Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1910-01-12
TARIFF TROUBLE
WITH GERMANY
Half a Billion Dollars Worth of
Trade Involved in Game of
Diplomacy Now On.
OUTLOOK NOT ENCOURAGING.
Now Looks as Though Matter Would
Only be adjusted After Long
And Bitter Struggle.

Washington. Jan. 1l.-Nearly half a
Dillon dollars worth OF trade IS the
stake In the game OF diplomacy now in
progress between America and Ger
many. and an issue will be known with
in month.
On Feb. Z. in accordance with tho
notice given to Germany last April by
The state department. the reciprocity
arrangement made during the Dingley
act with Germany Will expire. and sim
ultancousiy the general tariff rates OF
that country Will apply to all imports
from America, unless In the short Pc
riod OF time intervening Secy. Knox
and the German ambassador reach u
mutually satisfactory understanding.
AT this moment the indications are
that this understanding Is beyond their
attainment and that 1t will be only un-
der the stress of a bitter and costly
struggle that the two nations can COM
pose their differences and restore their
trade to normal conditions.
America will not be the only sufferer
from this rupture, for on April z next
the full rigors OF the maximum tariff
rates carried by the Payne -Aldrich
tariff act Will be automatically applied
TO the vast German import trade, which
IN 1908 aggregated more than $3.50. .000,-
0op. and every article of German pro-
ductfon coming to America must pay 2S
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 tho
position that these restrictions, founded
on veterinary and sanitary grounds,
embodied in laws of general applica-
ton. cannot be regarded properly as
discriminatory against the United
Stntes, and that it would be as reason
able to expect America to repeal OF sus-
pend the pure food law as to require
the German government to disregard
the provisions of the animal importa-
tion 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 S160 000. 900. two-thirds of
which were dutiable. and on these there
would apply an increased tariff rate OF
25 per cent
On the other hand. America shipped
to Germany, our SecondIbest customer
among nations, no less than 5000, 900 900
worth of products. Many OF these will
have to pay increased rates after Feb
Z. But IN 1908 $4,000. 900 worth of
American wheat entered Germany, and
this must pay a penalty of marks
for each hundred kilograms this year.
which would probably result in tho
transfer of all this trade to Argentina,
Canada and Russia.
Corn was shipped to Germany to the
value OF $1,000, 900 in 1908 and the in
creased duty that would be exacted on
this staple will be 3 marks per hundred
kilograms. practically a prohibItive
rate. Ninety million dollars worth OF
cotton formed part of the exports to
Germany In the same year. and while
list. 1t might BIO subjected to q heavy
duty II the German government should
have recourse to its lighting tariff"
Half million dollars worth OF Amer
lean apples and four times that amount
OF dried fruits will have to pay an
excess of between 4 and 10 marks duty.
failing an amicable arrangement be-
tween the two governments; $6.000.000
worth of sawed lumber will pay double
duty and a great number of other
American products will suffer in like
On the whole. the effect upon Ameri-
can export trade will be far greater
than In the case of the abrogation OF
the French reciprocity agreement, Only
a small number of American products
were concerned in that, while the Ger
man tariff covers the whole range OF
imports.