Americans sympathized with the German struggle for liberty and with the achievement of German unity. Many, through dislike of Napoleon III, were strongly pro-German in the Franco-Prussian War, even though the new republic of France was seriously crippled by the heartless indemnity exacted by Germany and by the unnatural transfer of Alsace-Lorraine. In 1872 the German emperor arbitrated the San Juan boundary question, deciding in favor of the United States. A year earlier, the German Minister at Washington confidentially sounded Secretary Fish on how the United States would regard a proposed joint concerted movement of European powers to urge on Venezuela a more orderly government and better observance of her engagements. Secretary Fish replied that the answer would depend on Germany's complaint, the precise object and means pro posed and the limit of operations, but that he hoped joint intervention could be avoided. In 1875 the American government included Ger many in the list of powers whom it invited to join in mediation between Spain and Cuba.
In the last quarter of the 19th century the chief subjects of correspondence in American diplomatic relations with the German Empire were: relations of Church and State (1871-76) ; German emigration to the United States (in cluding emigration of convicts) ; expulsion of American emigration agents (1873 to 1897) liability of naturalized American citizens (of German birth) for military service in Germany in case of return to Germany (and arrests or fines incident thereto) ; American students in Germany; attitude of Germany on the Eastern question (in 1878); German alliance with Aus tria-Hungary (in 1879) ; German agitation for colonial expansion (especially in Africa) after 1883; German policy in Samoa after 1884: Ger man annexation of islands in the Pacific (in 1886-87) ; difficulties of Germany with Spain over the possession • of the Carolines (in 1886) ; bimetallism (in 1895) ; trichinosis (in 1887-88); German restriction and prohibition on American pork (in 1882-97), and on American cattle (1890-96) ; and the tariff (especially in 1897).
Relations after 1880 were affected by Ger man commercial restrictions. In the latter part of the decade before 1880 new industrial con ditions tended to change early German-Amer ican commercial relationship. These resulted in the German agrarian protection policy inagura ted in 1879, made more stringent in 1881 and in tensified by acts of 1885 and 1887, culminating in 1890 with the resignation of Bismarck. Much friction resulted from a series of German im perial executive measures restricting American imports, beginning with the regulation of the import of American cattle in 1879 and the re striction on the import of American swine or pork products in 1881. The most important of these decrees was the prohibition in 1883 of the import of American pork, which after long and energetic action of American diplomats was finally removed by the (Saratoga Convention' of 1891—Germany agreeing to accept American pork inspected under law of March 1891, and the United States guaranteeing to Germany free sugar as provided by the McKinley tariff bill.
In 1894 a new decree prohibited the import of live cattle from the United States.
Under a reciprocity treaty negotiated in 1891, Germany agreed to admit at lower duties all American food products and many American manufactures, and for this concession the United States agreed to admit German beet sugar into American ports free of duty. The later American tariffs of 1894 and 1897 precipi tated new questions of diplomatic discussion. Under the Dingley tariff, the President, with power to apply by proclamation varying fixed maximum and minimum rates, was able to pre vent retaliatory and discriminating tariffs. and in 1900 secured from Germany favorable treat ment for American merchants. Although, under Caprivi, the German government in 1891 adopted a more liberal commercial policy, in 1901 it increased duties on many agricultural products and manufactures,• and after 1903 in augurated a new tariff law standing for higher protection all along the line. Efforts were made to utilize German-African colonies as an aid to freeing German cotton industries from the uncertainties of the American cotton market.
Incident to the discussion regarding trade and tariff were several other conditions giving rise to misunderstandings and confusion in German-American relations. Germany regarded the Prussian treaty of 1828 as applicable to the whole empire, although the Bancroft treaties did not apply to Alsace-Lorraine. She also dis agreed with the United States in the interpreta tion of the most-favored nation clause and was not entirely satisfied with the extradition trea ties whose scope she wished to extend to in dude additional extraditable crimes.
The decision of Germany, between 1880 and 1890, to become an imperial colonizing power had a large influence on Americo-German rela tions. Although the German government, con trary to the earlier policy of Bismarck, was led by 1884 to establish colonies in South Africa and East Africa, the American government. in fluenced by traditional policy, held aloof. Even in accepting an invitation to the Berlin con ference regarding the Kongo in October 1884, it did so only with the expressed understanding that it is not American policy to intervene in the affairs of foreign nations to decide terri torial questions between them. Although recog nizing the International Association of the Kongo, it did not submit the Berlin treaty to the Senate for ratification.