Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-11-09
FREER TRADE WITH FRANCE
REMOVAL OF SOME RESTRIC
TONS WILL BE SOUGHT.
President Roosevelt Will Submit the
Matter to Congress-Opposition
of High Protectionists.
fell d. eSu.@

Dispatches from Paris. quoting the semi
official Temps in protest against efforts
OF French high protectionists to prevent
the French government from undertaking
further tariff negotiations with the United
states and other powers. are taken as an
indication in administrative circles as
possibly presasfng a willingness on the
part of the French government to extend
the present modus vivendi, which expires
December 1. When It became known sew
eral days ago that Am bassador Jusserand
would present counter proposition to
that submitted by the United States SEQ
rotary Root declared that he would not
be able to discuss these new negotiations
until reply TO the proposition had been
drafted and submitted to France. No in
formation is obtainable here of the char
acter Of the French proposition. 1t is
known. however. that the attention Of the
French Ambassador has been called to
the handicap under which the executive
labors in trying to compromise the tariff
situation between the two countries. AL
though section 3 of the Dingley act gives
into the hands of the President the power
to make concessions TO a foreign govern
ment on certain articles in return for con-
cessions made to this country the list Is
so limited that so far as France is con-
cerned II Is practically confined to cham
payne ana sparkling wines.
Attitude of High Protectionists
The persistent demand from certain
parties in France that the maximum tariff
be applied to articles imported into that
country from the United Slater and the
pronounced opposition among American
wine manufacturers to the decreased duty
on French wines leave little on which
President Roosevelt may make trades
with France in the absence Of action by
Congress.
Under the recent tariff arrangement
with Germany concessions were made
on champagnes. but the imports from
that country do not amount to more
than $4,000 annually. In the case Of
French wines the importa lions amount to
about sGo 600 900, and If the same con-
cessions were made TO France as have
been made to Germany the revenues
would be affected seriously and objec-
ton might be looked for from Congress
High protectionists In France are large
" made up OF agriculturists and do not
constitute the dominant element SO far
as tariff policies are concerned The
Paris dispatches indicate that other par
ties have no disposition to engage in
tariff war with this country, in view
Of the fact that the United States Is
DESTROYS of doing everything possible to
avoid conflict Ambassador Jusserand
probably is familiar with the views
of President Roosevelt on this subject
In any member OF the President Is
cabinet. Undoubtedly he has Informed
his government of the intention of Presi-
dent Roosevelt to ask Congress for the
removal of some part OF the res rictions
which prevent satisfactory adjustment
Of the difficulty between France and the
United States pending the proposed gen.
eral revisiOns of the tariff In both coun-
tries
French Proposition Not Received.
Al the French embassy today It was
stated that the counter proposition draft
ed by the French government has not
been received 1t IS expected daily and
Will be communicated TO Secretary Root
the moment IT arrives.