New-York tribune., 1891-04-24
THE NEW SPANISH TREATY..
WHY SOME PEOPLE OBJECT TO ITS PRO
VISIONS.
TRYING TO BURDEN THE NEGOTIATIONS WITH
OLD cLAIMs-TRADE OF THE UNITED
STATES WITH THE WEST INDIES.
my TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIDUsEI


my TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIDUSEI
u,osb,rrton Aprll % (SpeclaD.-A Washington ols-
,o.oh n,blisbed I'm The World' OF TO-DAY oeriui"e
tbe treaty recently negotiated at Madrid, winch pio
vides for the removal Of some OF the resuicuon non"
nering the commercial relations between tne CNiY0
States and Cuba bears the ear-marks OF "asnhs'oi
attorney who has been engaged for some years III
ecutlng claims against Spain. The dispa'ch oO ,
largely of extracts from letter written py Onaii
Kurzman "A merchant of New-York, to " irlehu "
Washington Mr.. Kurzman apparently Is ih'ere''eo
in a claim against the Spanish Government "ihch n',
be a Just and valid claim, and he IS e1'remeV 80
because Secretary Blaine has not seen NJ 10 Duuo ~
pending negotiations with demand foF tne se'uo'"V
of that and other claims against Spain anu aiSo io %
appointment OF mixed commission "u'u,' A..
other claims between the subjects OF SPAN aIo .no
citizens Of the United states" The author OF INC
dispatch says: -,
Mr. Kurzman has evidently had some trying eX, eSo
periences with the spanish Government ere nov" v, snc
seems to know something about the dlnlculty OF SUI
cessfully prosecuting American clalns agiuusH opu, @
subjects He is evidently OF opinion thaI q,Gni pCIUG i
concession Of any kind, conditonal or t TDite1
commercial or political should be made by the Dheu
states Government to the Government OF oPI, I,,ady
paniards ought TO pay the deDts tIey ae9 M already
contracted and which the Government mas airo""'
acknowledged L.
In his letter Mr. Kurzman asserts that under the
treaty VIC shall admit S5o,Oo0,0oO worth OF spanish
sugars free and in turn exports to spain Cuoa'
asks lie answers the question by declaring that tle
officials in Cuba are corrupt" that only small part OF
the duties imposed Is collected that the amount OF
smuggling in Cuba &" is somewhat astounding, ana no
bids the reader to imagine -four being shipped TO CuOa
as bran, cement, sand etc"
II is rather difficult to imagine' tnat, In vie" Vi
the fact that no bran was shipped to Cuba from the
United States last year; that the exports OF lime ana
cement amounted to only 1900 barrels, valued az
s12o73 and that the exports OF wheat flour, even
under the present onerous revenue tariff amounted
TO o55s2O barrels, valued at $1164,538-an average
Of about 81 So per barrel at the United eus por0
shipment Mr.. Kurzman continues:
We are to-day sending as much -four 70 III GqDs lDs
gain is that we shall have an open market Tor ~ IN
stead Of the Cubans being uhuer VAe heoeS9i'S "a
resorting to smuggling
Porbaps Mr. Knrzmans views are inspired by
preiudce indeed his letter shows that He says tha'
he made special study Of cur trade with spain ana
Cuba and found that the balance was heavily agaihsS
u.s. Notwithstanding the Mckinley bill TOOK the Uariii
off S5OOOOOOO worth Of Cuban and other spanish
sucarso The importatlons of sugar from Spain and
her dependencies last year amounted TO less thah
$40 100000 and Of this nearly 100000 came from
the Phillipne Islands. But Mr.. Kurzman had plan,
and he communicated it to Secretary Blaine, who for
some reason failed to perceive its beauties and adopt
it. Here it is, in Mr.. Kurzman's own words:
communicated the result of my investigation on
ths subject to the state Department at Washington IN
The Iotcr mart of March, calling Mr. Baine's speclal
attention to the state OF affairs, showing mn tat
Cuba in our power, and that, IL the adhinIsttatiUn @
desired it, they could ruin Cuba or cause an insul.
rectOn there or else could force spain to make alos
anv concession chose to demand fOr the raw anu
manufactured goods Of the United states, and also tat
we could force spain to to the payment OF Just
claims against her and force her TO acqulesce IN te
appointment of mixed commission lor INC d"JuuI'"0
ton of other claims
Almost anybody ought to be able to see that the
United states would fare much better If Mr. Kurzman,
instead OF Mr. Blane at the head Of the Depart
ment of state 1t will not be amiss to give, IN ths
relation some facts about the trade between the Unleo
states and Cuba and Porto Rico. The imports from
those Islands i'm 1850 amounted n value to @5I oo03l'
of which e2,035 100 was admitted free OF duty anu anu
nortS an amount worth S3s,171,215 consisted of
sugar which is now free Of duty, and S1Oooo,,
OCO Of tobacco cigars and cigarettes, etc. upon Whch
duties have been increased IL appears tnat VI ~ t
sugar ard tobacco OF the total amount & VI tnp,ns
S5 O62 300 or more than go per cent, was prou.hS
in American vessels. In the same year tIe "tSd tr
valne of exports OF domestic merchandise from tne
United States TO Cuba and Porto hc0 VIZ Ws Dn,o
2O0-3l2 800 500 to Cuba and S2,247,IOO 10 Porio
Rico. OF the total amount SlO934,6'3. OF ntry lily
"a per cent was carried in American Veesels. lno
value OF some Of the chief items OF export 10 SuDa
was as follows: Provisions, $1,000 l3o OF M WhcI u.
- 233 S21 consisted of lard and about ToooOOV OI
and steel $2550121, Of which Sll34,o9O e0S5td n Ie
OF machinery not classified; breadstufs, S122OoII
wood and manufactures thereof, Sl2o8 40 coai;;
500 900; oils. S505.116 of which the crude mlnefa!
oil was worth S446,G19; vegetables, $322,355 OF
which peas amounted in value TO $2OO9o9, ana po-
atoes to 510S. SOB carriages streetcars ana railway
cars, S262 500; leather and leather manuIaGtes % 3;
S194 $50 Including boots and shoes to the value OF
4114.G76: paper and manufactures OF paper S2O6OOO
nfactlres of cotton, S143,318; agricultural lmpIe-
mcnts, S126,402; books, maps, ETC., Sllo'9lo