Evening Republican, Volume 15, Number 82, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 6 April 1911 — PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE IS ONLY ABOUT RECIPROCITY. [ARTICLE]

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE IS ONLY ABOUT RECIPROCITY.

Sole Topic of Document to Special Congress is Canadian Treaty Which He Urges Approved. President Taft confined his discussion to Canadian reciprocity in his message delivered Wednesday to the special session of congress. The message is short. It reads of follows: To the senate and house of representatives: I transmitted to the sixtyfirst congress on January 6th, last, the text of the reciprocity trade agreement which had been negotiated under my direction by the secretary of state with the representatives of the Dominion of Canada. This agreement was the consummation of earnest efforts extending over a period of nearly a year, on the part of both governments to effect a trade arrangement which, supplementing as it did the amicable settlement of various questions of a diplomatic and political character that had been reached, would * mutually promote commerce and would strengthen the friedly relations now existing. The agreement in its intent and in its terms was purely economic and commercial. While the general subject was under, discussion by the commissioners, I felt assured that the sentiment of the people of the United States was such that they , would welcome a measure which would result in the increase of trade on both sides of the boundary line, would open up the tgserve productive resources of Canada to the great mass of our own consumers on advantageous conditions and at the same time offer a broader outlet for the excess products of our farms and many of our industries. Details regarding a negotiation of this kind necessarily could not be made public while the conferences were pending. However, the full text of' the agreement with the accompanying correspondence and data explaining both its purpose and its scope became known to the people through the message transmitted to congress. It was-immediately apparent that the ripened fruits of the careful labors of the commissioners met with widespread approval. This approval has been strengthened by further consideration of the terms of the agreement in all their particulars. The volume of support which has developed shown that its broadly national scope la fol-

ly appreciated and is responsive to the popular will. The house of representatives of the Sixty-first congress, after the full texi of the arrangement with all the details in regard /to the different provisions had been before it, as they were before the American people, passed "the bill containing the agreement as negotiated and as transmitted to congress. This measure failed of action in the senate. In my transmitting message of the 26th of January, 1 fully set forth the character of the agreement and emphasized its appropriateness and necessity as a response to the mutual needs of the people of the two countries, as well as its common advantages. I now lay that message and the reciprocal trade agreement, as integrally a part of the present message, before the Sixty-second congress and again invite earnest attention to the considerations therein expressed.

I am constrained in deference to popular sentiment and with a realizing sense of my duty to the great inasses of our people whose welfare is involved, to urge upon your consideration early action on this agree ment In concluding the negotiations the representatives of the two countries bound themselves to use their utmost efforts to bring about tbe tariff changes provided for in the agreement by concurrent legislation at Washington and Ottawa. I have felt it my duty, therefore, not to acquiesce in relegation of action until the opening oir the congress in December, but to use my constitutional prerogative and convoke the Sixty-second congress in extra session in order that there shall be no break of continuity in considering and acting upon this most im portant subject. WILLIAM H. TAFT. The White House, April 5, 1911.