The Washington herald., 1907-01-06
GERMAN TREATY TO Be URGED
President Said to Be Contemplating
Asking Congress to Act.
Failure 10 Effect Reciprocal Taria
agreement VIII Result in Prac.i-
cal Boycott of Our Goods.

That the President VIII probably recon-
mend 10 Congress at this session legisla-
ton authorizing the negotiation Of re-
ciprocaI tariff treaties with Germany is
the belief Of two or three callers at the
White House. who discussed this subject
with the President yesterday
tt was learned through a credible source
that the President told his callers plainly
that he favored the earliest possible ac-
ton looking 10 relieving the commercial
strain between the United States and Ger
many caused by Germauy's new maximum
and minimum tariff law. Several months
ago Secretary Root initiated action which
resulted in the p0stponement 10 a date
set for the application Of the new Ger
man schedules 10 imports from this coun-
Try. and that time is soon to expire.
Unless something is done within the
next two months, Cermany's maximum
rates viii Doe imposed on all articles
shipped from the United States 10 that
country Nearly every country OF CONT
mental Europe is now enjoying the mimi
mum. or conventional. rates unde- ar
rangcments made soon after the adoption
of the new German tariff law Tn.
eventual effect Of this Arrangement viii
toe virtual boycott against the United
States. Il is 20 avert this and the conse-
quences that would swiftly follow in its
train that are said to have determined
President Roosevelt 60 exert his full pow
er on Congress at the present session to
bring about an adjustment Of our com
mercial relations with Germany under the
terms offered by the Kaiser's new maxi
mum and minimum tariff law.
The President, il is stated made it clear
to his callers that he would take no pub
lie action until he had received. at least
in outline a report from the United States
tariff commission. now dealing with the
subject in Berlin.
This commission is composed Of \. l.
Stone tariff expert Of the Bureau Of
Manufactures; 5. y. D. North. Director
of the Census. and representative of
the customs division of the Treasury De
partment- Mr.. Stone went from the Pan
American Congress, at RIO de Janeiro.
in July, TO Germany, and has been study
ing the tariff question over there ever
since. Mr. North and the representative
of the Treasury Joined him in Berlin
month or six weeks ago. The imperial
government assigned three of its tariff
experts to confer with them. the object
in view being an agreement upon
schedule of mutual reductions to be made
under a reciprocity arrangement
It was stated last night by an official
of the Department of Commerce and
] nh hot fr..
probably return from Berlin before the
end Of this month. and that their fun
report would be ready for the President.
It was also suggested that the President
may have already asked for a partial
report from them in advance Of their re-
turn in order that he and his advisers
may be prepared to make a strcng rep
resenJation to the leaders Of Congress |
preparatory to the formal /
recommendation to be made by the
Executive at as early a date as prac- !
ticable
Heavy exporting interests at the West /
are bringing strong pressure to bear upoD I
their representatives "a Congress 20 sun /
port any measure looking to q relief of 4
the commercial situation with Germany |
These interests have been enabled by the /
nodus vivendi eeJtiated by Secretary 4
Root and Ambassador Spcck Won Stern
burg to continue uninterrupted their bust 1
ness relations with Germany. but as this /
arrangement viii soon expire, they are /
now manifesting fresh csncern over n /
further and more permanent modification 4
IF certain tariff schedules as applied to 4
imports from Germany Il is known that /
he President and Secretary Root all /
along have favored the making Of reel
Drocity treaties with Germany. and now
hat the subjects win soon come up again
n acute form. they are understood to be
more anxious than ever 10 receive the
authorization from Congress to
negotiate these proposed treaties