Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1911-12-14

with its negotiations with lhe other pow
e1ssz There were Z nnIesfE12t important
| ing the linmikrstion Of laD0rkf5. fevision
OF the customs tarin and the right Of
Americans s e hold real estate In gspan,;;
technicalitieg and 10 enter at once upon
! negotiations for a new treaty on the un-
deLstancing that there should be con
OF the came effective measures for the
restriction OF immigration- OF IaborerB 70
American t:sFTitorY which s,h had been e
governmenfs since iy0S. The Japanese
i government accepted this basis Of nego-
uation.. and new treaty was quickly
concluded. resulting IN q highly satisfac-
tory settlement OF the other questions re-
ferred to.
Europe and the Near East.
In Europe and the near east. during the
past twelve-month. there has, been 1t
times considerable political unrest. The
/ Moroccan question, which for some
months was the cause Of great anxiety.
i happily appears to have reached q stage
with Concern The Ottoman empire was
i occupied for a period by strife In Al
4 bania and IL now at war with Italy, In
/ Greece and the Balkan countries the
disquieting pofentialities OF this situation
i have been more or less felt. Persia has
been the scene of long internal strug-
| gle. These conditions have been the
| cause Of uneasiness in European diplo-
| macy, but thus far without direct politi-
cal concern to the United States.
| In the war which unhappily exists be-
i has no direct political interest, and
took occasion at the suitable time to Is
c so the same time all Necessary sar
| steps have been taken to safeguard the
| personal interests of American citizens
and organizations in SO far as affected
Fur-seal Treaty.
| The fy,r.aaof trnvoxe.,y xphtch fnr
4 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
jects have been permitted to engage IN
peiagic sealing against the fur-seal herds
saving their breeding grounds within the
last been satisfactorily adjusted by the
| conclusion of the North Pacific sealing
| convention entered into between the
| United States. Great Britain, Japan and
Russia on the seventh 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 special message transmitted to the
| congress on the seventh of January. 1911,
| In which concurred In the recommends
tfons made by the secretary Of state in
regard to certain needful legislation for
| the control of our Interstate and foreign
!raff1c In opium and other menacing
drugs, quoted from my annual mes
sage OF December T. 1909 in which an
tional Opium commission held at Shang.
nal In February, 1909, at the invitation OF
the United States, had been laid before
this government: thattthe report of that
commission showed that China was max <
ing remarkable progress and admirable
| efforts toward the eradication of the
o. ~
ments had not permitted their CONNER
cia. interests to prevent their co-opera-
uon In this reform: and, as a result OF
callateral Investigations of the opium
| question in this country. I recommended
that the manufacture, sale and use OF
opium In the United States should be
more vigorously controlled by legislation.
Prior to that time and in continuation
OF the policy of this government to sc.
cure the corporation OF the interested
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.-
lntions adopted By the aboye.mensioned
tfal corollories, The other powers con-
cerned cordially responded to the pro.
pesal OF this government. and. am glad
TO be able to announce. representatives
Q! all the powers assembled in conference
at The Hague on the first of this month.
Foreign Trade Relations Of the United
States.
In my last annual message I referred
to the tariff negotiations Of the depart
9 STATE With s forsgn hI
rfes Of proclamations, of the minimum
tariff of the United States to importa-
stated that n its es eeneral sec.
tion of the new tariff law had proved
guaranty of continued commercial
peace, aithougn there were. Unfortunate.
dealt arbitrarily with American interests
within their jurisdiction in a manner in.
furious and negotiable. During the past
year some Instances OF discriminatory
treatment have been removed, but re-
greet to say that there remain few
cases OF differential treatment adverse to
the commerce Of the United States. While
none OF these instances now appears to
amount to undue discrimination in the
sense Of section. of the. tariff law OF
August 5. 1903. they are all exceptions to
that complete degree OF equality of tar
III treatment that the department OF
state has consistently sought to obtain
for American commerce abroad.
While the do1Tbfe tariff feature
tariff law of 1909 has been amply justi-
fled by the results achieved in removing
former and preventing new. undue dis
ordinations AGAINST American commerce,
1t Is believed that the time has come for
the amendment OF this feature OF the law
in such way as to provide graduated
| means of meeting VARYING degrees of
discriminatory treatment Of American
commerce In foreign countries as we'll as
Of American citizens against arbitrary
and Injurious treatment on the part OF
foreign governments through either leg
iSlattVe or administrative measures.
It would seem desirable that the maxi
mum tariff of the United States should
embrace within Its purview the free list.
which Is mt the case at the present time.
in order that IT might have reasonable
Significance to the governments of those
countries from which the iFnnortat'ons
into the United States are co-fned vtr-
tuaIlY to articles on the free list
The fiscal year ended June 30 1911.
shows great progress in the development
of American trade. It was noteworthy
as marking the highest record of exports
Of American products to foreign coun-
tries the valuation being In excess OF
s. 600, o00e0. These exports showed a
gain oyer the he preceding year OF more
Crying Need for American Merchant
Marine.
need hardly reiterate the conviction
that there should speedily be built up an
American merchant marine This is NEG
essary to assure favorable transporta-
don facilities to our great ocean. boT IIa
navy with an adequate reserve of ships
and men. Tt would have the economic adj
vantage & keeping at home part of the
vast sums now paid foreign shipping for
carrying American goods. All the great
commercial nations pay heavy subsidies
to their merchant marine, SO that II is
the congress the United States must lag
behind in the matter OF merchant marine
In its present anomalous position.
Improvement OF the Foreign Service.
The entire foreign-service organization
IL being improved and developed with
especial regard to the requirements Of
the commercial interests of the country.
The rapid growth of our foreign trade
Governmental agencies through which
that trade Is to be aided and protected