Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1907-12-03
TOKYO EXPOSITION.
An Opportunity to Display Our Friend.
ship For Japan.

W. Sopdus
An invitation has been extended by
Japan to the government and people OF
the United States to participate in a
great national exposition to be held at
Tokyo from April ! TO Oct. 81, 1912.
and in which the principal countries
of the world are to be invited TO take
part. This is an occasion of special in
terest to all the nations of the world
and peculiarly SO to US, for it is the
first instance in which such great ma
tional exposition has been held by a
great power dwelling on the Pacific,
and all the nations Of Europe and
America will, l trust, join In helping
TO success this first great exposition
ever held by great nation of Asia.
The geographical relations of Japan
and the United States as the pOssessors
of such large portions of the coasts of
the Pacific. the intimate trade relations
| already existing between the two coun-
tries, the warm friendship which has
| been maintained between them with
| out break since the opening of Japan TO
| intercourse with the western nations
and her increasing wealth and produc
| ton, which we regard with hearty
good will ana wish to make the occa-
sion of mutually beneficial commerce.
all unite I'm making 1t emlnently desir-
able that this invitation should be ac-
| copied | heartily recommend such
| legislation as will provide in generous
| fashion for the representation of this
| government and its people in the pro-
posed exposition. Action should be
taken now. We are apt to underesti-
mate the time necessary for prepare
| ton in such cases. The invitation TO
| the French exposition of 1900 was
brought to the attention of the CON
| gress by President Cleveland In De-
| cember, 1895, and so many are the de-
lays necessary to such proceedings that
the period of four years and half
which then interviewed before the ex-
position proved none too long for the
proper preparation of the exhibits.
German Tariff Agreement.
The adoption of new tariff by Ger
many, accompanied by conventions for
reciprocal tariff concessions between
that country and most of the other
countries of continental Europe, led
the German government to give the
notice necessary TO terminate the re-
ciprocal commercial agreement with
this country proclaimed July 13, 1900.
The notice was to take effect on the
1st of March. 1906, and in default of
some other arrangements this would
have left the exports from the United
States to Germany subject to the gen
eral German tariff duties, from % to
so per cent higher than the conven-
tional duties imposed upon the goods
of most of our competitors for German
trade.
Under a special agreement made be-
tween the two governments in Febru-
airy, 1906, the German government
postponed the operation of their notice
until the Both of June, 1907. In the
meantime, deeming 1t to be my duty to
make every possible effort to prevent
tariff war between the United States
and Germany arising from misunder-
standing by either country of the con-
ditions existing in the other and act
ing upon the invitation OF the German
government, | sent to Berlin COM
|, mission composed of competent ex-
perts in the operation and administra-
ton of the customs tariff from the de-
partments of the treasury and COM
merce and labor This commission was
engaged for several months in confer
ence with a similar commission APP
pointed by the German government
under instructions So far as practica-
BILE TO reach a common understanding
, as to all the facts regarding the tariffs
= of the United States and Germany ma
: terial and relevant to the trade rela-
| lions between the two countries. The
L commission reported. and upon the ba-
> sis of the report a further temporary
J. commercial agreement was entered in
: to by the two countries, pursuant to
9 which in the exercise of the authority
: conferred upon the president by the
J. third section of the tariff act Of July
I "a, 1897, extended the reduced tariff
1t rates provided for in that section to
8 champagne and all other sparkling
wines and pursuant to which the Ger
man conventional or minimum tariff
rates were extended to about 961a per
s. cent of all the exports from the Unit
D ed States to Germany. This agree
20 ment is to remain in force until the
: 30th OF June, 1908. and until six
: months after notice by either party tc
terminate 1t.
. The agreement and the report Of the
commission on which it is based vii
3 be laid before the congress for its In
- formation.
This careful examination into the tar
~ if relations between the United State!
a and Germany involved an inquiry int
&c certain Of our methods Of administra
ton which had been the cause of mucl
complaint on the part of German ex
o. porters. In this inquiry became sat
h isfied that certain vicious and unjustl
TO fable practices had grown up in Oh
IS customs administration, notably tn
I'd practice of determining values Of in
1t ports upon detective reports never dis