American Falls press. [volume] (American Falls, Idaho) 1907-1937, 1912-12-05

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some instances the measure taken by
them to meet it err not entirely equi-
table. a remedy sLaqld be found. "a
former messages / nave described the
negotiations Of the department OF
state with foreign governments for tne
adjustment Of the maximum ana min
imum tariff as provided In section .
OF the tariff law Of 1903. the adVah.
tages secured by the adjustment OF
our trade relations under THIS la"
have continued during the last year.
and some additional cases OF discrim-
inatory treatment of which we nao
reason to complain have been re-
moved. The department Of state mas
for the first time in the history OF
this country obtained substantial
INSTRUMENTATION treatment 0
all the countries Of the world. There
are, however, other instances which,
while apparently not constituting I'M
due discrimination in the sense OF
section 2, are nevertheless exceptions
to the complete equity Of tariff treat
ment for American products that the
department of state consistently has
sought to obtain for American COM
merce abroad.
Necessity for Supplementary Leigsla-
latIon.
These developments confirm the
opinion conveyed to you in my annual
message of 1911, that while the a
imum and minimum provision Of the
tariff law of 1909 has been fully JUS
titled by the success achieved in re-
moving previously existing undue dis
ordinations against American prod
ucts, yet experience has shown that
this feature of the law should be
amended in such way as to prevent
a fully effective mean Of meeting
the varying degrees of discriminatory
treatment of American commerce in
well al to protect against injurious
treatment on the part of foreign gov
ernments, through either legislative
Of administrative measures, the fnan-
cial interests abroad of American cit
izers whose enterprises enlarge the
market for American commodities.
l can not too strongly recommend
to congress the passage of some such
enabling measure as the bill which
was recommended by the secretary
of state in his letter of December 13.
1911. The object of the proposed leg
islation is, in brief, to en-
able the executive to apply.
as the case may require, to any
or all commodities, whether or not on
the free list from a country which
discriminates against the United
States, a graduated scale of duties
up to the maximum of 25 per cent. ad
valorem provided in the present law.
Flat tariffs are out of date. II
The message told what the govern.
ment has done in connection with the
Balkan war and in placing the gov.
eminent of Liberia in position to nav
Its debts. The new condition of af-
fairs in China was set forth, and
then our relations with Central and
South American governments were
forth in more detail. 1t concluded
as follows:
Congress should fully realize the
which obtain in the world
we find ourselves at the threshold
our middle age as a nation. We
emerged full grown as a peer in
the great %concourse of nations. We
nave passed through various forma.
tive periods. We have been self-cen-
tered in the struggle to develop our
domestic esource and deal with our
domestic questions. The nation is
too mature to continue in it's for.
eign relations those temporary expe-
natural to a people to whom do
nestle affairs are the sole concern.
the past u diplomacy has often
in normal times, in a mere
assertion OF the right to international
We are now In a larger
with broader rights of our
own and obligations to others thar
ourselves. A number of great guild.
ing principles were laid down early in
history of this government. The
task Of our diplomacy has been
20 adjust those principles to the con-
li'ions Of today, to develop their corol-
aries, to find practical applications of
ne old principles expanded to meet
lew situations. Thus are being
evolved bases upon which can rest
ne superstructure Of policies which
must grow with the destined progress
u this nation. The successful con.
luct OF our foreign relations demands
broad and a modern view. We can
lot meet new questions nor build for
future II We confine ourselves tn
dogmas of the past and TO
he perspective appropriate at our
'mergence from colonial times and
conditions. The opening of the Pana.
ma canal will mark a new era in orr
International life and create new end
conditions which. with
heir vast correlations and conse-
luences, will obtain for hundreds of
ears % come. We must not wait for
vents to overtake us unawares With
continuity of purpose we must deal
WIN the problems of our external re-
atlOnS by a djnlOmooy