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 [Page 1928] 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, [Page 1929] 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.,