[Untitled]
The United States of America.
It is satisfactory to bear witness to the cordial friendship with which our relations with the American Government continue to be carried on. We maintain in Washington a permanent legation * * * and the American Government maintains in this capita: its legation. * * * The Government of the United States, through its legation, submitted to the foreign office under my charge an interrogatory regarding the provisions of our legislation with respect to judicial personality, access to the tribunals, the responsibility of public officials, and other topics relating to the method of obtaining by legal procedure indemnity for individuals who have been injured in their rights by acts of the authorities. Considering the matter of great importance, I replied at length to the points in the interrogatory, maintaining always the principle that every claimant, native or foreigner, should make his claim before our courts, since every department of the Government has a prescribed procedure adequate for adjusting such claims.
Under instruction from the Department of State his excellency the American minister, Mr. Heimke, addressed our chancellery with regard to the provisions contained in our laws relating to the illegal use of the emblem of the Red Cross, and the repression of the abuses that might be committed in regard to it, as well as for its protection in the future. Reply was made that as yet no laws have been passed for the protection of that emblem, there being observed only the provisions of the Geneva Convention, to which El Salvador adheres. Under date of July 14, 1910, a note was addressed to the American Legation, inclosing the trade-mark law passed by last year’s assembly, and promulgated on June 11 of the same year, which contains various provisions tending to guarantee the distinctive marks and emblems of the Red Cross against use as marks of manufactures or commercial products.
[Page 701]Our minister at Washington reported in a note of March 12, 1910, that the Director of the International Bureau of American Republics had advised him that the governing board had decided to increase the quotas for the bureau for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 1910, on account of the increased expenses caused by removal of the bureau to the new building erected expressly for the purpose, the quota of El Salvador being $838.79, based upon the total population of the Republic. The Government accepted the decision of the governing board, it being in accord with the provisions of the conventions establishing that international center and of which El Salvador is a signatory party.
On the 26th of April, 1910, the new and sumptuous building of the International Bureau of American Republics was formally dedicated, in the presence of the officials of the Washington Government and the Diplomatic Corps accredited to that capital.
On August 5, the Congress of the United States passed a new tariff law in which authority is given to the President to apply the minimum tariff to foreign products imported from a country in which no undue discrimination is made against North American products and merchandise. By virtue of this law coffee and the other products of our soil which would have been imported into the United States after March 31, 1910, would have been subject to an additional duty of 25 per cent ad valorem, to the great detriment of our agricultural interests. The Government instructed our minister at Washington to demonstrate to the Department of State the great advantages enjoyed by North American commerce in the free importation of those articles which according to our tariff law do not pay any import duty, such as machinery. Statistics were prepared showing the great quantities of such articles imported into El Salvador from North American markets, free of duty. The result was the proclamation by President Taft on February 28, 1910, directing that, in compensation for our liberal concessions, the products of El Salvador enjoy the benefit of the minimum, tariff on being imported into the United States.
Our legation has taken steps which obtained from the Post Office Department at Washington orders for the better packing of parcel post packages.
In a note dated June 7, 1910, the American minister informed our chancellery that because of reductions in import duties conceded to France and Germany in favor of certain articles imported from those countries, similar articles produced by North American soil and industry were suffering an unfavorable discrimination in their importation into our country by the application to them of the ordinary tariff, and he respectfully requested that our chancellery give the matter its careful attention. In a note of June 7, 1910, the ministry replied that a great part of the duties received is pledged for the payment of debts due from our Government to various foreign creditors, the amortization of which has not yet been completed. For this reason the Government is unable to concede to any other country a benefit which would be to the detriment of the said creditors, since not only could we ill afford to diminish the revenues but also because a reduction would be prejudicial to rights legitimately acquired; for it is a universal principle of jurisprudence that the debtor can not reduce the value of the pledge given to the creditor as a guaranty of [Page 702] his debt. The Government was therefore unable to concede to other States the treatment accorded to France and Germany when the circumstances referred to stood in the way.