New Turiff as Threat to U.
Business Paris, Sept. 14.
The new French tariff, which came into operation a week ago, has surprised and alarmed American busi-newsmen, and the U. S. Government has taken speedy action to remedy the absence of a Commercial Treaty] with France, A proposed draft has already been submitted, Up to the present' American importers in France have generally paid only' the intermediate scale of duties but are now faced with the necessity of paying the maximum, with the result that their business, under the new heavy duties, threatened. In some cases " the duties have keen increased 600 per cent. whereas, under the new trade convention recently arranged tween France and Germany, Germany obtain minimum rates in numerous instances.
Tt is fully expected that a temporary agreement will be reached to enable American trade in France to [continue until a new treaty has been signed.
'A semi-official statement says that the French Government is ready negotiate a commercial treaty between France and America, Meanwhile the Government recognizes that the changes in the tariff are heavy on certain American imports and the Minister for Foreign Affairs is Investigating the matter to see if not possible to mitigate this ffect.—Reuter.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.