Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1912-12-07


ened--Nations No Longer Ac-
cord Equal Treatment to 9th
er Nations Irrespective of
Treatment On Tariff--Rela-
tions Between This Country
and South American Repub-
lies Taken Up.
WASHINGTON. Dec g. When Con.
gress convened today the committees
from the House and Senate which
were appointed yesterday to notify
the President that they we're In SEES
sion and rady to receive any message
he had to communicate reported TO
the respective bodies.
The Senate convened at II o'clock
in order that they might hear the
president $ message and be ready to
sit as court in the impeachment trial
of Judge Archibald which was set for
1890.
The message from President Taft
on the foreign relations of the
United States was received and
read in both the Senate and the
House. Following his established de
parture from the usual all embracing
and cumbersome messages of former
occupants OF the Whits House this
communication was comparatively
short and was limited to the discus
sioa of one subject
The President stated that the re
lations of the United Stab with all
foreign powers we're at present main
tanned on basis Of peace, harmony
and friendship" lie plead d, however,
FOR an extension of the diplomatic
system, stating that Congress should
fully realize the condition which oh.
taine in the world as we stand on the
threshold of our middle age as La
ton" ~
MANY important suggestions were
made to Congress in the President
message Chief among these was his
5 espousal for a more elastic tariff mea-
sure for use in dealing with foreign
countries showing discrimination
against the products OF American man
ufacturers.
President Taft stated that the ad-
justmenf of trade relations with for
eian governments under section Of
the tariff law of 1909 had conclusive
~ shown that their scope should be
widened so as to enable the E&ecu'
tive to apply as the case may require
TO all commodities whether or not on
the free list from country which
discriminates against the United
States, q graduated scale Of duties up
to the maximum Of - per cent ad
yalorem provided by the present law.
The President stated that fiat tar
ifs were ont of date and could not
too strongly recommend this propos-
ed amendment TO the consideration of
Congress. In this accommodation
the President said
Nations no longer accord equal tar
if treatment to all other nations IT.
respective OF the treatment from them
received, and such a power as gradu'
ated scale of duties in the hands OF
the Executive would serve to moder-
ate any unfavorable tendencies on the
part OF those countries from which
the importations into the United
States are substantially confined to
articles on the free list as well as OF
n the countries which find a lucrative
market in the United States for their
3 products under existing laws
Most Of the Presidents message was
devoted to the existing relations be
tween the United States and her sis
ter Republics of North and South
America. In this connection the
President dwelt upon his pet theme OF
dollar diplomacy reiterating his OFT
repeated statement, that the means OF
invading the smaller autonomiee OF
the Americas. not only worked great
benefit 10 both the American bankers
Interested and The republics receiv
ing the loan, but strengthen the posi-
ton of the United State through the
elimination of large foreign loans
which might cause au international
discussion Of the Monroe doctrine.
As a direct slap at the enemies OF
the loan convention m Oh" United
States Senate, the President stated
that it was his opinion that the ter
rible loss OF life iu Nicaragua could