The Washington times., 1924-12-20
BRITAIN IN PACT
WITH GERMANY
ON TRADE
Guarantee Each Others Com.
panies National Treatment
in Taxation

BY r. A. WRAY

LONDON, Dec. 20. - Britain's
trade pact with Germany is ex-
pected to come into force early in
1925, when a little preliminary
legislation has been passed in the
House of Commons.
1T is the completest, most-favored
national treaty that has ever been
signed" said Sir Philip Cunliffe-
Lister, president of the board Of
trade, to international News Serv.
ice. And no previous commercial
treaty has ever been particuIarized
or specialized like this.
Before the war Britain had no
real commercial treaty with Ger.
many-only a series OF DEGREES.
This is mutual treaty, made in
the spirit of unity OF interests, and
introducing a new feeling into
commercial treaties.
British subjects and British com.
panfes in Germany under the new
treaty are guaranteed national
treatment In matters Of taxation.
National treatment Is also secured
for shipping, except the coastal
trade. Great Britain on the other
hand, enters into reciprocal engage.
ments for the treatment of German
citizens, German companies and
other German shipping in the
United Kingdom.
On British Ships.
Some feeling has been aroused
in this country because Germans,
under the treaty, are again al.
lowed to work on British ships.
But this cutlery has arisen under a
misrepresentation.
The British Government still re.
serves full rights to make any reg.
ulations whatsoever regarding for.
eign seamen, and takes care TO
forbid the employment Of any for.
elgn seaman on a British ship.
The actual fact is that, in the emf.
grafton traffic, on which the pros.
perity Of many British concerns
may largely depend, it is neces.
sary to have the services of stew
ards who speak German and can
attend to the wants Of non Eng
disappearing emigrants.
But no alien can serve as mas
ter, or chief officer, or chief en-
gineer of any British ship.
With regard to the employ
ment Of Germans in other British
industries, the same policy viii be
followed by the British Govern.
ment. No alien will be allowed to
take any job in the United King
dom which has been, or can be,
filled by a British subject.
Prohibition and restrictions on
importation and expectation will
be, under the treaty, limited to
these imposed on well-recognlzed
grounds. So far as this country is
concerned, the prohibitions on Ger
man importations will be practical
ly limited to dye-stuffs and hops,
together with some unimportant
articles like varieties of plumage
preparations Of tea, coffee and to.
bacco; and, also, to prison-made
goods and bullion, gold and silver
coin,
Each party to the treaty will,
within six months, provide the
other with a list OF the few excep-
tional cases In which they desire
to maintain prohibitions.
THE most liberal possible inter
probation of the most-favored-na-
ton clause is secured in the pro-
tocol attached to the treaty. Both
parties, while reserving the right
to take proper measures to pre-.
serve their own industries, agree
to abstain from using their respec.
tive customs tariffs as a means Of
discrimination against the others
trade.
Special provisions safeguard
the interests Of British insurance
and banking interests in Germany,
and of British shipping companies
engaged in the carrying Of emf.
grants from Germany.
THE right to adhere to the
treaty at any time is accorded to
all British colonies and self,gov.
erning dominions. Goods manu-
featured there will enjoy most.fa.
vored-nation treatment from Ger
many so long as such treatment Is
accorded to German goods.
Preparations win not enter into
the treaty. The "a per cent duty
on all goods imported into Britain
from Germany will still be main.
tanned; but If any alternative
method Of collection yielding the
same financial return can be as.
scented to by all parties. then Brit
ain will be ready to consider such
Q scheme favorablys"