No. 419.
Mr. Coleman to Mr. Bayard.
Legation of
the United States,
Berlin, August 25, 1887.
(Received September 12.)
No. 496.]
Sir: I have the honor to transmit herewith a copy
of my note of today addressed to the foreign office in execution of your
instruction of July 9, 1887, directing that the German Government be invited
to cooperate with that of the United States to the end of reducing or
abolishing, by reciprocal action, tonnage and equivalent dues on
navigation.
In further execution of your instruction I addressed, under date of the 17th
instant, a communication to Mr. von Versen, our vice and acting
consul-general here, requesting him to cause the legation to be furnished
with reports from the consular officers of the United States residing at the
German sea-ports, showing what discrimination, if any, with respect to
tonnage or equivalent dues, existed at their respective ports against our
vessels as compared with those of Germany or of any third country. In
response to my request Mr. von Versen has written as follows:
In reply permit me to state that on the question under consideration
repeatedly reports have been rendered to the Department of State, as
you will see from the inclosed copy of a report from this office to
the Department of State (dated July 5, 1887), and that all reports
having passed through this office from our consuls at German
sea-ports, dwelling on the same subject, have answered the same
question in the negative.
I await, therefore, your directions whether or not under such
circumstances you still desire me to address the consuls with
reference thereto.
In answer to his communication I informed Mr. von Versen that it would not be
necessary to address the consuls on the subject again at present.
Hoping my execution of your instructions will meet with your approval,
I have, etc.,
[Inclosure in No. 496.]
Mr. Coleman to
Count Berchem, August 25,
1837.
Legation of the United States of America,
Berlin, August 25, 1887.
F. O., No. 310.]
The undersigned, chargé d’affaires ad interim of
the United States of America, has the honor, acting under instructions
from his Government, to invite the attention of Count Berchem, acting
imperial secretary of state for foreign affairs, to an act of Congress,
approved June 19, 1886, entitled “An act to abolish certain fees for
official services to American vessels, and to amend the laws relating to
shipping commissioners, seamen, and owners of vessels, and for other
purposes,” of which act, as also
[Page 571]
of the prior act of June 26, 1884, therein referred to, copies are
herewith inclosed, and to extend to the Imperial Government the
invitation authorized by section 12 of the act of June 19, 1886, to
co-operate with the Government of the United States toward the
contemplated ends.
The following provisions are found in the act of June 19, 1886:
[Here were quoted sections 11, 14, 12, and 17, as found in the circular
instruction of the Department of State of July 9, 1887.]
It will be seen that the provisions of the sections above quoted are
broad enough to cover either a reduction or a complete abolition, by
reciprocal action, of tonnage and equivalent charges on navigation; and
it is open to any foreign country in all or any of whose ports a less
charge is made than that now imposed in the ports of the United States
to obtain forthwith a reduction of the charge in the United States on
vessels coming from such port or ports to an equality with that levied
in the port or ports designated. An example of this is furnished by the
arrangement lately entered into between the Government of the United
States and that of the Netherlands, as shown by the inclosed copy of the
President’s proclamation of April 22, 1887, whereby complete exemption
from tonnage dues is secured to all vessels, of whatever nationality,
entering ports of the United States from the ports of the Netherlands,
in Europe, or from certain named ports of the Dutch East Indies.
It is to be observed that the invitation herein contained is extended
equally to all countries, both those having ports within the
geographical zone to which, under the shipping acts of 1884 and 1886,
the rate of 3 to 15 cents per ton applies, and to those which have no
ports within that zone, and to which the rate of 6 to 30 cents per ton
now applies. The rate of 3 to 15 cents per ton was geographical, and
involved no test of flag. The object and intent of the present
invitation is to deal, on the basis of reciprocity, with countries as
nationalities, whether situated within or without the geographical
limits referred to.
In communicating the invitation herein contained, the undersigned is
instructed to convey to the acting imperial secretary of state for
foreign affairs the fullest assurance of its entire friendliness, and of
the desire of the United States to treat the commerce and flag of
Germany on the footing of the most complete reciprocity in those matters
to which the invitation relates.
The undersigned avails himself, etc.,
