Show TARiFF WAR WITH GERMANY NOW SEEMS VERY PROBABLE Secretary Knox and the German Amb Ambassador Unable to Reach an Agreement J Washington Jan Fan half a billion dollars worth of ti trade de is the stake in the game of diplomacy now in progress between America and Germany and the issue will be known within a month I On February 7 i In ac with the theotIce otIce given to Germany last April by the I I Itale tale state department the reciprocity arrange meat ment made during the Dingley act with Germany will expire and simultaneously the general tariff rates of that country wUl apply to alt all Imports from America In the short period of time Inter Intervening Intervening Secretary Knox and the German ambassador reach a mutually satisfactory understanding At this moment the Indications are that this understanding Is beyond attainment and that It will be 00 only under the stress of a bitter and costly struggle that the two nations can compose their differences and restore their trade to normal condl condi A America will not be the only I from this rupture for on April 7 1 next the full rigors ot of the maximum tariff rates carried by the tariff act will be automatically applied to the vast German Import trade which In 1905 iO ag gregat l I more than and every article or of German production coming comin to Am America rica must pay lay 5 P pet r cent increase in the duty Negotiations have been in progress for months between the two governments to avoid this Issue but an obstacle has been t r In the demand ot of the state de department for tor the relaxation ot of the Ger German German man prohibition ag against American cattle The German government takes the pp that these founded on veterinary and sanitary grounds em emI embodied bodied In laws Jaws of gen general eral application lon can cannot an annot I not ha be regarded properly as tory against the United States and that It would beas be as reasonable to exp expect ct Amer lea ica to repeal or suspend the pure food law lawas lawas as to require the German government to disregard the provisions of the animal Importation act Just what hat this fight will nm mean Is xe re revealed by the statistics of Ican trade for 1905 Germany sent to America In that rear ar g goods o ts valued at atmore atmore more than two thirds or of which Continued on Page Eight TARiff WAR WITH GERMANY NOW NOVI SEEMS VERY PROBABlE Continued from Page One were dutiable and on these there would apply an Increased tariff rate of 25 per percent percent cent centOn centOn On the other hand America shipped to Germany our second best customer among nations no less than worth of products Many of these will have to pay Increased rates after February February ary 7 But In 1908 1903 worth ot of American wheat entered Germany and this must pay a penalty of 2 marks for each hundred kilograms this year which would probably result In the transfer of all of this trade to Argentina Canada and Russia Corn was shi shipped ped to Germany to the of In IDOS 1903 and the Increased duty that would be exacted on this staple will be three marks per hundred kilo kilograms kilograms grams practically a prohibitive rate Ninety million dollars worth of cotton formed part of the exports to Germany German In Inthe inthe the same year and while this Is at pres present present ent on the German free list It might be sUbjected to a heavy heay duty If the German government should have recourse to Its fighting tariff Half a million dollars worth of Amer AmerIcan American Ican apples and four times that amount of dried fruits will have to pay an excess of between beten 4 and 10 marks duty falling failing an amicable arrangement between the two governments worth of sawed lumber will pay double duty and a great number of other American products will suffer sutter In like proportion On the whole the effect upon American export trade will be far greater grenter than In Inthe inthe the case of the abrogation of the French reciprocity agreement Only a small number of American products were con concerned concerned In that while the German tariff I covers the whole range of Imports |