Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1901-11-28
CUBAN CONCESSIONS
Biggest Kind Of a Fight in
Congress- on the Question
Anticipated.
Reciprocity With Island Has Many
Adherents and Plenty Of
Opponents.
Secretary Root Thought to Have
Foreshadowed Views Of the
President.

Washington, Nov. 2S.-There is the
biggest kind of a fight in prospect over
the question of reciprocity with Cuba,
The sugar men and the tobacco men
are bitterly opposed to the slightest re-
duction in the rate Of duty on those
two Cuban products. President Roose-
welt, Secretary Root, n those men,
bers of the house and senate who are
not personally interested are in favor
of reciprocity.
The sugar men, particularly Mr.. OK
nard, who represents the beet sugar
trust, have begun already a vigorous
campaign in opposition to the slightest
concession to Cuba. They a at
tempted to join hands with h tobac-
co trust to prevent any reduction Of
rates.
An attempt has been made to con-
fuse the situation by representing that
the president and Secretary Root want
to bring in n tobacco free,
whereas they merely propose to secure
authority from congress to reduce thu
rate on both of those articles by about
the same percentage al already is pro-
posed in the Dingley tariff bill. The
present rate on sugar in the raw state
Is far from being prohibitory, and is
not intended to be. On the contrary,
the importation runs up into millions
of dollars.
a slight reduction in the rate on Gu
ban sugar would not affect the market
price in this country a penny. Neither
would 1t interfere with the beet sugar
profits. 1t would merely give the Gu
bans the preference in the market. That
is to say, IL & could be imported
from Cuba al q rate of 20 per cent
cheaper than any other country, the re-
finers would of course exhaust the en-
tire supply of Cuba before they e to
other markets. This would give the
Cubans the benefit of rapid sales in the
United States, with freights extremely
low, as compared with those to Europe.
Cuba does not produce more than
about one-fifth Of the raw sugar con-
sumed by the United States. Hence re-
ciprocity with Cuba, while 1t undoubted-
ly would stimulate the production OF
\ CdUe SUSdT llcIe 10 d. ldISc SAlGlil,
which is exactly what the Cubans are
after. would not affect the price of
sugar thruout the world. because four
ifths of the sugar would still be subject
to the full tariff rates.
In asking for immediate action by
congress, Secretary Root has merely
foreshadowed the views of President
Roosevelt, and OF several of the wisest
leaders in congress. They do not pro-
pose to grant tariff concessions to Cuba
merely as a matter of sentiment. As ex-
planned by Mr.. Allison, in an interview
in the Tribune last week. a system of
reciprocity can readily be arranged, alb
solutely on the original lines aid down
by James G. Blaine. which consisted on
granting concessions in return for con-
c~essions on articles not produced extern
sively in his country and receiving in
return concessions on articles of our
product not extensively raised in the
foreign countries.
Senator Allison has suggested, and the
president. 1t can be stated, is prepared
to follow the suggestion, that we could
afford to give Cub a slight reduction in
the tariff rate on both tobacco n SUI
gar, in return for which Cuba would be
expected to admit our flour and meat
products entirely free of duty.
The beauty OF this suggestion is that
the people who are producing beet SUI
gar today are the same persons who also
produce cattle and wheat. SO that the
gains and losses would be entirely eq-
uitable. 1t is believed. however. that
the gains would be entirely on u side.
American wheat and American flour,
If admitted free in the island Of Cuba,
can, on account of the low freight rates,
defy the competition Of the world. Cuba
does not produce either of these COM
modities, and hence has no reason for
taxing them except as a matter Of reve-
rue. The reciprocity which the president
proposes with Cuba is intended to bene-
fit the people Of Cuba and the people Of
the United States at the same time.
Nevertheless the beet sugar interests.
under the direction of Mr.. Oxnard, al
ready have begun ~bombarding new
members of congress with personal let
ters and documents opposing any kind
of reciprocity with Cuba. 1t is being
charged that the whole proposition for a
reduction in the rate OF sugar is being
engineered by sugar refners themselves.
The Cuban delegates now here, how
ever, say exactly the opposite. They ex-
plain that so long as the duty on sugar
is the same from all over the world the
sugar trust can dictate terms to the pro-
ducers in Cuba, because they can readi-
ly buy all they need at market prices
elsewhere.