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most favoured nation treatment of imports from Canada after the 31st instant. In reply, I am to transmit to you, for your information and for that of your Government, a copy of a letter which Mr. Chamberlain has caused to be addressed to the Foreign Office on the subject.

Anlage.

H. Bertram Cox.

Das Auswärtige Amt an das Kolonialamt.

Colonial Office, Downing Street, July 16, 1898.

Sir, || With reference to your letter of the 9th instant, I am directed by Mr. Secretary Chamberlain to transmit to you, to be laid before the Marquess of Salisbury, copy of a letter from the High Commissioner for Canada, expressing the regret of the Dominion Government at the decision of the German Government to discontinue the most-favoured nation treatment of imports from Canada after the 31st instant, and requesting that representations may be made to the German Government with the object, if possible, of inducing them to reconsider that decision. || If it is the case, as alleged, that Germany allows most-favoured nation treatment to imports from the Colonies of other countries, which grant preferential treatment to the products of the metropolitan country, Mr. Chamberlain does not understand on what grounds the German Government claim to receive national treatment in British Colonies, and he will be glad if Lord Salisbury will, if he sees no objection, communicate the effect of the High Commissioner's letter to the German Ambassador in reply to his note of the 22nd ultimo. || In making this request Mr. Chamberlain would point out that as German exports to Canada are far in excess of Canadian exports to Germany, it can hardly be in the interests of the latter country, enjoying as it does at present mostfavoured nation treatment in Canada, to differentiate against Canadian products and to provoke a tariff war in an attempt to secure national treatment. H. Bertram Cox.

Nr. 13359. GROSSBRITANNIEN. Der Kolonialminister an die Regierung Kanadas. Teilt ihm die Verlängerung des Handelsprovisoriums durch Deutschland mit.

Downing Street, August 4, 1899.

Sir, || With reference to my circular despatch of July 5, 1898, forwarding papers respecting the commercial relations of Gemany with the British Empire after the expiration of the Treaty of 1865, I have the honour to transmit to you, for the information of your Government, a

translation of a further law on the subject passed in Germany on the 1st ultimo, together with a translation of the notification based on that law, which has been published in the Imperial Gazette.

J. Chamberlain.

Nr. 13360. GROSSBRITANNIEN. Der Oberkommissar für Kanada an den Handelsminister von Kanada. Teilt die Korrespondenz mit dem englischen Kolonialamt, dem Ausw. Amt und Deutschland mit über die Verlängerung des Handelsprovisoriums durch Deutschland.

17, Victoria Street, London, S.W., September 18, 1899. Sir, With reference to my letter of July 28 last, and previous correspondence respecting the withdrawal by Germany of most-favoured nation treatment from imports from Canada, I beg to transmit herewith, for your information, a copy of a further communication which has reached me from the Colonial Office, with its enclosures on the subject. || You will observe that these papers include the reply of the German Government to a request made to them for a distinct statement of the grounds on which their attitude towards Canada is based. I also enclose a copy of a further letter I have addressed to the Colonial Office on the subject. I shall be glad to be favoured with the instructions of the Government on the subject. Strathcona.

Anlagen*).

Der Oberkommissar an das Kolonialamt.

Sir, I beg to acknowledge Mr. Lucas's letter No. 22078-99 of the 24th ulto., with its enclosures on the subject of the withdrawal by Germany of most-favoured nation treatment from imports from Canada, and to state that I have communicated copies of these papers to the Canadian Government. || In the meantime, I venture to remark that I do not think that the grounds upon which the German Government bases its present decision will be regarded by the Dominion Government as conclusive, or as justified by the facts of the case. The contention of the Canadian Government is that the commercial relations existing between the Dominion and the Mother Country are of an internal and domestic character, and that they stand apart altogether from any international or

*) Außer den folgenden auch Nr. 13022, 13023.

foreign intercourse, and I have no hesitation in believing that this statement of the case will commend itself to Her Majesty's Government.

Strathcona.

Das Kolonialamt an den Oberkommissar.

Downing Street, August 24, 1899.

My Lord, || With reference to the letter from this department of July 3, and previous correspondence respecting the withdrawal by Germany of most-favoured nation treatment from imports from Canada, I am directed by Mr. Secretary Chamberlain to transmit to your Lordship copies of two notes from the Foreign Office covering despatches from Her Majesty's Embassy at Berlin forwarding correspondence which has passed with the German Government on the subject. C. P. Lucas.

Der englische Botschafter in Berlin an den Minister des

Auswärtigen.

Berlin, August 7, 1898.

