The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1909-11-09
INTERNATIONAL
TARIFF D|CKER
Diplomats Headed for the United
States to Secure Prefer
entail Rates.
By Ernest G. Walker.

little less than secondary to the tariff
building of the last session of congress.
Already ambassadors are sailing from
European shores. Their trunks are
crammed with tariff data They are
heading straight for Washington. In
two or three weeks they viii be throng-
ing the state department and making
representations through official chan
nels. If they can go about their er-
rands with sufficient informaIity. by
permission Of the state department,
these ambassadors, coming hot-footed
from European capitals, may be visiting
the upper chamber in the treasury de-
partment, where the tariff commission
is holding meetings and conducting in
vestigations
1t is all concerning the maximum
tariff, which is % per cent. ad valorem
higher than the minimum tariff now in
force. The trouble promises to be
chiefly with France and Germany. I'M
less matters mend it is not unlikely
both those countries will have to pay
the extra % per cent. ad valorem after
March 10 next. The authorities at
Paris and Berlin are tangled up in
treaties from which they can not easily
extricate themselves. In one way or
another they have been giving the
United States the worst of it in tar
ifs. In some instances our products
going into France or Germany have
been assessed higher rates of duty than
similar products of other countries.
Now the time has come when France
and Germany must quit or pay the
piper.
Ambassador j. j. Jusserand is now
on the bounding main making for
Washington, where he wants to take
up the negotiations between France and
the United States, so as to prevent a
tariff war in March. The French Of
ficials have been exceedingly obdurate
in tariff matters during the last three
or four years. They yielded grudging
ly to us; in fact, showed us less con
sideration than any other European
country that has high tariff. But the
French officials have been thinking it
over, since the tariff law was enacted.
Then, Senator Aldrich, who has been in
! France, has given the officials informal
| talks about the purpose of the maxi
naI,
/ their tariff and have already decided
/ that they can make limited concessions
| to the United States. Before the March
winds blow, they will find that they
/ want to give the United States fur
Their concessions. The language of the
| Aldrich- Payne law is very positive, and
| if, on March 10. the President, through
his tariff commission in the upper cham
Der of the treasury department, finds
that France is not giving the United
States as favorable tariff rates as any
otner country is receiving, the maxi
mum goes into operation, and that i:
all there is to it. Then there would il
all likelihood be a tariff war. The
French would give us their maximum
The pessimists are even now predicting
that that is what will eventually hap
pen.
Germany, too, is taking sharp no
tee Count j. H. Won Bernstorff, tn,
new ambassador extraordinary anC
plenipotentiary, has been brushing u
on tariff during the summer. He wen
early across the water to Berlin ant
there he has been in conference witt
the tariff authorities of the realm. Ger
many has been more considerate thai
France of the United States but, eve
since the Germans put a maximum an
: minimum into operation they have bee
/ negotiating treaties by which othe
countries were given more favors tina,
the United States received. The GeI
mans have also been very adroit in eI
| forcing sanitary and other regulation
against our meat products, which con
prise a big portion of American e2
| ports into Germany.
IL The Italian ambassador and tn
| Austrian ambassador will be steppin
| lively to the state department 500
also on tariff errands, but the prospe,
! tive troubles will be less serious wit
| Italy and Austria because the trad
| of the United States with those coul
| tries is comparatively small Ambass;
0'A ctitiANS ~ ~ ~ tAAH1ht III AiLi
Edward at Washington. might be u
| terly without worries about the ne
maximum. but for the fact that Canad
levies certain duties and has treati,
! with European nations affecting Il
duties assessed upon imports. Gre;
| Britain assesses no tariffs upon our in
ports or upon those of any other matte
and therefore gives US as favorab
| terms as any other nation receives. b
| the tangle with Canada viii develC
| anxious negotiations. which must I
| conducted through the British amba
! sador.
| of to the Far East, there has bee
| no agitation vet about the maximum
| Oriental countries have few tar:
| treaties. Little difficulty is anticipat,
arranging matters 50 that japan al
China and Australia and India shf
| hive orr minimum tariff rates.
II The ambas>adorial activities rerar
! ing tariffs are new tn Washingto
J Diplomacy here has been engaged her
I +nfDra