No. 51.
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
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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 consulgeneral here, requesting him to cause the
legation to be furnished with reports from the consular officers
of the United States residing at the German seaports, 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 seaports, 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 1 in No.
496.]
Mr. Coleman to Count Berchem, August 25, 1887.
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 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, 1–86, to
cooperate 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 provision 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 certainnamed 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 3–15 cents per ton
applies, and to those which have no ports within that zone,
and to which the rate of 6–30 cents per ton now applies. The
rate of 3–15 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,
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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.,
