Evening star., 1927-09-15
Answer. to U. S. Protest on
Rates Is Delivered to
American Embassy.
PRESENT SCHEDULES ARE
IN FORCE PENDING PARLEY
Rejection of Treaty Propose Sug'
gested Here After Receipt of
Paris Note.
By the Associated Press.

PARIS. September 15.-F'rance asks
the United States for reciprocity in the
complete sense of the word as the only
acceptable basis for tarln treaty
between the two countries.
In note replying to Ameflcau
representation concerning the new
French tariff schedule, the French Tor
| sien office today set forth the French
conception of reciprocity as the condi /
| tion for entering upon fruitful nego
| tia MON of tariff treaty.
Nothing less than the present high
| rates in force are offered until the
! American reply to this note snail De
received, When reply from the
United States is received mat the
American Government is ready 10 De
gin such discussions then the Frehch
government will substitute Tor the
/ present scale a modified schedule CIV
ing American goods considerably low
ar rates.
The replv proposes 10 accord Amer
.c.n commodities of so per cent re-
duction of the general tariff now Ell
! fectiye to hold during negotiations Tor
/ a commercial treaty. Since the gen
eral tariff is four times the minimum
/ rate American products thus would
have to pay twice that assessed on
I imports from Germany and otner
countries with which France has com
mercial treaties.
Prolonged Debate Expected.
The impression in both French and
American circles was that the note
I was simply the first step in opening
what are likely to be prolonged treaty
negotiations. In the ministry OF COM
merce the feeling apparently was gen.
eral that such an agreement couid not
: he concluded in less than three OF
four months.
The note, which was not mace
public but was Immediately cabied
: to Washington. was handed to Shei-
don Whitehouse, American charge
d.affaires. who called at the
foreign Office by appointment. He
was met by NJ. Arnal. a high official
In the economic department. who de-
hvered the note of three typewritten
pages, explaining verbally some OF the
features of the reply.
Embassy Issues Coinmunique.
Later the American embassy issued
the following communique:
las is well known, upon publica-
ton of the new French tariH tne
American embassy made representa-
tions to the foreign Office as to the
extremely onerous incidence of the
new French general tariff with re-
spect TO large number of Amerl-
can products and requested that,
pending negotiations for CONNER
cial treaty between France and the
United States. the first step in which
/ was taken by the embassy's trans
mission to the foreign Office on Sep
| fember IL of comprehensive draft
treaty of friendship, commerce and
hconsular rights. the application of
] %hese new tariff rates will be sus-
. pended.
'The embassy is now in receipt OF
q reply from the foreign Office which
ssuggests negotiation of general
commercial treaty on different
! basis from that embodied in the draft
/ treaty as submitted and in return
envisages partial reductions on the
| new general tariff rates as applied
N American commodities. The French
answer cannot he said completely TO
meet the situation and the form in
which it was presented necessitates
| further instructions and negotiations,
] which, needless to say. will be pushed
| with the utmost celerity.'