The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-05-18
COST OF CUBA'S CONFLICT.
SHRINKAGE OF BUSINESS WITH
THIS COUNTRY ENORMOUS.

Imports OF the On1teG states From
the Island $75,OOO,OOO per Annum
Before the War and the Exports
100000, ,OOO-NOw the Imports Foot
Up Only S3O,OOO,OO and the Ex-
ports Only $7,OOO,OOO - Business
Firms and individuals Send Mes
sage to the Secretary of state.
New York, May 17-Firms and individ-
uals in this country who are interested in
trade with Cuba, and WHO desire peace in
the island as soon as possible sent to-
day to the Secretary of State a memorial
setting forth how their business interests
are suffering and giving facts about the
struggle in Cuba in the hope that meas
ures may be devised to terminate the war
in the island. The memorial is as follows:
THE subscribers to this memorial, citi-
zens of the United States, doing business
as bankers, merchants, manufacturers,
steamship owners and agents in the cities
of Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Bal
timore, Savannah, Charleston, Jackson
Vile, New Orleans and other places, and
also other citizens of the United States,
who have been for many years engaged in
the export and import trade with the Is
land of Cuba, finding that their several
interests are suffering severely from the
long continuance of the struggle now going
on in the island of Cuba, desire to pre-
sent for your careful consideration the
following facts in the hope that you may
find in them a sufficient justification of
this memorial and may be able to devise
measures whereby the termination of the
struggle between the armed forces in the
island of Cuba may be hastened and the
| sufferings and losses of your subscribers
may be relieved and commerce re-estab-
| lished between the United States and the
island of Cuba.
"The magnitude of the American COM
merce with the island of Cuba is readily
| shown by citing the volume of our trade
with that island for the years 1898, 1894
and 1895, in each of which years the value
of our imports from Cuba exceeded $75,-
! 100000. Our exports to Cuba ranged la
value from $4,000 600 to $9O,0OO,OOO a year
during these years, and has been even
greater in previous years, during the ex-
istence of the reciprocity treaty Of the
United States with Spain.
"The struggle in the island of Cuba has
continued for more than two years, to the
| serious arrangement of our commerce
with the island, our imports from Cuba
| shrinking in value to some $30,000000 in
! 1895, and our exports to Cuba in 1896
amounting to only 100000, as far as as
| certainable.
MANY of your subscribers, moreover,
have large interests in Cuba, either as
| property holders or holders of mortgages,
| or in the shape of business credit advances
! and your subscribers see these interests
already seriously injured, now threaten
| ed with annihilation by the continuance of
state of affairs under which we can
neither operate any business in the island
of Cuba with safety, nor take the precau-
tions possible in ordinary times to protect
our interests.
"The third rainy season since the COM
| mencement of the insurrection is now at
| hand in Cuba and as military operations
| of any magnitude are made virtually i'm
| possible for the next five months by rea-
| son of the tropical climate and rains, the
relative position of the two contending
parties cannot be greatly altered during
the summer months.
| 1T appears to your subscribers that for
| the reasons above cited they may venture
| to lay these facts before you appropriate
| " at this time and they sincerely hope
| magnitude and Importance of the Ameri-
can commercial interests that are involv-
| ed, to give careful consideration to the
| serious blow inflicted upon our commerce
| and trade by the present disturbance in
! Cuba, and 10 determine upon the eXpe-
| diency of taking measures which may ia
| ciltate an honorable reconciliation be-
tween the contenjing parties The res
| toration of peace in Cuba now, or within
| the present rainy season, would probably
not only rescue from destruction the large
| interests of the Americans there at stake
| and serve to re-establish an inn
portant branch of our nations
commerce, but would prevent fur
ther loss of life, destruction of property,
widespread distress, hunger and suffer-
ing that are inevitable increasing accom-
paniments of an armed conflict such as
| has now existed for over two years in
| Cuba. Your subscribers especially solicit
| your speedy consideration of this matter,
| desiring relief for their own large inter-
ests involved and desiring also to aid in
| securing the inestimable blessings of peace
for one and half-million of residents Of
| the island of Cuba now enduring unspeak-
| able distress and suffering.
"'rhe great cause Of true humanity will
| be furthered jointly with that OF Ameri-
can commerce, by such measures as your
subscribers trust you may deem expedlent
! at this juncture."
The Pensacola, Fla. slgners to the petit
tion are: Southern States Land and Tim
Der Company. John A. Merritt a. Co.. r.
| A. Prince, A. o. Howes & Co., G.. y. Kaf-
| ter, w. l.. Witch g. Co., Scarritt Moreno
Knowles Brothers, Rosaes Brothers, j.
Hilton Green, president OF the Citizens
National Bank; Jacob Kruger. j. w. Fra
ter, Downing e. Wilson. Doemus Burns.
| A. NJ. Moses & Co, Henry Mclaughlin
Pensacola Land e. Lumber Company i.
| Lebaron, J. l.. Linsard. Edwin Fox w. f.
Bingham. t. B. Haberman, a. J. Hubbard.
The Brunswick, Ca, slgners are: The
| Downing Company, National Bank OF
| Brunswick, Brunswick and Florida Steam
boat Company, h. n. Mason, Charles s.
Hlrsch g. Co, Coney & Parker, South At
lantic Towing Company. Rosendo Torras,
Brunswick Foundry, Machine and Manu-