The record-union., 1897-06-22
Would Bring an Immense Profit to the
Managers.
The Government to be Asked TO
Guarantee Bonds to the Amount or
One Hundred Million Dollars at
Three Per Cent. and Supervise and
Administer the Customs of the
Ports.
Ports.

NEW YORK, June 21.-A dispatch to
the Herald" from Washington says: A
story is current that the sugar trust
has evolved or accepted an ambitious
suggestion that Cuba. is substantially
for sale. and might as well become a
sugar plantation for a gigantic corpor-
alton, supported by the sympathy and
the interest of our country. In other
words. that we might have West In
dia Company, as England had, and
Hudson Bay Company, each of which
aided vastly in the extension of the
British Empire It is said that the
Spanish Minister to the United States
cabIed to Madrid recently reports of
the disposition Of our Government to
decline to interfere by force, and also
to support Cuban autonomy, and also
this cable prevented the recall of Wey-
Ter. when a change in the Spanish Min
istry was in the air, and to send to
Cuba Campos, who closed the ten
years war. with cash in hand and
might do the same job now by the
same means much cheaper than Spain
can keep 100000 soldiers in the field.
Colonel ]. J. McCook is the gentleman
creoIted with the imagination to con-
as a measure of peace. This. as Col
onel McCook understands it, is mere
~ a matter of business. The idea runs
this way:
Spain has already charged to Cuba
a debt of S400,0O0,000 and under Span
ish domination the island can never
yield a revenue amounting to one-half
the interest Cuba, without a post Or
CHI 1oc al al
yet there are many who think the cred
it of the Cubans should be as good, if
not better. than that of Spain.
Suppose there was a company COM
manding money to take up the whole
Cuban debt, with the war debt of such
as charged to Cuba at its market value
say $4,000, 000-and $50, 000,0 600 for
the Spanish rights in Cuba, and the
Cuban rights in the forests and mines
and in settling American and Cuban
claims against Spain, and the United
States would guarantee bonds to the
amount Of S100,000,00 at 3 per cent,
and supervise and administer the Gus
toms of the ports of Cuba for the pay
ment of the interest, the Government
holding the bonds as security, would
not liberty and peace and prosperity
for the island be accomplished at the
cost of $3,000,000 a year, taken out Of
the Cuban customs houses?
incidentally it would seem there must
be an immense profit to the managers
of what might be called the Cuban
trust. The advantage to the Spaniards
would be peace and the extinction of
some hundred millions of hopeless debt
for the creditors of Spain would be
glad to scale her obligations. and she
could have a large sum of money in
hand instead of a Cuba of blood and a
loss on her hands.
The gain to Cuba would be govern
ment by a corporation, limited, instead
of a crown absolute, and there could
be a contract guaranteeing civil liberty
TO the people on United States models
There would be money for roads and
schools and sanitary measures. and
there would be, as a necessity for in
ternational administration, such meas
ure of self government as would main
tain order through a police force, with
American and Cuban volunteers to deal
with brigandage.
The municipal problems could be
dealt with by the municipalities, and
adjustments made for the administra-
ton of justice and payment of worthy
pensioners. With the introduction of
American energies and the security of
capital, made plain by the visible pres
ence of security, Cuba would yield
wealth beyond the dream of avarice."
The revenue in the days of reciprocity
with the United States was in excess of
100000. and it would rise far be-
yond that figure within a few years of
this magnificent business management.