proposal, and his Exellency did not see what further proposals the German Government could make. || I replied that, in that case, it would be very important if his Excellency could inform me whether the Federal Council would make use of the power which they had obtained from the Reichstag to extend most-favoured-nation treatment to British merchandize after the expiration of the Treaty on the 30th July. I explained that many complaints had been received at your Lordship's Office of the uncertainty which prevailed on this point, and which was causing considerable injury to trade. || Baron von Richthofen replied that he was unable to give me an official answer on this subject. Many similar complaints hat been received at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs from German merchants, but the Federal Council had not yet come to any decision on the subject, and it was, therefore, not possible to give an official answer. His personal opinion was that no change would be made with the United Kingdom or those parts of the British Empire in which the system, which had hitherto prevailed, continued, but that a difference would probably be made as regards those parts of the Empire which should affect any change in the system. As far as he knew Canada was the only Colony which intended to alter the system, and it was his opinion that it would be in regard to Canada alone that any change would be made by the German Customs authority. || I thanked Baron von Richthofen for the information he had given me, which, however, would not dispel the uncertainty of which both German and English merchants complained, and as the time was approaching when the Treaty would terminate, it appeared to me that the question might arise as to whether it would not be well to warn the mercantile classes that, although not probable, it was possible that some changes of Tariff might be made, so that they might take precautions in time. How would it be, I said, if the exporters in each country would be advised to leave to the importers in the other the care of settling the customs duties in their own countries and decline the responsibility of dealing with them themselves. || Baron von Richthofen said that he did not think the time had come for any official communication to the merchants. The Federal Council would probably, nay, almost certainly, consider the question at their next sitting, which would take place within a week, and would, no doubt, come to a decision in the sense he had indicated, and which he summed up in the sentence:,,Traitement de fait, à titre de réciprocité." Frank C. Lascelles. Nr. 13016. GROSSBRITANNIEN. Derselbe an Denselben. Teilt ihm mit, daß durch eine Bundesratsver- Berlin, June 14, 1898. (June 14.) (Telegraphic.) || The following Notification, dated the 11th instant, was published last night in the „Reichsanzeiger": The Federal Council have decided, by virtue of the Law of the 11th May last relative to commercial relations with the British Empire, that on and after the 31st July next, and until further notice, all the advantages which are granted by the German Empire to the subjects and products of the most favoured nation shall be granted to the subjects and products of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, as also to those of the British Colonies and possessions, with the exception of Canada.“ Nr. 13017. DEUTSCHES REICH. Der Botschafter in London an den engl. Minister des Ausw. Begründet den Ausschluß Kanadas. German Embassy, London, June 22, 1898. (June 24.) (Translation.) | My Lord, | As your Excellency will see from the annexed copy of No. 27 of the German „Reichs Gesetzblatt", p. 909, the Bundesrath determined, on the 11th instant, in accordance with the Law of the 11th May last relative to commercial relations with the British Empire, to continue to allow most favoured treatment to the nationals and to the products of Great Britain and British Colonies and foreign possessions, with the exception of Canada, from the 31st July until further notice. In explanation of this resolution I venture to add, by direction of my Government, that they would gladly have granted most favoured treatment to Canada also, but in the meantime they are, to their regret, not in a position to do so, as, from information which has reached them, it must be considered as certain that in Canada, after the 30th July next, Germany will not be left in enjoyment of her present position, but will be treated differentially as regards the British mother-country. Should Canada, however, determine to continue, after the term in question, to accord Germany an equal position with Great Britain, the Imperial Government would not hesitate to have the decision of the Bundesrath subsequently extended to that Colony. P. Hatzfeldt. Nr. 13018. GROSSBRITANNIEN. Der Minister des Ausw. an den Botschafter in Berlin. Bemerkungen über den Ausschluß Kanadas. Foreign Office, August 12, 1898. (Extract.) || With reference to Viscount Gough's despatch of the 15th June last, I have received from the Colonial Office a letter from the High Commissioner for Canada, in which he expresses the regret of the Dominion Government at the decision of the German Government to discontinue most-favoured-nation treatment of imports from Canada on the expiry of the Zollverein Treaty of 1865, and requests that representations may be made to the German Government with a view to inducing them to reconsider their decision. | The Secretary of State for the Colonies observes that, if, as stated by Lord Strathcona, it is the case that Germany extends most-favoured-nation treatment to the Colonies of other countries which grant preferential treatment to the products of the Metropolitan country, it is not apparent on what grounds they refuse mostfavoured-nation treatment to the products of the Dominion. || I request that you will ascertain and report the practice of the German Government in this respect, in order that I may be in a position to decide whether any useful object would be attained by making a representation to the German Government on the subject. Nr. 13019. GROSSBRITANNIEN. Denkschrift des General konsuls in Hamburg an den Botschafter in Berlin über die deutschen Zölle auf die Einfuhr aus den Kolonien. 