Statement of United States imports from France of concessional articles, with amounts of revenue to be conceded on the articles-Continued. [Based on the imports of the fiscal year 1898, United States statistics.] Statement of United States exports to France of concessional articles, with amounts of duty collected and revenue to be conceded by France. [Based upon the exports for the fiscal year 1898, United States statistics.] Statement of United States exports to France of concessional articles, with amounts of duty collected and revenue to be conceded by France-Continued. [Based upon the exports for the fiscal year 1898, United States statistics.] Statement of United States exports to France of concessional articles, with amounts of duty collected and revenue to be conceded by France-Continued. [Based upon the exports for the fiscal year 1898, United States statistics.] Concession of French duty now temporarily granted and perpetuated by the treaty. STATEMENTS AND LETTERS FAVORING RATIFICATION. STATEMENT MADE ON WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 10, 1900, BY HON. JOHN A. KASSON, SPECIAL COMMISSIONER PLENIPOTENTIARY OF THE UNITED STATES TO NEGOTIATE CONVENTIONS WITH FOREIGN NATIONS UNDER THE THIRD AND FOURTH SECTIONS OF "AN ACT TO PROVIDE REVENUE FOR THE GOVERNMENT AND TO ENCOURAGE THE INDUSTRIES OF THE UNITED STATES," APPROVED JULY 24, 1897, TO THE COMMITTEE ON FOREIGN RELATIONS OF THE UNITED STATES SENATE. After the passage of the Dingley bill the State Department sent copies of it to our various legations and embassies abroad for communication to the various governments to which they were accredited. No more than this had been done at the time the President charged me with the duty of negotiating these conventions, and these foreign governments seemed to have given no attention to it. The condition of commercial feeling in Europe, as I found very soon after undertaking these duties, was exceedingly hostile to the United States. The Dingley bill had produced an effect all over the continent of Europe of exasperation throughout the commercial world, and among the governments as well, to such an extent that one high officer-the premier of the Austro-Hungarian Government--had openly proposed a union of official action against the United States commerce as their only means of protecting their own commercial interests. In that state of feeling, at first, there seemed no disposition anywhere on the continent of Europe or in the governments of South America to take any steps under the reciprocity clauses of the bill. The first movement was a tentative movement by the British for their colonies, which, however, I will speak of when your committee comes to those colonial treaties. Then the French, who have a different tariff system from the rest of Europe, concluded to open a negotiation, and Mr. Patenôtre came to me with a proposition for the whole 20 per cent reduction provided by the fourth section of the tariff bill in exchange for the whole minimum tariff of France on our goods. I went over the figures with the representative of the Treasury Department and found that I could not entertain that proposition in its length and breadth, and after serious discussion that negotiation was suspended-halted at least, and continued halting until a change in the embassy was made, and Mr. Cambon came here as ambassador. Then it was again taken up on the |