Dakota farmers' leader. (Canton, S.D.) 1890-19??, 1911-12-15
IFur.Seal Treaty.

for tho establishment of an international
prize court.
Fur-Seal Treaty.
The fur-seal controversy. which for
nearly twenty-five years has been the
source of serious friction between the
United States and the powers bordering
upon the north Pacific ocean, whose sub
iects have been permitted to engage in
having their breeding grounds within the
jurisdiction OF the United States, has at
conclusion of the North Pacific sealing
T~I2nve9Ettson entered int between d the
Russia on the seveavh of July last.
The attention of congress Is especially
called to the necessity for legislation on
The part of the United States for the pur;
pose of fulfilling the obligations assumed
under this convention, to which the sen
ate gave its advice and consent on the
twenty-fourth day OF July last,
International Opium Commission.
in which I concurred in the recommended
ttons made by the secretary Of state IN
regard to certain needful legislation for
the control of our interstate and foreign
traffic in opium and other menaclns
drugs. l quoted from my annual mes
sage of December Z. 1909. In which I an
nounced that the results of the lnterna-
tional Opium commission held at Shang-
hal in February. 1909. at the invitation or
the United States, had been laid before
this government: that the report OF that
NOlilllilSSlpn showed INA Nlliii was hh"Hs
ing remarkable progress and admirable
efforts toward the eradication of the
opium evil: that the interested govern
Cial interests to prevent their Co-opera--
ton in this reform; and, as a result OF
Question in this country, I recommended
that the manufacture. sale and use or
opium in the, United states should De
Prior to that time and in continuation
of the policy Of this government TO Sc
nations. the United States proposed an
international opium conference with fun
powers for the purpose OF clothing with
the force Of international law the .reso,,
buttons adopted by the aboVe-mentioned
commission. together with their essen
tial corollories. The other powers CON
poSal of this government, and, am eIad
to be able to announce: representatEes
Of all the powers assembled in conference
at The Hague on the first of this month
Foreign Trade Relations of the United
In my last annual message I referred
to the tariff negotiations Of the depart
ment Of state with foreign countries in
connection with the application. by a Sc
ries Of proclanations, of the minimum
tariff of the United States to irnporta-
tons from the several countries, and l
stated that, in it's general operation, sec,
a guaranty of continued commercial
peace, although there We're, unfortunate
~, ilSNdIl'tS ZIG i'l'iS' ScNN'
dealt arbitrarily with American interests
within their jurisdiction In a manner In.
furious and inequitable. During the past
year some instances of discriminatory
treatment have been removed. but l re-
greet to say that there remain a Few
cases of differential treatment adverse to
the m of the United States. While
none Of these instances now appears 10
amount to undue Discrimination in the
August s. 1909, they are all exceptions to
that complete degree of equality Of tar,
state has consistently sought to obtain
for American commerce abroad.
While the double tariff feature of the
tariff law of 1909 has been amply justi-
fed by the results achieved in removing
former and preventing new. undue dls-
it Is believed that the time has come for
the amendment of this feature of the law
in such way as to provide a gradnate oi
discriminatory treatment Of American
in foreign countries as well as
to protect the financial interests abroad
Of American citizens against arbitrary
and injurious treatment on the part of
iSlative or administrative measures.
It would seem desirable that the maxi
mum tariff of the United States should
embrace within It's purview the free list,
IN order that It might have reasonable
significance to the governments of those
into the United states are confined vir-
tually to articles on the free list.
The fiscal year ended june 81. l'll;
shows great progress In the development
as marking the highest record of exports
Of American products to foreign coun.
tries, the valuation being In excess OF
1000. coo, 900. These exports showed a
gain over the preceding year of more
Cryina Need for American Merchant
Marine.
need hardly reiterate the conviction
1l-,+ +l,ra chn,t11 Craa1ilV he hIIilt I'm n
American merchant marine: This is nee
essary to assure favorable transporta-
commerce as well as to supplement the
navy with an adequate reserve of ships
and men. It would have the econ3mic a. a.
vast sums now paid foreign shipping for
carrying American goods, All the great
commercial nations pay heavy subsidies
to their merchant marine, SO that 1t Is
obvious that without some wise aid from
the congress the United States must lag
behind in the matter of merchant marine
in It's present anomalous position.
Legislation to facilitate the extension
OF American banks to foreign countries Is
another matter in which our foreign
trade needs assistance.
With these factors and the continuance
of the foreign-service established depart
the high plane where It has been placed
by the recent rearoganlzatlon TINS gov
eminent would be abreast Of the ,o tines
trade. and the rest. must be left to the
energy and enterprise of our business
men.
Improvement of the Foreign Service.
1he entire foreign-service organization
is being improved and developed with
especial regard to the requirements of
the commercial interests of the country.
The rapid growth of our foreign trade
makes 1t of the utmost Importance that
poyerumental agencies through which
that trade is to be aided and protected
should possess a high degree of eff
ciency. Not only should the foreign rep
resentatives be maintained upon a gen
erous scale in SO far as salaries and es-
Establishments are concerned, but the Sc
lection and advancement of officers
should be definitely and permanently reg
ulated by law, so that the service shall
not fail to attract men of high character
and ability. The experience of the past
few years with n partial application OF
| civil service rules to the diplomatic and
mind of the wisdom of a wider and more
permanent extension Of those principles
to both branches of the foreign service.
I therefore again commend to the ia
vorable action of the congress the enact
rncnt of a law applying, to the diplomatic
and consular service the principles en-
bodied in section 1853 Of the Revised stat
utes Of the United States. IN the civil
service act of January l6. 1883. and the
executive orders of June q, 1908. and Of
November &c. 1909. In its consideration Of
this important subject I desire to recall
to the attention of the congress the very
favorable report made on the Lowden
Bill for the improvement OF the
foreign service by the foreign
affairs committee of the house Of repre-
sentatives. Available statistics show that
-. c.r;r+,aSo with which the merit SyS-