19. August 1898. (26. August.) 1. The official German publication, entitled,,Allgemeiner und Vertrags Zoll-Tarif für das Deutsche Reich mit dem Zolltarifgesetz und Bestimmungen über die Tara": Sonderabdruck aus dem Deutschen Handels-Archiv, herausgegeben vom Reichs Amt des Inneren Januarheft 1896 (Berlin 1896, Mittler und Sohn, Kgl. Hofbuchhandlung) states on p. 5, under the head of II Allgemeiner und Vertrags Zoll-Tarif": „Die Vertrags-mäßigen Begünstigungen finden zur Zeit auf die betreffenden Waaren Anwendung, wenn sie aus Aegypten .. Frankreich einschließlich der Kolonien und auswärtigen Besitzungen sowie des Fürstenthums Monaco ... Madagascar; den Niederlanden einschließlich der Kolonien und auswärtigen Besitzungen . . . . . . kommen, &c." || It is further mentioned in this official publication that the question, whether the most-favoured nation treatment shall be accorded to all goods imported from one of the countries enumerated, or only to products of the soil and industry of such countries, shall depend upon the special conditions laid down either by Treaty or otherwise in the case of each such country or territory. German Colonies and German Protectorates shall be considered as enjoying the most-favoured-nation treatment; but Protectorates of foreign (i. e., nonGerman) countries shall be excluded from the advantages attaching to the most-favoured-nation treatment granted to such countries by Germany. 2. Though the Treaty of Frankfort only states that the most-favourednation treatment shall be accorded to „France" (without mentioning her Colonies and possessions), it is, nevertheless, indisputable that French Colonies and possessions have enjoyed, and still enjoy, most-favourednation treatment by Germany. One of the reasons why French „Colonies and possessions" were not specially mentioned in the Treaty of Frankfort was that the trade between them and Germany was (and is still) quite unimportant. During the past three years the German import trade from the French Colonies and possessions viâ Hamburg (which probably represents all but a very small portion of that trade) was as follows: 3. It will have been seen from the wording of the official publication mentioned under (1) that the most-favoured-nation treatment is accorded by Germany also to the Colonies and possessions of the Netherlands. The trade between Germany and the Dutch Colonies in the East Indies, likewise viâ Hamburg, is of some importance. It was as follows during each of the last three years, viz.: 4. The products (natural and industrial) of Spain and of Spanish Colonies and possessions which, by German Imperial Decree, dated the 25th May, 1894, were subjected to payment of an additional import duty in excess of the "General" Tariff rates, have, since the 25th July, 1896, been admitted into Germany at the "General" Tariff rates of import duty. || 5. The products of Portugal and of her Colonies and possessions likewise pay the rates fixed by the German General Tariff. || 6. With regard to the customs régime between France and her Colonies and possessions (excepting Algeria, which is, in fact, for customs purposes, a part of the Metropolitan country), it may here be stated that the imports from French Colonies and possessions to the Metropolitan country are admitted at special preferential rates, and are in many instances altogether exempt from duty, providing that these importations are the produce of such Colonies or possessions, that they are imported direct into France, and that proof be adduced of the French colonial origin. || As regards other points of the customs régime between the mother-country and the Colonies and possessions of France, the latter are, for customs purposes, divided into two groups, viz.: || First Group.-Colonies and possessions having the same Customs Tariff as the Metropolitan country. These are: Guadeloupe and dependencies, Martinique, Guyana, Réunion, French IndoChina, St. Pierre and Miquelon, New Caledonia, Gaboon, Mayotte, Comoro Islands, Madagascar, Diego Suarez, Ste. Marie de Madagascar, and Nossi-Bé. || (a.) Goods imported from foreign (non-French) countries to the preceding Colonies are subject to the same rates of duty as in France herself; that is to say, such goods are subject to the rates either of the French „Minimum" or „Maximum" Tariff, according as one or the other may be accorded to the country of origin of such goods by the Metropolitan Customs Tariff. || (b.) Goods imported from the French Colonies and possessions into France enjoy a reduction of 50 per cent. for colonial natural products (,,denrées coloniales"), and entire exemption from duty is granted to all other kinds of goods derived from such Colonies and possessions. Second Group. - This group is formed by the French Colonies and possessions which have their own respective Customs Tariffs. These are: French territories on the West Coast of Africa (excepting Gaboon), viz., Senegal, French Guinea Coast and dependencies, Dahomey and dependencies, Otahiti and dependencies, French possessions in India, Obock. || (a.) Goods imported into these Colonies, &c., are subject to import duties charged according to Tariffs which are established quite independently of the customs régime in the Metropolitan country. || (b.) Goods imported into France from this second group of Colonies or possessions are, in Staatsarchiv LXIX, 2 |