My Lord, | In his Despatch No. 136 Commercial of the 28th ultimo, Her Majesty's Chargé d'Affaires transmitted copy of a note, dated the same day, which he has addressed to the Imperial Government in obedience to Your Lordship's instructions, in which he requested to be furnished with a distinct statement of the grounds upon which Germany claims to distinguish the case of Canada from that of the French, Spanish and Portuguese Colonies, as regards most-favoured-nation treatment. I have now the honour to transmit copy and translation of the reply of the German Government to the above-mentioned request. || Baron von Richthofen ascribes the most-favoured-nation treatment still enjoyed by French Colonies, and formerly enjoyed by Spanish and Portuguese Colonies, to the requirements of treaties, and after explaining the position of imports from Dutch and Danish Colonies, points out that Germany, in her own Colonies, knows no difference between German and foreign goods. Frank C. Lascelles.

--

Nr. 13361. GROSSBRITANNIEN. Der Kolonialminister an die Regierung von Kanada. Teilt die Verlängerung des Handelsprovisoriums durch Deutschland mit.

4, Downing Street, August 4, 1900.

My Lord, || With reference to my circular despatch of August 4, 1899, relative to the extension by Germany of most-favoured-nation treatment to the United Kingdom and the Colonies, I have the honour to transmit to you for the information of your government, a translation of a further

law on the subject passed in Germany on June 30, last, together with a telegram from Lord Gough stating that a notice, based on that law, but excluding Canada and Barbados, has been issued by the German Chancellor. J. Chamberlain.

Nr. 13362. GROSSBRITANNIEN.

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Der Oberkommissar für Kanada an den Handelsminister von Kanada. Hat das Kolonialamt um Vertretung der kanadischen Handelsinteressen ersucht. Denkschrift über den Handel Kanadas mit Deutschland.

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17, Victoria Street, London, S.W., May 8, 1901.

My dear Sir Richard Cartwright, I beg to refer to our previous correspondence relating to the withdrawal by Germany of most-favourednation treatment to Canada. || I now beg to transmit a copy of a letter I have written to Mr. Chamberlain on the subject, which explains itself. || In view of the rumours that are current as to the intended action of Germany, and as the matter, I happen to know, is being considered by His Majesty's Government, I think it better to take prompt action, and I trust it will meet with the approval of the government. || I send you a little memorandum I have prepared on the general question, together with the statistics that are referred to therein. Strathcona.

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Der Oberkommissar an das Kolonialamt.

May 7, 1901. Sir, I beg to refer to our previous correspondence respecting the exclusion of Canada from the most-favoured nation treatment in Germany a privilege which is extended to all other parts of the Empire. || According to recent statements in the House of Commons, a new German tariff appears to be in preparation, and if rumour be true, the duties will be increased on many articles. I venture to hope that His Majesty's Government will endeavour, in any new arrangement that may be in contemplation, to procure most-favoured-nation treatment for Canada, and to protect the commercial interests of the Dominion, if there is any intention disclosed of increasing the duties on articles in the export of which Canada is interested. || You are aware that. Canada is excluded from most-favoured-nation treatment nominally because of the preferential tariff, Germany maintaining that while German exports, formerly had the same fiscal treatment in the Dominion as those of the United Kingdom,

they no longer are so treated. It has been pointed out on many occasions that Canada treats all foreign imports alike, and that Germany has, in reality, always the most-favoured-nation treatment. The contention of the Dominion Government is that the United Kingdom, from the Canadian point of view, is not a foreign nation, in the treaty interpretation of the term, and that the preferential tariff is a matter of domestic policy, and not of foreign policy. And besides it is pointed out that German exports to Canada have considerably increased since 1896. Germany, however, declines to accept any explanation, or in any way to modify her attitude towards Canada. || The treatment the Dominion has already received has formed the subject of much discussion in Canada, and the feeling is growing that if Germany continues to place Canada at a disadvantage, compared with other parts of the British Empire and with foreign nations, the whole question of the imports into Canada from Germany which are far greater in value than Canadian exports to Germany, will have to be reconsidered.

Strathcona.

Memorandum.

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The British Empire with the exception of Canada, enjoys mostfavoured-nation treatment in Germany. || Canada was excluded from this privilege because of the preferential tariff, Germany maintaining that while German exports formerly had the same fiscal treatment in the Dominion as those of the United Kingdom, they no longer are given most-favoured-nation treatment there. It has been pointed out on many occasions that Canada treats all foreign imports alike, and that Germany has most-favoured-nation treatment. Canada's contention is that the Mother Country, from the Canadian point of view, is not a nation in the treaty interpretation of the term, and that the preferential tariff is a matter of domestic policy, and not of foreign policy. Germany, however declines to accept this explanation, and has placed Canadian trade in Germany at a serious disadvantage. | The following are the totals of the imports into Canada from Germany since 1896:

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