The silver state. [volume] (Winnemucca, Nev.) 1909-1925, 1910-01-15
PROBABLE TARIFF WAR WITH
GERMANY

the notice given to Germany last April
by the state department, the reciproci-
ty arrangement made during the Ding
ley act with Germany will expire and
simultaneously the general tariff rates
of that country will apply to all i'm
ports from America, unless in the
short period of time intervening Sec
rotary Knox and the German ambassa-
dor reach a mutually satisfactory un-
~derstanding.
At this moment the indications are
that this understanding is beyond at
tainment and that it will be only under
the stress of a bitter and costly strug-
gle that the two nations can compose
their differences and restore their
trade to normal conditions.
America will not be the only suf-
ferer from this rupture, for on April
7 next the full rigors of the maximum
tariff rates carried by the Payne-Al-
dich tariff act will be automatically APP
piled to the vast German import trade,
which in 1908 aggregated more than
100000, 900, and every article of Ger
man production coming to America
must pay 25 per cent increase in the
duty.
Negotiations have been in progress
for months between the two govern
ments to avoid this issue, but an OBJ
stacle has been reached in the demand
of the state department for the relaxa-
ton Of the German prohibition against
American cattle.
The German government takes the
position that these restrictions, found
ed on veterinary and sanitary grounds,
embodied in laws of general applica-
ton, cannot be regarded properly as
discriminatory against the United
States, and that it would be as reson-
able to expect America to repeal or
suspend the pure food law as to re-
quire the German government to disre-
gard the provisions of the animal i'm
p~ortation act.
Just what this fight will mean is re-
vealed by the statistics of German
American trade for 1908. Germany
sent to America in that year goods
valued at more than $3.50, 000, 000, two
thirds Of which were dutiable, and on
these there would apply an increased
tariff rate of % per cent.
~ A. ln~ hoxJ Anoc cbfDno6
to Germany, our second best customer
among nations, no less thar 100000
600 worth of products. Many of these
will have to pay increased rates after
February z. But in 1908 $29, 000, 900
worth Of American wheat entered Ger
many, and this must pay a penalty Of
two marks for each hundred Kilograms
this year, which would probably result
in the transfer of all of this trade TO
Argentina, Canada and Russia.
Corn was shipped to Germany to the
value of $4,000, 900 in 1908, and the
increased duty that would be exacted
ON this staple will be three marks per
hundred Kilograms, practically a pro-
hibitive rate. Ninety million dollars
worth of cotton formed part of the ex-
ports to Germany in the same year, and
while this is at present on the Ger
man free list, it might be subjected to
a heavy duty if the German govern
ment should have recourse to its
"fghting tariff"
Half a million dollars worth Of
American apples and four times that
amount of dried fruits will have to pay
an excess of between four and ten
marks duty, failing an amicable ar.
rangement between the two govern
ments; $6,000,0o0 worth of sawed lum-
Der will pay double duty and a great
number of other American products
win suffer in like proportion.
On the whole, the effect upon Ameri-
can export trade will be far greater
than in the case of the abrogation of