonderful rich
ness Of soil, has suffered. We have done
the best we could to help her, and we
mean TO go on doing the best we can
to help her I think the key of our ac-
tivity toward these countries can be put
in three sentences.
First we do not want to take them
ourselves.
Second, we do not want any foreign
nation to take them,
Third. we want to help them.
There is good deal OF talk about
the annexation Of Cuba-in the news
papers. Never Ghen a slight pause, and
this qualification. SO long as the people
of Cuba do not themselves give up the
effort 20 govern themselves.
so with SantO Domingo Poor Santo
DOmingo!swith her enormous richness of
soil, her people ought to be among the
richest and happest on earth. But that
island has been the scene of almost con-
tinual revolution and bloodshed Her
politics have been almost entirely per-
sonaL
Il hope that you will take a little in ]
teTest in this unfortunate island and try
to create a little interest in her on the
part Of our people, for our treatment of
Santo Domingo, like our treatment of
Cuba, is but q part of a great policy which s
shall in years to come determine the reIa-
tiOns of this vast country. with its wealth ;
and enterprise. toward the millions of
men and women and the countless mil {