BoletiÌn mercantil de Puerto Rico. (San Juan, P.R.) 18??-1918, 1901-12-20
SAN JUAN, DECEMBER 20
Editorial Comment.

The sugar lobby at Washington will kill
all attempts in behalf of reciprocity with
Cuba unless congress is reused to the true
danger Of the situation. That danger is
special and immediate by reason of tbs i'm
minent bankruptcy of the island. Is there
nouyh congressional interest to avert such
calamity With tue ections shortly to
be held and the sugar and tobacco planters
facing ruin something must be done ct once
il the new republic is to start under favor
able auspices. Emergency measures o.
some kind are called for not only by reason
of an impending business collapse, hut be-
cause all that could be done by the Natona
, administration 10 Cuba has been done aud re
ief nov rests wholly with congress Was lg
ton dispatches outline proposal whereby
temporary measure of relief may be re
commended in special message from the
President, 50 that a law may be passed
admitting the present Cuban sugar crop
free or at half present rates. This would
tide over the crisis ard leave the question
of permanent tariff relations with Cuba
open to future settlement.
1t is not generally understood in this
island how acute is the depression of the
sugar and tobacco plan 'ers of Cuba. Toe
former, who are the mainstay of the islands
industry, are struggling with situation
almost hopeless. There is in the current
"North Am ,rican Review" an article by
Mr.. Edwin F. Atkins, who has lived in
Cuba during large part of the last thirty
years, which forcibly describes the condition
of the sugar industry. From his account
we learn that 1.713 cents per pound in
United States currency, or its equivalent
in Spanish money, is all that the Cuban
planter now gets for his sugars, delivered
at port where they are salab,e, and out of
this meagre sum he must psy inland trans
portation charges to the shipping port. He
is handicapped in the United States mariet
which is practically yssthe Orly one he has, not
only by the DiDgley rates but by the bounty
system and cheaper labor of European
countries aud the competition Of fee sugar
from Hawaii and Porto Rico. We have
already referred to the depressed condition Of
the Cuban tobacco industry and its depen.
dencs upon the American market With both
these great Industries at the point of coll.
apse for lack of American trade it is simply
the question of a short time whether congress
will perform its pledge to give Ouba chance
to start its national life. Il is unfair for lie
10 deny to Cuba what we ourselves oeed.
One of our great faults in asking for things
has been an unreasonable display of selfish.
ness.
There is, undoubtedly, growing feeling
that annexation is the destiny of that isl.
and, aud that all remedies for its political
and industrial ills should wait an emergency
cry to incorporate it with the United States.
But nobody sDpposses that congress can
delay present relief without practical rep
udiation of the status Of self-imposed guar
dianship, fduciary relation which was as
sumed under most grave circumstances and
was the Immediate occasion OF the changed
position OF this country as woxld power
This is the dominating fact which controls
the vital concern Of the Ame rcau people jp
regard to Cuban Welfare, which We took in our
keeping with such dramatic emphasis that
considerations of possible ipjury to Amer
icsn sugar aid tobacco seem petty and sor
did in comparison. The domestic sugar
lobby aud the ultra proieccionis.s in con.
gress are interested to ignore this aspect Of
the Cuban situation, although it is large and
urgent enough to defy evasion.
The President is resolved that, SO far az
in his power lies; congress shall not 20
uuremiuded OF its duty in the present emer
gency. He has, of course, the unreserved
support and confidence OF Gen. Wood. who
i convinced that grave danger will resrl
from delay in meeting the Cuban demard
FIR justice The sugar crop commences
this month; and the only way to avert |
trouble is to admit the islands export of that
cop under favorable conditions. ANY fur
fhov achouna of rocinraoikv NAV he ,l..k.tna