The Clarksburg telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1874-1926, 1911-04-20
ENLARGED POWERS
DESIGNED BY BILL
Introduced by Senator Curtis
Concerning Foreign Dis
elimination of Capital.

WASHINGTON. April 14.-senator
Curtis today introduced bill in the
Senate charging the powers of the
President 10 deal with foreign dis
ordinations against American capt.
tai and trade interests abroad. Being
an administration measure, it will be
strongly advocated during the pres
ent special session OF Congress.
This bill was fayorably reported in
tie last few days of the regular SEES
sion with the endorsement of the
department of state. Suggested
primarily by the potash difficulty
with Germany, Senator Curtis's bill
viii auord means OF relief in many
cases Of foreign discrimination with
which the government can not now
meet effectively with no other weap-
on at Its disposal than the maximum
minimum provisions of the tariff law.
Declaring that he intended to make
every effort to secure the passage
OF the bill, Senator Curtis said today:
"Germany's attitude in the potash
case, inhicting an enormous burden
upon American farmers and involv-
ing gross discrimination with reshect
to product essential in soil sfertl-t
Ii2alion, has shown the need lof.
measure which will place n.they
hands OF the President ADEQUATE.
means of defense against such treat-
ment By foreign nations.
The bill introduced by me enables
the President to apply such meas
ures of retaliation as may be unfor-
tunately necessary in given case,
without having recourse to suEch
radical step as the application Of
maximum duties on all imports from
an offending nation.
"The tariff law restricts the Presi-
dents authority within very narrow
bounds, while in this bill it is pro-
vided that whenever the President
shall be satisfied that the government
of any foreign state by repressive,
discriminatory, or conflscatory meas
ures, either of legislation or of adj
ministratlon, ieopardizea, impairs, or
destroys the capital of citizens of
the United States 1egitlmately in
vested in such foreign state: or
whenever the President shall be sat
istled that undue determinations are
made or that relative treatment not
equiyalently favorable is given by or
under the authority of any foreign
state adversely affecting the importa-
ton into or sale in such foreign state
of any product of the United States;
or that the government of such for
eign state, whether by law or by ad-
ministrative measures, imposes ex-
actions, regulations or limitations re-
strictive of or harmful or amount
ing to relative treatment not equiv
alently favorable to the commerce
of the United States with s1tch for
eign state with respect to the i'm
ports into or exports from such state,
he may direct that such increased ad
valorem rates of duty as he shall
determine are equivalent to the in.
jury inflicted upon American capital
or commerce, or both, shall be I'M
posed upon imports of all or such
dutiable products of such foreign
state as he may deem proper.
The President is also empowered
TO impose duties on articles on the
free list, and to exclude importations
entirely in extreme cases of discrim-
iation.
That existing statutes do not pro-
vide an adequate or practicable rem
edy in the potash case and other in
stances of unfair treatment of Amer
lean interests leads ME to believe
That there will be no opposition 10
measure which will enlarge and
make more flexible the Presidents
authority in such cases"