The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-12-21
HOUSE AGREES ID IRRIGATION OF RUSSIAN TREATY Representative Sulzer Com mended By Mann for
 Action
RUSSIA MAKES NO.
 RESPONSE TO KNOX
There Was no Spectacular Staging of the Final Disposition of the h. ternational Incident-Ab0ut
 Hundred Present

Washington, December 20.-congress today ratified the Presidents notifica- ton of the termination of the Russian treaty of 1892 and sent the measure
 to the President for his signature. The
 House disposed of 1t according to pro- gramme within 10 minutes. Speaker Clark signed 1t at 256 D m' Vice Pres ident Sherman signed it at 3:51, after the Senate had remained In session pnrposely to permit him. under the rules. to affix his signature while 1t
 was in session. Tomorrow Congress will recess, for the holidays. which was an important factor in the expedition of the ratification.
 It was purely perfunctory proceed ing in the House, for democrats and republicans voted together Macon of Arkansas alone voting In the negative.
 He explained to the House later that he voted against the resolution in a spirit of levity. During the debate, republicans joined with their political opponents in tributes to Representative
 Sulzer of New York, democrat author
 of the House bill. for accepting the Senate measure, amending his own. Mr. Sulzer urged the House to accept the Senate's resolution, so that Presi-
 dent Tafts hands might be upheld by the executive end of the government in
 dealing with Russia, and the notice of
 the treaty termination is made effect i've before January 1.
 Sulzer Commended
 MT. sulzer has shown that he is acting through the prompting of pa triotism, not politics. said Republican Leader Mann
 The Russian reply to the, notice from
 Ambassador Curtis Guild. that America
 wished to terminate the treaty of 1882, has been received at the state depart ment. The officials decline to publish
 the text of the note, but admit its
 contents have been well outlined in the news dispatches from St. Petersburg.
 Hence it is inferred that the Russian
 foreign office made no response to. Sec
 retary Knox's invitation to embark lupon negotiations for new treaty. l It may be stated upon good authority l that the Russian government does not
 intend to be hurried in this matter. neither does 1t expect to conclude a new convention before the existing treaty expires, December 31, 1912. un- ouestionably, the modification of the
 terms of the original Russian abroga-
 ton has been a strong factor i'll in fluencing Russia to consider favorably the framing of a new treaty which
 possibly it could not have entertained
 under the sense of irritation that would have been caused by the adoption of original joint resolution, in all its
 severity of expression.
 Notwithstanding some expressions to the contrary by individual senators the weight of official opinion is de- cidede1y in favor of the contention that with the withdrawal of the favored nation treatment, guaranteed to Amer iean ports into Russia by the treaty about to be terminated, the full maxi mum Russian tariff rates will auto matically become effective against American goods Bearing on this pro- position is the following abstract from
 the Russian customs tariff of 19o6 "All products of the countries which enjoy in Russia most favored nations rights are subject to the terms of the conventional tariff, in so far as this let fer is not modified by the conventional tariff The implication is declared to be irv resistible that only the countries in this section--those having most fla yored nation" rights-can enjoy the | nf tla conventional tariff l Al present Russia extends those rates | to limited States products and 1t has been suggested that Russia will con- tinue to do so on the ground that the Presidents proclamation, issued under the terms of Payne -Aldrfch tariff act. allowing minimum tariff rates on Rus sian goods. is equivalent to most fla vored nation" treatment.
 No Breach of Relations l If is declared that no breach of re- lations is impending as preparations are being hastened for the early oc- cupation of the palatial residence in l this country of former Vice President Fairbanks by the Russian ambassador, who expects to take a permanent part l in the social life of the national cap ital.
 l Representative Berger, socialist mem | her of the House, today introduced a | joint resolution to terminate the ex- 1 tradition treaty of 1887 between the 1 limited states and Russia.
 | He explained that injustice had been suffered by United States citizens in 1 Russia but they could not be avoided ! bv merely abrogating the treaty of 1892.
 "Aithough the treaty of 1887 specfi- callv excepts from extradition persons charged with political offenses," said | MT. Berger, the Russian government 1 has repeatedly violated terms Of this treaty by charging grave civil crimes against refugees whose actual offense | has been the advocacy of freedom of action in Russia The Russian govern ment has for years maintained in this country secret agents and spies to fer | rest out such refugees and has further more constantly sought to exercise un- due influence upon municipal, state and | federal officers and officials Of the limited States government for the ap- apprehension and surrender of such refugees"
 q move that the House concur" MT. Sulzer said. | we know that after many secretaries l of state" he said, and many Presidents have failed to terminate the Russian | treaty, President Taft did effectualy move in the matter two days after the i House had passed it's resolution demand i ing the abrogation of the treaty" | He said the President had ignored the | ~-~-->~------>------ N CONTINUED ON FACE 1O)