Evening star., 1901-08-01
RECIPROCITY WITH CUBA.


l., v, De Abad ON Economic Relations
of the United States.
The New York Tribune of today has an
interview with L. " de Abad, commission
er for the Economic Associations of Cuba,
who said:
believe that 1t is necessary to modify In
a more liberal way the customs relations
between the United States and Cuba, for
political as well as economic reasons. Cuba
has always been under the influence Of this
country, and now, as a consequence OF the
war with Spain she Is so by right. Today
she is. In reality, country under the
American protectorate; tomorrow she may
be part of the Union. The American peo-
pie, by helping the Cuban revolution, have
bound themselves to keep order IN the
island. The welfare Of the country must
be fostered. It will be better policy. and
a cheaper one, to give Cuba the means Of
selling its sugar than to send there men
of-war and soldiers to put down anarchy.
The principal cause OF revolution In Cuta
has ever been Of an economic character, SO
serious and so intense that Spain has found
herself powerless to find remedy for 1t.
Furthermore. it is convenient to main
tain there the influence OF the Uuited
States. To do this no other means Is more
efficient than by the creation of large eco
nomic interests, shared by both Americans
ana CuDanS. lu0 lIllueuCo tudl luc OullCu
States may exercise in Cuba through the
language Is, for the moment, Of no ac-
count owing to the fact that tho Cuban
people will need many years before they
can speak English Religion Is a factor
which has to be put aside, because here all
creeds are permissible and the government
does not take advantage of them for politi-
cal schemes. Power alone Is sufficient to
conquer and rule, but at a very dear price,
and is not enough to influence a people.
The only means is the employment Of
American capital and American brains in
the business of the island.
Now, then, the present customs tarin Is
not suitable to achieve this result Here
the people continue to treat Cufd as though
she were not country protected by this
republic. Americans undertake business in
Cuba with the same feeling as though
they were doing 1t in a foreign country,
and this is because the products Of the
island do not receive here any special or
permanent advantage. If Cuban sugar
were admitted here free Of duty or with
light, almost nominal, duty, some Ameri-
cans would go there and produce sugar,
while others would boom the great refining
industry already existing there. Thus the
island would form a part of the economic
system of the United States.
Once this country had got hold OF the
the worlds markets would be much more
important than 1t Is today Sugar Is 'an
article Of the first necessity, which the
island can produce with American capital
would revolutionize the markets. Tobacco
Is a special product, natural monopoly
which Cuba enjoys. In spite OF the bad
Spanish administrations OF the island and
in spite of the high duties levied on 1t by
every nation.
There Is still another consideration which
is easily overlooked In this country, viz.
the great capacity for consumption that
Cuba has, Statistics show that there Is
not another market in America that i'm
ports more goods per capita than Cuba
She has to import almost everything that
she consumes. because her production Ia
limited to certain articles. and, secondarily,
because she is a tropical country, inhabited
by people accustomed to food OF the tenn
perate zone, and she does not make fabrics
or machinery. or the numberless articles
necessary to modern civilization. There is
no doubt that. with a reciprocity treaty,
her imports from this country would reach
Is per cent or more The fact that, under
the present customs tarif, Germans. Eng
lish, Belgians, etc., monopoliZe the busi-
ness, which since 1893 has increased to two
and three times as much as II used to be,
ought to open the eyes of the American
people and impress upon them the neces-
sity of a change of system. One buys with
the proceeds of what he sells: therefore.
Cuba, In order to buy more from the
United States, must be In condition to sell
more sugar and tobacco and more of its
natural products.