THE TARIFF BOARD 389 



to assist the officers of the government in the administration of the 

 customs laws. 



The scope of this language is much greater than appears on its face. 

 The president in order to be satisfied of the existence of the facts, 

 which are the basis of his proclamation, must have accurate informa- 

 tion of the details which go to make up the presence or absence of 

 discrimination on the part of every foreign country which does business 

 with the United States. If the president is not satisfied, then the 

 provision for this immense additional duty of 25 per cent, on the total 

 value of the imported goods, remains in effect. It does not become 

 operative by the action of the president, but continues in force by his 

 omission or failure to act. It is evident that there will be enormous 

 pressure from foreign governments as well as from our own importers 

 to see that the president takes action if he has not already done so. 

 If he is satisfied as to one or more foreign countries, and so proclaims 

 in accordance with the law, the United States at once is in a position 

 to demand fair and reciprocal treatment from the others. The fact 

 that the products of any foreign country may be imported into the 

 United States without the payment of 25 per cent, of their value, 

 provided the president is satisfied that such foreign country makes no 

 discrimination against the United States, is a strong argument, not to 

 say leverage, to induce that foreign country to remove the discrimina- 

 tion and reap the benefit of trade with the United States. This would 

 also be to the advantage of our own producers and manufacturers who 

 desire a foreign market for their products. 



A differential, or maximum and minimum, tariff, applicable to 

 countries foreign to themselves, is in force in Argentine Eepublic, 

 Austria-Hungary, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, 

 Greece, Italy, Japan, Norway, Eussia, Spain and Switzerland. A gen- 

 eral tariff rate applicable to all foreign countries is in force in Mexico, 

 Netherlands, Sweden, Turkey and the United Kingdom of Great 

 Britain and Ireland. The United States had commercial agreements 

 under section 3 of the tariff law of 1897, with Bulgaria, France, Ger- 

 many, Great Britain, Italy, Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Switzerland 

 and Cuba. In France changes have been and are now under considera- 

 tion, making the maximum rate to range from 25 per cent, to 100 per 

 cent, above the minimum. 



A brief consideration will disclose the necessity of the president's 

 being correctly and accurately informed as to details in order to become 

 satisfied that a foreign country accords to the products of the United 

 States reciprocal and equivalent treatment. And he must not only be 

 satisfied once, but he must continue to be satisfied in order to have the 

 minimum duties remain. The act provides that so long as the presi- 

 dent is satisfied, etc., the articles from such country shall be admitted 



