New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-02-16
AMERICANS ENRICH PARIS
Spent 100000, 900 There Last
Year, Says Consul General.
ALL RECORDS WERE BROKEN
Tariff Not So Much of a Hin
drance to Trade as Valuation
and Classification.

Paris. Feb. Paris has ninety million
excellent reasons for making Americans
welcome in the Gay City. for sso,oooo00 is
the estimated total of the amount which
Paris has put into her Golfers as the re-
suit OF trade and personal relations with
Americans last year.
Frank H. Mason, the American Consul
General in Paris. is responsible for the
figure. In his speech this week at the
nineteenth annual dinner of the American
Chamber of Commerce in Paris. at the
Hotel Palais d'Orsay. he said:
IF the value of all the personal pur-
chases and importations could be known
and added to The statistics o. invoiced
merchandise. there can be no doubt tnat
the toll which beSuiing Paris collected
from our countrymen and women last
year would reach to somewhere about
$4,000, 600.
At the dinner the following were pres
emit 3. J.. Shoninger. president of the
Chamber Gn the chair Robert Woods
Bliss. secretary of the American Embassy
in Paris: Albert S. Heidelbach, DR.. David
Jayne mn, W iIlit!l =. Ddii'C' i'd"' N'NN
V. Benet and Major +. A.. Mahan. L. 5.
s.. retired.
In the course OF his speech Mr.. Mason
quoted figures which showed that eX-
ports from France TO the United States
were larger than ever before.
RECORD Year for Trade with v. S.
There were presented at the Paris Con-
suiate for Authorization during 1917 he
said. "3S.oll invoices, which covered mer-
chaadse having a total declared value or
Ssl.52J.Ol9. OF this sl.69S,lS7 was for re-
turned American goods. which not being
really exports, are eliminated from the
account. leaving total of SI@.S26.S"2 as
the net sum of declared values of French
merchandise exported to the United states
and insular possessions during the year
This shows an increase of $lO,90lSl2 over
the record Of 1911. which had been hereto
fore the banner year of exports from
Paris to our country
To show the value of various exports
from the Paris district to the Unitci
States last year Mr.. Mason cited Inc loi-
lowing: Automobiles and parts. N.-S9'il"'
ANTIQUITIES SID, iSl paintings ana frames
S497S. $50; costumes, S2,62slH; millinery
A.IO1i7; precious stones, $S,jE.02s' face
and embroidery. s1,si.7is: perfumery ana
soaps. s17S5.13I; hides and skins, S"6i2'oj'
ut VIII naturally be understood, eN-
plsjned Mr. Mason. that these statstc7
comprise only the articles when were eN-
norted as merchandise covered by con-
enlar invoices and declared for the most
PASS the scrutiny of the American customs
officials They do not include OF taAe
any account of, the vast quantity OF COS
tunes, furs, laces. millinery, lingerie, Jew
elry and other articles of luxury which
were purchased here during the year by
Americans and taken home as personal
effects without the formality of a consular
invoice
Mr.. Shoninger. in his address, dealt
with the work of the Chamber Of Com
merce last year and the policies 1t Is
seeking to advance. Concerning AMER
can tariffs, he said
Valuation Great Bar.
THE greatest grievance, after all,
against America can be summed up IN
the fact that 1t is not the tariff rates so
much as the proper valuation, classihca-
ton and, above ALL the administrative
treatment of importations, making it al
most impossible for the foreigner to he
able to determine with any degree OF eX-
actitude his selling price, or rather the
price at which he can deliver the goods
TO his American customer. On the other
hand, Americans are justified in finding
fault with the treatment Of their products
in other countries, and many complaints
have reached US here in France, due
chiefly to the fact that the French tariff
OF 1910 discriminates against certain
American products which do not enjoy
the most favored nation rates and which
were not included in the list contained in
the special law Of March 81, 1910"
The patent laws Of the United States
were also referred to by Mr.. Shoninger.
ana he suggested that they need amend
ment.
Tho leading Industrial countries OF
Europe" ne pointed out. have enacted
patent laws which place the American
inventor at a great disadvantage when
compared to the position Of the foreign
inventor in the United States In our
country tho foreign inventor Is required
TO pay only one fee upon the registration
of the patent, and there 10 no obligation
imposed upon him for the working of
the patent in the United States. The
American inventor abroad is obliged to
pay an annual fee. -. many cases on an
increasing sliding scale"
AZ tho annual meeting Of tho chamber
held at tho conclusion Of the dinner. B. ].
Shoninger was reelected president.