Evening star., 1901-06-15


drawal, as Bravo Correoso the radical del
egate. wanted. Correoso and his, faction
carried the municipal elections and are
now in power. so that they feel they can
hand their opponents, who protested
against any military supervision of the
elections. will adhere to their position. and
between, the two factions neither may be
found ready TO ask for the retention of the
troops. When that happens the soldiers
may be withdrawn gradually and without
causing uneasiness among the property
owning classes.
Strong Moral Influence of the Z. s.
What has been established during the last
six eight months is that the moral in
fiuence of the United States Is going to be
far stronger than some of its most sanguine
advocates thought. Army officers who have
been growing weary of their anamolous po-
stions have watched this development with
great interest. A year ago few of them
believed that there was any possibility of
the United States Withdrawing the military
authority for a long time to come They
were sincere in that belief though it did
not do much credit to their political insight
Within a fortnight l have talked to half
dozen officers who frankly admit a change
of views. Some of them have had to take
a hand in local election squabbles, and rs
a result have formed the judgment that
while their restraint was necessary this
year, it will not be long until the Cubans
can settle all these SquabbleS satisfactorily
among themselves. The military officials
are hardly yet aware of what has been the
chief factor in causing their own views to
change. So long as the relations of the
United States with the Cuba of the future
were undetermined there was natural
uneasiness and many CUbans, as well as the
Spaniards. thought that the indefinite pres
Cnce of the American troops was going to
be necessary. But when the position of the
United States was determined authorita-
lively by Congress much of this uneaSneSS
diS1l,np4red Il Though the ('nhaDS who OBJ
jeCted to the indefinite stay of the troops
would not admit it, the passage of the Platt
amendment was the beginning of the end OF
military control. 1t substituted the moral
influence of the United States for the physi-
cal influence of the United States soldiers
There was one clause in the rejected ac-
Ceptance of the Platt amendment which
causes the commercial classes OF Havana
and of the rest of the island to regret it's
rejection This was the pledge that the
future Cuban government in negotiating
with the President of the United states re-
gdrding coaling stations should also nego-
tiate for reciprocal tariff concessions. Prac-
tically however, this omission is not I'M
pOrtant. for the effect which the sugar
planters and merchants wanted has been
secured. This was to commit the Cuban
leaders to reciprocity as a part of their
scheme of independent government, ana
also to notify the United States that a
commercial treaty would be sought coinci-
dent with the establishment of the indie
pendent government:
The Reciprocity Movement.
While the general public in the United
States may not pc fully aware of the
strength of this movement, all the Ameri-
can officials know of it. The movement
was organized by the Merchants Union,
which is kind Of a chamber of COM
merce. with branches in all the large towns
and cities of the island. 1t brings the en-
tire mercantile and commercial forces to-
gcther and enables them TO act as one
body. As these men are nearly all span
iards it was a delicate matter to enable
them to exercise political influence. They
went about it cautiously but systematiCai-
ly. They prepared memorials and urged
upon the three parties, that is, the ma
tionaIs the republicans and the union dem
ocrats. the importance of providing for Gu
bas material interests. This was done
without indicating leaning to any oil
the parties, though most of the Spaniards
are in sympathy with the union democrats
because they stand for ultimate annexa-
tion.>
With the reasonable certainty which now
exists that a Cuban government VIII be
formed the Merchants Union will continue
it's campaign both in Cuba and in the United
States. l asked Senor GAMBIA, the Havana
merchant who is president of the union,
what they had to offer in return for the
concessions on Cuban sugar, tobacco and
fruits in the American market. We all
recognize he said. "Cuba's dependent re-
latiOn toward the United States, put we
have something to offer In return. There is
a field here in Cuba for increased imports
from the United States of cotton textiles,
shoes. rice and paper, while you can have
the monopoly of provisions. breadstuffs and
machinery. | think also that after time
there will be good market for California
wines Now your tobacco duties are very
unjust to Cuba, and the island must have
a reduction in the sugar duties When your
government makes those concessions it will
go long way toward making Cuba
Tranquil country. We all recognize the un-
certainty that is before us, but if the
United States will give encouragement to
our commerce l think those uncertainties
will disappear We will all adjust our
selves to the new conditions the best we
can but we look to the United States to
help us"
An Early Cuban Government.
With the acceptance of the Platt amend
ment and the probability of the
early formation of Cuban gov
crnment, the tariff commission which
has been working on the revision of the
schedule will find it's difficulties lessened.
So long as no one could tell whether the
present conditions would last indefinitely
or whether within year there would be d
Cuban government competent to frame a
tariff, the commission in the dark.
Now it can go forward and formulate the
schedules along the lines which the Cuban
government, when it comes into power,
may be reasonably expected to follow.
CHARLES NJ. PEPPER.