New-York tribune., 1911-01-31
OPPOSING POTASH 1AXtAW
american Consumers Declare 1t
Is Undue Discrimination.
,ssAIL SYNDICATE'S BRIEF
sr Germans Avoid the Real
Issue and Would Impair
American Contracts.

..e statement Of the German potash
.oa,a aled with the Department Of
So. q, defence OF the potash tax Jaw. the
s,',owing reply was made yesterday oy
iV''' a,rosentative OF large group OF
,-,.rican potash consumers:
A.,r,.srita numerous inaccuracies and mis-
a,+,tions. and despite the deliberate
,r,,t OF the syndicate TO hecloud the
;ssre bv abusive criticism OF the
,.-,.,i5-panns. who have consistently re-
- the efforts of the syndicate to Gre
,-,iscial market conditions by estao-
- high prices. the statement as
- practical admission OF every
". W, made by the Americans.
potash Trust asserts that the on
Ter should be ignored by the Amer
UT ,-cverrment. simply because high
"a" lad aoer the uniform policy OF the
p, and that any American who cared
49,. rotash az low prices during tenn
dissolution Of the trust deserves 10
80 benefits OF such a purchase, even
60 20 takes special ex post facto lesis-
- deprive him Of his contract ad-
- denial by the syndicate that the
- .ontracts were impaired by the
..e,,e horelessly weak. when II ad-
,rat without the law Americans
- nav S20 a ton for their potash
-,,.,.as under the law they must pay %'
.hor live ND TO their contracts Fos-
German does not consider his con-
ac,,oired' ny a law which doubles
.""-..~.rsss price. but II would take many
L
80 ,r -re syndicate's brief 20 convince
= American % the correctness oil ''7
..,.,,s rcsition on this point
a,f.rb stress is laid on the threat OF me
o.-,,r Minister of Commerce last July,
a. ths contracts were made, that the
- government would pass law tax
a-..,ba American contracts $50 a ton un-
g.. the contracts we're surrendered Tic
-.-sic,-e. however. deliberately refrains
...r a-- comment whatever upon the
cement ~ the representative or the
,.rsrrr,er- potash mines on June 80 When
s.s,ersr, .Torts were being made 70 re-
-. ,-a syndicate prior TO its expiration
.,r,idnieht =, of that day.
arsie ~erresentadvo Of the government
...-ss then served notice on the repre-
.errerfvr- or II.e Olllfi iiiiiiN' Nt--
.,-s,,a-e was not reorGsuized before nlid-
-. hts mines would Immediately begin
,,rsrg iriere-dently at tho best prices oo-
-. II was only after the American
..-.-oo,s had been secured by other than
80 government mines that ;he minister
Nsgsn his threats. IL.
iyArparentIy the syndicate has no reHel
% 4,r-e=- except that the American con-
,-,..ore break their contracts with non
.-,sca+a mines. forfeit all claims 20 lhe
,,,.is, law prices which they secured
,s-o,.eh their contracts. and pay the syn
si,s,s ga a ton more than they would
fsvs rad had no law been passed oe-
,.r,vinr the benefits obtainaoie from their
.o..-,,t. The syndicate does not even
-ort ost how the Americans could escape
damage suits from the independent mines'
vbo are the sellers under the contracts
Ger if -be Americans were DISPOSED tame
" 70 surrender 20 the syndicate.
We believe that any impartial reader OF
,AA s,-udi-ste's briet must conclude tna'
~ Do.asb tax law constitutes undue ols-
elimination that II was enacted 20 oe-
s.ro,- the --e'ue Of American contracts, ana
,sat this action was taken IN the interest
n 2 monopoly In which the German gov
eminent f- financially interested. and whose
chief officer has always been an appointee
of tre P~resfan government