intercourse with that country had been very unsatisfactory and at that time had reached a state of great irritation. The Agrarian Party, representing the German farmers, had induced the Government at Berlin to issue regulations under the guise of sanitary precautions, which had the effect practically to exclude American meat products from the German market, and its action had encouraged other European Governments to follow its example of exclusion. American exporters of meats, representing very extensive agricultural interests in the Western States, had made vigorous protests to our Government, and the latter had sent strong representations to Berlin against the regulations. Some years before, Mr. Sargent, the American Minister, reported to the Department of State that "the pretense of sanitary reasons is becoming the thinnest veil . . . and is now apparently only insisted on as an excuse to the United States," and he proceeded further to expose the insincerity of the published motives of the Government. The Minister's dispatch, by some inadvertence of the Department, was published, and it brought down upon him the wrath of the German press, he became persona non grata, and had to retire. This incident added to the intensity of feeling in both countries. The reciprocity clause of the Act of 1890 afforded an opportunity to overcome this ill feeling and to place the two countries upon better commercial relations. Germany at that time was a large exporter of beet-root sugar to the United States, and the imposition upon it of the duty authorized by the reciprocity clause would have brought serious consequences to an extensive agricultural industry of Germany. When it became apparent that the cane-sugar producing countries were coming into the reciprocity arrangement, the German Government began to evince a deep interest in the matter, and its Minister in Washington, Count von Arco Valley, put himself into communication with me, but before the negotiations were fairly entered upon, he was called home to undergo a surgical operation which proved fatal, and his country lost in him a useful and able representative. The negotiations were thenceforward conducted with me. by Mr. A. von Mumm, the First Secretary of the Legation, a young man without much diplomatic experience, but very intelligent and thoroughly conscientious in his work. At the conclusion of our labors and when we were about to sign the protocol, he said to me that this was the first important task he had had to do and that he was anxious to make no mistake, and he felt that he, a young man with a future before him, could appeal to me, one of advanced years and experience, to protect him from any unwise action. Later he was gratified to receive the commendation of his Government for his work, and he has been steadily advanced to the highest posts in the diplomatic service. The arrangement was concluded at Saratoga, where Mr. von Mumm and I met to adjust the unsettled details and sign the arrangement. It secured not only the removal of the restrictions on American meats in exchange for free sugar, but also the favored admission of a number of other agricultural products, and was hailed in our country as a great achievement in benefit of American commerce. A premature announcement of the success of the negotiations gave President Harrison much uneasiness and was the occasion of a letter from him to me while we were both absent from Washington, which I give to show his interest in the matter and his strict sense of justice in recognizing the services of his associates in the Government. HON. JOHN W. FOSTER, WATERTOWN, N. Y. CAPE MAY POINT, N. J., MY DEAR GENERAL, I was extremely mystified when I found that General Rusk [Secretary of Agriculture] had talked about matters that I explained to him with great care were confidential. He came here himself, without any suggestion from me and directly from Chicago, to ask me on behalf of Swift and other packers there whether it would be safe for them to start a cargo of sugar-cured hams, etc., for German ports, in view of the fact that it would take several weeks to get it there. I felt that, as this matter directly touched his Department, it was proper for me to tell him that the agreement had been reached . . . but I told him how confidential the whole matter was; but he seems to have understood that when the announcement of the admission of our pork came from Germany the whole matter was open to comment. I have written to Mr. Wharton to say to Mr. von Mumm that I was very much mortified at this mischance, and also that if he thought it desirable, a statement might go out either from the State Department or from you, to the effect that the reciprocity part of the negotiation had not been completed, and that there would be further correspondence before a conclusion would be reached, but that it was hoped some general result would be reached in view of the friendly attitude of Germany. This would be more nearly true than most diplomatic utterances and certainly than most newspaper interviews; indeed, it would be literally true, because we do not yet know the articles that are to be included and do not know the rates; and indeed, do not certainly know that the treaty of which we are to have the benefit will be completed. I think I will hereafter try and play the sphinx a little myself. General Rusk, of course, acted in perfect good faith, but he was so full of enthusiasm at the success of the pork negotiations and so much afraid, I think, that Mr. Phelps [American Minister at Berlin] would carry off the glory of it, that he felt he must talk right away. I had Mr. Halford give out from here a statement which I thought was just to you — that the negotiations had not been conducted here, but at Saratoga, and by you as the representative of this Government. I hope no great harm will come of it, but it will serve as a warning to me. With kind regards, very sincerely yours, The example of Germany was promptly followed by Austria-Hungary, a considerable exporter of beet-root sugar. Thus, the reciprocity measure had proved a success beyond even the expectations of its friends, and Secretary Blaine especially was greatly elated at the result. An agreement for reciprocity was reached with the Executive Department of the French Government, but it was never ratified by the Chambers. Three other Governments - Venezuela, Colombia, and Hayti — declined to make any arrangement on the subject, and against them the President issued the proclamation authorized by the Act, imposing the duties prescribed on sugar, coffee, and hides imported from those countries into the United States. The constitutionality of the legislation was assailed on the ground that it conferred legislative functions on the President, which could not be delegated by Congress. Several cases were appealed to the Supreme Court, and they were decided in favor of the validity of the Act. The results of the reciprocity arrangements proved highly satisfactory during the period they were in force. The Committee of Ways and Means of the Fifty-fourth Congress, after a thorough investigation of the subject, reported that among the agricultural, manufacturing, and exporting interests, there was "a remarkable unanimity of sentiment expressed concerning the value and results of the reciprocity arrangements negotiated with certain countries and colonies under the authority of section 3 of the Tariff Act of 1890, and the disastrous effects of their repeal." The convention of the Republican Party of 1892, which nominated President Harrison for reëlection, inserted in its platform of principles the following declaration: "We point to the success of the Republican policy of reciprocity, under which our export trade has vastly increased and new and enlarged markets have been opened for the products of our farms and workshops." The Democratic Party, while not directly antagonizing reciprocity in the campaign, vigorously attacked the general tariff and revenue policy of the Republican Administration, and the election of Mr. Cleveland for a second time brought about the repeal of the reciprocity provision, and with it all the treaties or agreements with other nations, which had been framed after so much labor and with so much care, came to an end. While the repeal bill was pending in Congress, and also after its passage, a number of the Governments with which agreements had been made filed protests in the Department of State against this action, on the ground that their people had looked upon the agreements in the nature of treaties, had invested large sums in the development of sugar production, and that they would regard the legislation of Congress as an act of bad faith. This claim could not be maintained, as Congress was entirely free to enact the repeal, but it nevertheless created an unfriendly feeling in the interested countries. The most pronounced of these protests came from Germany while the bill was pending, in which the Minister in Washington stated that the German agricultural and manufacturing circles entertained the belief above mentioned, and he said that "the Imperial Government is at present unable to say whether it will be possible for it, in view of the increasing agitation on account of the proposed measure, to restrain the interested parties from demanding retaliatory action." The repeal was followed by the renewal of the commercial warfare on the part of that Government, which has required the ut |