Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1907-06-10
TRADETREATY WITH GERMANY
Fear Expressed that United States
Has Conceded Too Much.
BIG LOoPHoLE FOR FRAUD
Elimination of Consular Certificates
from Invoices VIII Allow Under
valuation of Goods by the
Manufacturers.
CFrom a STAFF Correspondent

ated marks a new departure in the way
Of reciprocal trade relations between the
two countries. There is a serious doubt
IN the minds of the officials of the Treasury
department as to the wisdom OF the ar
rangement which has been made. 1t Is
feared that the State department has con-
ceded altogether too much In its desire to
increase American trade in Germany. For
years our consuls In Europe have been
educated in the line Of values. Some OF
then have become so expert that they were
enabled to scan invoice and to tell at
a glance whether or not true values were
stated in the invoice. Up to the present
time no bill Of goods could be shipped to
this country until approved by the nearest
consul. The sign manual OF the American
consul or officer was required TO guarantee
to the customs officials at the port Of entry
that the prices stated represented the true
value OF the goods In the market from
which they were shipped.
II is understood that the new treaty ac-
cepts the statement OF the German mer-
chant OF manufacturer IS the true value
and that a consular certificate will be un-
necessary in the future. This radical de-
parture gives the dishonest German manu-
facturer and his American agent a great
advantage, and IL is feared that the result
will be that the customs will suffer under
valuation, which In the past have amounted
to millions OF dollsYs per annum.
1t may be true that the new treaty will
permit the expectation to Germany of many
lines Of goods now virtually prohibited. but
according to the opinion of the Treasury
department the price paid for the privilege
lis exorbitant and altogether out of proper
tion to the benefit which will be derived.
Centenary of Steam Navigation.
The celebration by the French govern
ment OF the hundredth anniversary Of the
Inauguration of steam navigation by the
American inventor Robert Fulton is an
occasion which may be looked upon with
peculiar interest from this side of the
ocean. And the part which the United
States plays in the International Maritime
exposition formally opened at Bordeaux
on May l is therefore a unique one. The
exposition will continue until October 81.
An appropriation of $4,000 was granted
at the last session of congress to enable
the government to contribute it's share
in the nautical exhibit. The Department
of State, in whose charge the exhibit was
placed. requested that It's installing be
given over to the Smithsonian institution
as the zone branch of the government SER
vice which has the experience, special
knowledge and facilities requisite TO en-
able II to arrange for a suitable American
exhibit OF limited extent on the coming
OCCASION. Secretary walcott- designated
w. dec Ravenel OF the National museum,
who has been in charge Of the Smithsonian
ana museum exhibit at jamestown. to
collect and install government objects at
Bordeaux.
The display of the. United States. how
ever, is by no means limited to articles
| Of maritime interest from the National
museum. Besides the Smithsonian insti-
tuition, under the direction Of which the
National museum falls, there have been
contributed relics, models, drawings and
photographs by the bureau Of fisheries, the
coast and geodetic survey and the bureau
of navigation Of the Department of Com
merce and Labor. the reclamation service
of the Interior department. the Isthmian
| Canal commission, the War and Navy de-
partment and the life saving service Of
/ the Treasury department, to be shown in
the government pavilion already con-
structed in the great square of the
Quincunxes at Bordeaux.
| The amount Of the appropriation, out Of
which has come not only the construction
Of the American pavilion, but the trans
portation of the collections. has placed de-
cided limits upon our governments show
ing. Mr.. Ravenel. however has gotten
together much to draw attention to the
accomplishments Of Americans In water
trafflo and engineering.
ReIica of Fulton.
| A number of relics Of especial interest
have been loaned by the descendants of
Robert Fulton. Among them are included
photographs ana paintings relating to Full
ton and the compass alleged to have been
used on the Clermont by Pilot Acker.
In connection with Fulton's experiments
and their bearing upon France. Ambassa-
dor Jusserand IN an official communica-
ton TO the state department said: France
will exert all the more zeal in doing hom-
age 20 the great inventor. as 1t was in our
country that he conducted his first ex-
periments. fruitless, to be sure. but sig
ninoant enough to cause Napoleon 10 write
10 his minister, NJ de Champagny: "Cit-
izen Fulton's proposition may change the
face Of the world. July q. 1904"
II was In England under the patronage
OF Lord stanhope and In France with the
assistance OF Robert r. Livingston, then
limited States minister to France. that
Fulton did his preliminary work, planned
bridge construction, built a practical tor
pedo, and even completed an experimental
steamboat with a paddle wheel IN the
stern. Not long after, through the innu-
Fence of Livingston and Nicholas Roose-
welt. Fulton was granted for his Cler-
mont the exclusive right to navigate the
waters OF New York and New Jersey with
steam craft, a right which. challenged.
and leading into the famous case OF Glib
bons against Ogden settled the general
legal powers Of states In regard TO the
regulation OF interstate commerce.
There are also included in the museum
collection drawings. photographs and
models of John F1tchs steamboat which
ran in the Delaware river in i7s7. and OF
Robert Fulton's steamer. Clermont, which
on August H. 1907. made It's famous trip
on the Hudson from New York City 20
Albany, l50 miles. in thiIty-t|O hours.
Additional boats shown are the Savannah,
the first steamship to cross the Atlantic.
leaving Savannah, Ca. on its historic trip
May q. 1919 the steamboat Phoenix, the
hrst steamboat 70 navigate the ocean,
which made the trip from Sandy Hook 70
Cape May on It's way from New York to
Philadelphia early IN lSe. the r. r.
stockton. 1888 the first steam vessel with
an iron hull or screw propeller TO cross
A. Atlantic nraan and a nunnhar of