The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1899-06-10
She Is Depressing Jamaka Out
Of Some Design Against
United States.
HER PLAN LIKELY TO FAIL
Little Interest Shown at Washington
In the Coming Reciprocity
Commissions Visit.

coming OF iho Jhmhlep reciprocity com
miaslOaerD greater than ths trade Of the
British poapcsuions warrants, There IL a
feeling mat before lhey get through these
Jamaica commissioners will bring 10 a
focus the whole question Of the iuiuro Of
the British West Indies. T'hey will act
lnominally IN conjunction with tho British
embassy. because 70 do otherwise would
no, bo permitted By the British foreign
once. Nevertheless the Jamaicans are
apt to prove hradsrong. Careful state.
men,s are made that their presence has
nothing 20 do with the presence Of Sir
Cayondish Boyle. who Is representing
British Guiana IN pending negotiations.
or with the proposed rcpriproclty arrange
mcnts with the Barbadocs. Neyeriho-
loss the idea In prevalent that Nr Cham
bcrlAin. fhe colonial minister. ~ hamper
ing jamaica. ana that he wants the other
drpcndcncles IN the West Indies 10 serve
AS au Offset Another intimaiion is given.
tina, II jamaica does no, set along well
with the United states she will tJrn to
Canada. The Alliancc between Canada
and the British Yves, Indies has been
seriously destroyed in uhc dominion
Some Montreal capitalists have lately
interested themselves N electric lights
and street railway enterprises in Jamaica
and they are said TO be- urging closer
union between tho dominion and the
islands. The notion Is too whimsical to
receive much attention. because neither
the fisheries nor the fruit trade afrord a
basis Tor either political or commercial
union brtwccn Canada and jamaica.
Private letters received from Jamaica
have recently supplemented published
and onical reports regarding lR depth
OF the discomfort there. Unless the United
States acts more generously than Eng
land mas done by granting trading adj
yantagca without equivalent return It Is
said that the demand for annexation vii
bc opcnly made. Some Of the leading men
OF jamaica have no faith IN the present
negotiations. and with the fear OF Cuba
and Porto Rico before their eyes. they
want tho island to seek political union
with the Unitcd States. They are not
particular whether they are traded for
ono OF the Philippines or Tor some other
spo, OF land
Apparently Mr.. Chamberlain has most
at stake lie had carefully matured
scheme by which the trade was to be
taken away from the New England cap
itallsls who had invested their capital
and developed the fruit raising INDUS:
try. as well as the railroads. As the
English fleet was TO replace the Amer.
can fruit fleet which runs to New York,
Boston. Philadelphia and Baltimore, Sir
Henry Blakc, the former governor OF
the island, presented to the London cham-
Der OF commerce It's opportunities Plans
were really made by which Eng ish capt.
tai would drive out the American capital,
They came to nothing and now their
failure Is admitted. In order 10 secure a
basis OF reciprocity with the United
States. the colonial legislature passed
retalIatory tarlff bill This was only done
after strong protests and after the threat
Of the British foreign Office TO reduce
jamaica to the condition Of a crown col
ony had been withdrawn and Sir Aus
yustus Hemmlng, the present governor
general. had given assurance that the
liberties OF the colony would not be In.
,erfered with. Nevertheless. the day |
after the passage OF the tariff bill, Sir
Augustus Hemmlng and Sir Joseph |
Chamberlain were burned IN etiigy. The |
feeling was that the course taken would |
cause irritation among the officials Of the
United States Instead of securing the
concessions which they wanted
IL can hardly be said that the admin
stratlOn Is lrritated, There is so little
jamaica trade that to show resentment
would be absurd, However, no reason
las been found why the United States
.hould do more for Jamaica that the
British foreign Office is able to DO, and
hough Mr.. Chamberlain may be highly
st0emed personally, he Is not likely to
eceIvo much aid In his plan of pac!fying
jamaica through American privileges,
The American companies which have
andled the Jamaican fruits in the mar
let's OF the United States have not COM
,alned of the tariff They have done
satisfactory business without interfering
With fruit growers at home, As for the
ugar It Is doubtful whether the United
tates could restore the industry by
ranting to II reciprocity, as may ultl-
,ately be granted 10 cuba. The whole
uestlon of Jamaican reciprocity Is
olitIcal rather than commercial one,
nd is Of more concern in London than
| Washington.
NrAR ON 1NIIRERftIfI .OGIG