New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-04-28

any regard by Otner dHiehu"eh1o w -
The President said:
Mr. Toastmastcr and Gentlemen of The
Associated Press and the American News
paper Publishers Association:
The POSTMASTER seems to expect lie"
candid remarks by me upon the press o'
the country and has offered me this occa
sion as an opportunity for getting even
az II we're. with some OF its members. bu'
I shall disappoint him. Experience has
taught me that an exhibition OF one
wounds gives only momentary pleasure u
the exhibitor and too often furnishes an
additional qualification to the one VINO IN
Ajcted them. I have no grievance. Ihis
ia the ONLY world we have. the press ~ It's
chief instrument in the formation of pup
lie opinion, and l could not hope to chahse
the tone OF the press by what ] might say
here by way of suggesting improvement
and, so far as / am personally concerned
/ might make II a good deal worse. am
in n position where every act or mine 10
fairly subjected to review, and whether the
comment be friendly and judicial, or nos
Tile or unfair IL goes with other burdens
Of the office. is the price or SERVING 'he
public and Is 10 be taken. az every
thorough and sportsmanlike golfer VIII ui''
derstand. as a."rub on the green.
Your POSTMASTER has been good enough
to mention as subject upon when our
minds will meet. a general arbitration
treaty with Great Britain. ] believe that
the proposal for this is moving along win
as much rapidity as is consistent with care
I'm drafting the agreement and securing LOT
II as broad a scope as possible.
1t may not be inappropriate for me 70
refer 20 a kindred subject that will indi-
rectly stimulate international peace, ana
will be a substantial step In that direction
10 wit. the reciprocity with Canada
! am glad to have the opportunity oil
spcaking to a body which fully represents
the most important agencies for the for
nation Of public opinion I'm this county
upon question which has now reached
critical point In its settlement. The agree
ment is a commercial one and anects the
duties on imports from each country into
the other and. therefore. ii is difhcult tc
say that a detailed discussion of tarifi
schedules is not relevant and important III
considering it's wisdom. But the genera
commercial, economic and social argu'
mants in its favor are so convincing tha'
I NAV be pardoned il ! do not dwell or
specific rates
General Nature Of Treaty.
The treaty provides for free trade In al
agricultural products and in rough Jumper
down TO the point planning. 1t reduces thf
duties on secondary food products by
very substantial percentage, and II makes
such reductions on number of manufac,'
ured articles that those engaged in making
them have assured US that the reductions
will substantially increase the already
large Canadian demand for them.
We rendered to the Canadian commits
sioners absolute free trade in all products
| Of either country. manufactured or natural
but the Canadian commissioners did not
feel justified in going so far 1t is only
reasonable 10 infer, therefore. that witt
respect TO those articles upon which they
refuse free trade with us they felt that
the profitable price at which they could be
sold by our manufacturers in Canada was
less than the price at which their manu-
| facturers could afford 10 sell the same
| either 10 their own people or To us.
Hence il follows that their refusal tc
agree TO free trade in these articles, as We
proposed Is the strongest kind of evidence
that if we should take off the existing duty
from such articles coming into the United
States il would not affect in the slightest
degree the price az which those articles
could be furnished TO the public here In
other words. the proposition 10. put on the
free list. for entrance into the United
States. all articles that Canada has declined
10 make free In both countries, would not
lower the price TO the consumer here
Thus the reason why meats were not put
on the free list in this Canadian agreement
was because Canada felt that the competi-
ton of our packers would injuriousy
affect the products Of their packing houses
II that be true. how would II help our con
sumner or lower the price Of meat in oui
markets Il we let their meat In free, whllt
they retained duty on our meat?
The same thing IL true of -four. They
would not consent to free trade In flour
because they knew that our -four mills
could undersel their millers If that was
so. then how much competition and lower
ing Of the price Of -four could we expect
from, putting Canadian flour on the free
list?
And vet gentlemen insist that the farmer
has been unjustly treated. because We
haven, MI, Canadian -four and meat OF
the free list And !; Is proposed to SATISFY
the supposed grievance OF the farmers D!
now doing 90 without any compensatine
concession from Canada.
| This proposal would be legislation passeo
| for political platform uses. without accom-
plishing any real good
In another aspect, however. the effect o
the proposal might be serious. or cours
mere reduction of our tariff. or the put
ting of any article on our free list, withou
| insisting on a corresponding change IN IN
Canadian tariff will not interfere with III
contract as made with Canada Canad
cannot object to our giving her create
tariff concessions than We have agreed I
give her under the contract.
Favored Nation Clause Danger.
BUT II we do make such concessions
without any consideration on the part q
Canada. without any quid pro quo. so Z
speak. after the contract has been tenta
lively agreed upon by those authorized I
make contracts for ratification In bot
governments, then we are in danger G
creating an obligation against us in "a
,or OF all other foreign countries wit
whom We have existing treaties containn
! what Is called the favored nation CLAUSE
By this clause ne agreed to give the sam
commercial privileges TO the country wit
whom we have made the treaty as we civ
t. any other nation.