The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-12-12
CUBAN TOBACCO RELEASED
THB EMBARGO RAISED ON THAT
OWNED By AMERICANS.

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Captnin-G enerai woyier's order Prohibiting
the Expectation OF Tobacco from the Isiand
Is SIN in Force. but Its Application TO
Citizens OF the United states Will Cease.
WARRINGTON, Dec. 11.-Consul.General Lee
telegraphod the State Department to-day from
Havana that, under orders from Madrid, the
Captain-Goneral of Cuba had removed tho en-
barge against tho expectation from the island
Of ,845 bales of leaf tobacco owned by Gustave
Salmon & Bro. of New York. Only one
other American firm, Bauridel &c Co. OF
New Orleans. has not had the restriction re-
moved from Its tobacco, but as the evil
donce in this case is similar to that which
secured favorable consideration OF the Salmon
claims, its release will probably be a matter Of q
short time. Tho tobacco of the Salmon and
Bauridcl firms was seized on tho ground that 1t
had been purchased after Weyler's decree of
May 10, 1896, forbidding the expectation of leaf
tobacco, had been issued. This decree applied
to the provinces of Pinar del Rio and Havana.
Both firms contended that they had made the
purchase in those provinces prior to the order.
but 1t was only recently that they could produce
corroborativo evidence.
WeyIer's prohibition is still in force, but its
application to United States citizens will cease
with the release of the Bauridel tobacco. Tho
purpose OF the order was to injure pecuniarily
the Cuban cigar makers in the United States,
who were contributing 81 a week each to the
cause for which their country men are lighting.
protested against the detention in Cuba of
tobacco owned by American citizens. 1t was
contended by tine department that this .deten.
tion was in violation of the treaty of 1898
between the United States and Spain, which
guaranteed certain commercial rights to either
country in the event OF war involving the other.
Spain answered the protest with n promise to
consider evidence that the persons whose to-
and had not purchased the tobacco after tho de-
cree OF embargo had gone into effect. This evil
and the tobacco was released. The amount
involved In nearly all of these, cases was small.
Spain has shown no disposition to revoke the
embargo SO that Spanish subjects can send their
tobacco out of the island; put the State Depart.
simultaneously with, the imposition Of a heavy
export duty on all tobacco, which will be quite
as effective In preventing 1t from being sent to
the United States.
PETITION FOR THE REPEAL OF H DECREE
Pearl street, returned yesterday. from Havana,
where he had gone with a petition TO- Captain.
decree forbiddinS the exportation Of the best best
tobacco from the island of Cuba. The firm of
Calixto Lopez s. Co. does a large importation
business. and 10 represented in Havana. Tho
decree OF Weyler forbidding tho expectation Of
to6aGcof ON the provinces Of Havana and Pinar
to the tobacco importers. and, after a long con-
ff1 nhst 'rb a petition uds o Vas prepared cred by Mr.:
e nGIiS1, Bla as5s a M%S he heNs eons 80 da0a at onee
with the Console de Administration" or Adj
E E1SSTy Hi IS almost Th inaari RHaiy' co alsn N in i' ans
matter of commercial importance. The matter
was put before this board on Dec. 1. and, after
some consultation, IL was voted to
the revolving Of Weyler's edict The matter
was then submitted to the home Government,
the edict had been revoked. and he was very
Withdrawn. since he had been y praeticSil y1 as.
sured that the revocation edict would BIO made
member Of one of the largest tobacco i'm.
porting firms in this city said last night to a
I'VE confidently expected that the edict
would BE- revoked very soon; and Mr.. Lopez was
that it had not been revoked. At tirst. you viii
remember, not n single spanish importing firm
Ihsa ti Sny th p5G2 eeiins sE ssaihst 'f It las Saies Fr o%n ' eone
siderably. Not for any political reason Mt
all, but for, purely commercial reasons,
that the ediet be revoked. The edict has
hurt the tobacco importers a great deal. and
what was intended. namely, preventing the
cigarmakors in this country from earning any
we could find out. the ciGarmakers at Tampa
and in all Florida were not much hampercd by
Rio. they got it from other places, and wages
THE importers of tobacco in this country arc
naturally anxious to have Weyler's edict re-
voked, and SO are the exporters in Cuba. The
edict came from tho cigarmakers in Cuba, who
have counter-petitione that the edict be not
raised. That Captain. General Blanco has not al.
ready seen at to raise the edict has surprised
us, especially after the private advices
which we had from Cuba IN regard TO the
petition submitted by. Mr.. Lopez: We are
made within a very short time, since we have
heard that the opposition has been largely
silenccd by the fact that real Spanish exporters
were supporting. the petition of Mr.. Lopez.
That petition, although it was submitted by the
head of one firm alone, had the sanction, l think,
OF nearly all the Spanish tobacco importing
firms in this country, so completely has our
feeling in regard to the edict been changed"