The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1907-12-03
TOKYO EXPOSITION.
An Opportunity to Display Our Friend.
ship For Japan.

ship For Japan.
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 l 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 a 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
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 and wish to make the occa-
sion of mutually beneficial commerce,
all unite in making it eminently desir-
able that this invitation should be ac-
cepted. I 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 halt
which then interviewed before the ex-
position proved none too long for the
proper preparation Of the exhibits.
Germai, 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
LIST 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 25 to
50 per cent higher than the conven-
tional duties imposed upon the goods
of most OF our competitors for German
trade.
| Under 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 it 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 III the other and act
ing upon the invitation of the German
government, sent to Berlin COM
mission composed Of competent eN-
perts in the operation and administra-
ton Of the customs tariff from the de-
partments Of the treasury and COM
MERGE and labor. This commission was
engaged for several months in confer
| ence with a similar commission ap-
pointed by the German government
/ bic 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
commission reported. and upon the ba-
sis Of the report a further temporary
commercial agreement was entered in
to by the two countries, pursuant to
which in the exercise of the authority
conferred upon the president by the
third section Of the tariff act of July
"a, 1897 extended the reduced tariff
rates provided for in that section to
champagne and all other sparkling
wines and pursuant to which the Ger
man conventional or minimum tariff
rates were extended to about 9612 per
cent of all the exports from the Unit
ed States to Germany. This agree
ment is to remain in force until the
Both of June, 1908, and until six
months after notice by either party to
terminate it.
The agreement and the report of the
commission on which it is based will
be laid before the congress for It's In
formation.
This careful examination into the tar
if relations between the United States
and Germany involved an inquiry into
certain Of our methods of administra-
ton which had been the cause Of much
complaint on the part of German ex-
porters. In this inquiry became sat
isfied that certain vicious and unjusti-
fable practices had grown up in our
customs administration. notably the
practice OF determining values Of Inn