New-York tribune., 1907-12-04

too long fo- the proper PREPARATION OF 'is eA
b:h.1s ,-,- ac
,o11Isanied IL conventions for reciprocal tarlll
concessions between that coliht.. Gnu 80 cor,ti-
the other countries OF con- con-
r Tsrfa rental Europe. led the Ger
S.ss-,e-. nan government TO give the
,,otice necessary 10 JerTliIlS1te
the -,ecfurocal commercial agreement VIZ -
rsorntrv proclaimed July l3, lAo Inc ILL., e.
w. 10 take effect on March J. i3po aIiu ,,1a -I-
Yault OF some other arrangement tAls @ -
-. IL, the exDorts from the United States -
germany subject the general German
duties from - 10 30 per cthl hls.sL st IA oF
conventional duties imposed UPON "a tLi- 80
,nost Of e,l,r competitors fgT German tie4ue -,
T-n6er 4 srecial agreement ftaQe L'7lNe -
80 govern raen1s IN February l9Oo, In. 'eI
,s, yo1-arnnneut postponed the operation ot
their notice unt3l June % lJVi- IA - ---
tine, deeTning It 10 be- my daty 70 l.,lhe 1reaI,
,,osSyI,ie effort to prevent taIlH war oett eei'
Tbe United States and Germany arising Ion ~
-7,isU dersstanding by either country q Iile CON
oitions existing in the other ana aSLl-.e -lr-- -
aie invitation Of The German GOV 1!ile--t, l
10 Berlin commission coII-l'oseG OF t,'--.i'
experts the operation ana -. %
she customs tariff. from the Delti 1--e1.c<, "a
Treasury and Commerce and Labor IAls eolit-
mission was gagged for several Li.olliin "a
-ereuc with :. similar commission appointed bN
the German government. under INSTRUCTIONS. 50
far as practicable. 10 reach 2 common uid'[
standing al the facts regarding lilt tAilLi
s,f the United states and Germany Tnate!laI am
relevant 10 the trade relations between Ille lNo
countries. The commission reported, ana upon
zhe basis OF the report = lufthtI tT-44koAale
commercial agreement was entered INTO oy tLT
rgvo countries. pursuant 70 which. III Ihe ekeI-
else Of the authority conferred upon lls fIeSt
dent bE the third section OF I!le tariL act oi E
II 1897 I extended the reduced tariff rates pro-
aided for IL that section To champagne ana al
.,+5,er sra-lxlfng wines. and pursuant 10 which
The German conventional or minimum IaIlIl
rates were extefsded about S612 per cent OF aIi
the exports from the United states 10 Germany
This agreement Is To remain in force untli June
30 1905. and until six months after notice by
either party 10 terminate Il
The agreement and the report OF The coiTmls-
sion on which il Is based viii be laid be1ore the
Congress for its information
This careful examination into the tariff reia-
sians between the United States and Germany
snvol.-e6 an inquiry into certain OF our methods
pf administration which had been the cause o.
much complaint on the part OF German export
ers. In this inquiry I became satisfied that Ger
tain vicious and uniusti1iabie practices fad
grown UP III our customs administration notanlH
the practice Of determining values OF imports
upon detective reports never ulSciosSu 20 ~ VI
persons whose interests were affected 1Ie use
Of detective. though often necessary TENDS
toward abuse and should te careiuiiE q.
Under our practice found ii TO exist in this
,.ase the abuse had become gross and dlscred-
5tahc Under II. instead Of seeking information
a. 10 the market value Of merchandise from the
we'll known and respected members OF the COM
,nercial community in the country OF Its pro-
siuction secret statements We're obtained from
iuforf1e-rs and discharged employees and bust
ness rivals and upon this kind Of secret eVl-
sience the values Of imported goods were fire.
uuentiy raised and heavy penalties were IRE
oucntly imposed upon importers who were never
permitted know what the evidence was and
who never kad an opportunity 10 meet II IL II
quite probable that this system tended toward
al increase pf THE duties collected upon imported
goods hut conceive il be 4 violation Of law
To more duties than the law provides. just
II l. violation to admit goods upon the
Payment of less than the legal rate Of duty
This practice vas repugnant To the spirit Of
American law and to American sense Of justice
in the judgment of the most competent experts
~ the Treasury Department and the Depart
1ient of Commerce and Labor il was wholly un-
necessary for the due collection Of the customs
revenues and the attempt to defend it merely
illustrate the Generalization which naturally
follows from 4 long continued course OF reli-
upon such methods. ] accordingly caused
the regulations governing this branch Of the
customs service 10 bc modified that values are
determined upon hearing in which all the
parties interested have opportunity TO be
heard and - know the evidence against them.
-N9feoNtF- our if"asGrF agents are accredited
70 the government IF the country II which they
seek Information, and n Germany receive the
assistance 81 tie quas:-ofT7cial chambers of
commerce ir determining the actual market
value Of goods. IN accordance with what ! am
sdE1sed to he the true constTiC ton of the law
These changes Of regulations were adapted 10
the removal Of such manifest abuses that I
have not felt that they ought 10 be confined 20
our relations with Germany: and 7 have ex-
tended their operation 20 all other countries
which have expressed desire to enter into
similar administrative relations
J ask for authority to reform the agreement
with China under which the indemnity Of 1900
WAS fixed, by renting and cancelling the obh-
cation Of China for the pay
China 'nent of al that part of the
stipulated indemnity which is
in excess Of the sum Of ST. sos 1872 ~ and in
tereSf at ! TieT cent. After n. rescue Of the
foreign legations III PekinE during the Boxer
troubles. IN 19n the powers required from
China tho naynseTt Of equitable indemnities "a
1no several nations and the Iinal protocol under
EhiCr the troops were withdrawn. signed a
1'eiinE- SEPTEMBER q, 1901. fixed the amount of
7His indemnity allotted 10 tie United states at
over N3hhHtih-i, and China paid. up and in
Guiding the lst daE of June last little over
SGn0eea. Il was the first intention of this
II. 81,
had been presented and ali expenses ascertained
rs fCl$ as possible, 10 revise the estimates and
account. and proof Of sincere friendship
Tor China Voluntarily 10 release that country
from its legal liability for all payments in ex-
cess NJ the sum which should prove Jo be neces-
sarT fOr actual indemnity 10 the I-uftcd STATES
and its citizens
This nation should help in every practica BILE
way in the education Of the Chinese ipeopia so
-la- the vast and populous empire oE China may
gradually adap, itself 20 mod
Chinese Students. cTn conditions One way of
doing this is " inp