The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1912-12-06
Advantage of Maximum and Minimum
Tariff Provision.

TARIFF Provision.
The Importance which our manufactures
have assumed In the Of the
world In competition with the manufac-
lures Of other countries again draws at
tention to the duty Of this government to
use its utmost endeavors to secure Inn
partial treatment for American products
in all markets. Healthy commercial riV~
airy in international intercourse ia best
assured by the possession Of proper means
for protecting and promoting our foreign
trade. It Is natural that competitive
countries should view with sOTne concern
this steady expansion Of our commerce,
II in come instance the measure taken
by them to meet It are not entirely eQui-
table, a remedy should be found In for
mer messages I have described the nego-
tIntions Of the department OF state with
foreign governments for the adjustment
OF the maximum and minimum tariff as
provided in section 2 OF the tariff law Of
1909. Tho advantages secured by the adj
justment of our trade relations under this
law have continued during the last year,
and some additional cases of, discrimina-
tory treatment of which we had reason
to complain have been removed. The de-
partment Of state has for the first time
In the history Of this country obtained
substantial Observation-Disclosures treatment
from all the countries Of the world, There
are, however, other Instances which, while
apparently not constituting undue dis
elimination in the sense OF section 2, are
nevertheless exceptions to the complete
equity Of tariff treatment for American
products that the department OF stats
consistently has sought to obtain for
American m abroad.
These Developments confirm the opin-
ion conveyed to you In my annua mes
sage Of 1911, that while the maximum
and minimum provision Of the thrtfT
law Of 1909 has been fully justified by
the success achieved In removing pre-
~viously existing undue DETERMINATIONS
against American products, yet expert
ence has shown that this feature Of the
law should be amended In such way as
to provide a fully effective means OF
meeting the varying degrees OF dis
c]riminatory treatment Of American
| in foreign countries still
| encountered, as well as to protect
against injurious treatment or the part
Of foreign governments, through either
legislative or administrative measures,
the financial interests abroad OF Amer
lean citizens whose enterprises enlarge
the market for American commodities.
I cannot too strongly recommend to
congress the passage of some such
| RDaDll1H TlEdSNEt dS titt blll ~ uH
recommended by the secretary Of state
in his letter of December Is. 1911. The
object Of the proposed legislation Is, in
brief. to enable the executive to apply.
as the case may require, 10 n or all
| commodities, whether or not on the
free list from a country which dis
eliminates against tho United States, q
graduated scale of duties up to the
maximum OF rs per cent. a d Valorem
provided in the present law. Flat tar
ifs are out OF date.
Congress should fully realize the condi-
lions which obtain in the world as we
And ourselves at the threshold Of our
middle age as a nation. We have
emerged full grown as q peer in the great
concourse of nations. We have passed
through various formative periods, We
have been sclf-centered in the struggle to
develop our domestic resources and deal
with our domestic questions. The nation
is now too mature tC continue In Its for
eign relations those temporary expedients
natural to a people to whom domestic az
fairs ara the sole concern. In the past
our diplomacy has often consisted. in
normal times, in a mere assertion OF the
light to international existence. We are
now In a larger relation with broader
rights of our own and obligations to 9TH
ers than ourselves. A number OF great
guiding principles were laid down early In
the history of this government. The re-
cent task Of our diplomacy a been to
adjust those principles to the conditions
Of today, to develop their corollarlea, to
| find practical applications OF the old prin-
ciples expanded to meet new situations.
| Thus are being evolved bases 1po which
can rest the s~uperstrutture Of policies
which must grow with the destined pro-
gress of this nation. The successful con-
| duct of our foreign relations demands a
broad and n modern view. We can not
| meet new questions nor build for the fu-
ture II we confne ourselves to outworn
doernas Of the past and to the pcrspec"
tive appropriate ut our emergence from
| colonial times and conditions. The open
| ing Of the Panama canal with mark a new
era in our international life and Greats
new and worldwide conditions which,
with their vast co%rrelations and conse-
ouences, will obtain for hundreds of years
to come. We must not walt for events to
| oyertake US unawares. With continuity
OF purpose we must deal with the prob
Iems Of our external relations by a diplo-
macy modern, resourceful, magnanimola.
and fttingiy expressive Of the high ideals
OF a great nation.