Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-11-27
Interest in Secretary Roots Recon-
mendations.
OPPOSITION In CONGRESS LIKELY
Sugar Interests in This Country to
Fight Concession.
NJ S S ION AIRY DIRK

| recommendation for reciprocal commercial
| arrangements with Cuba, by which Cuban
sugar and tobacco would be admitted to the
| United States free of duty and out of which
the Secretary expects would grow a larger
trade in American products of workshop
and field.
| The general impression Is that Secretary
| Roots recommendation foreshadows sim
| liar suggestion to be made by President
, Roosevelt in his message to Congress. The
fact that some very prominent republican
| senators, men who would exert influence in
making such arrangements, are in line with
| the proposed policy OF the War Depart
| ment adds interest to the situation.
| The important feature of the present case
| Is the fact that the executive department
OF the administration is setting itself
| squafely In opposition to the views of an
important faction of the party in power in
| the legislative branch of the government,
| The clearness and precision with which
Secretary Root offers his views leave no
| doubt of the attitude of the War Depart
| ment upon the subject and as the War De-
| partment, under the President is now gov
| erning Cuba and will continue to adminis-
| ter the affairs of the island for some time
TO come, Its position may be expected TO
have some weight
Split at the Outset.
| The Seeretary's recommendations which
will be found in another column, go into
Cuban affairs at some length and constitute
| an eloquent appeal for Immediate action
by Congress- There is a split at the very
| outset, for the opinion is largely enter
! tained in Congress- especially in the SEN
| ate, that nothing can be done in the way OF
| tarif negotiations until a Cuban govern
| ment is formed
| But the real and important point at issue
| Is that the dominating influence in the
| House Of Representatives is at present ab-
solutely opposed to lowering the duty on
! sugar imported from Cuba. 1t has been re-
| peatedly explained in The Star that the
| heet sugar growers of the western and mid
| die west states form the bulwark of the
| opposition, fanked by the high protectionist
| interests of the eastern states and the
sugar growers of Hawaii, Porto Rico and
| Louisiana.
| The fight has been going on under cover
| for months. Incoming senators and repre-
| sentatives say they have been deluged with
! communications from both sides of the con-
| troNersy, setting forth claims and counter
| claims, charges and counter charges
| There is said to be a well-equipped or
| ganization of the beet sugar men. and it
| Is Charged that the American sugar trust
| is taking the other end of the game for
| business reasons. The new member of Con-
| greSS has been furnished gratuitously 50 .
much information upon the sugar question
| of conflicting nature that he would be
| pardoned in feeling that he hardly knew
| where he was at"
| 1t is no joke, however. either to the
| sugar producers of the United States. Ha-
wah and Porto Rico, or the planters Of
| Cuba, while it is large question of dol
| lars and cents to the sugar trust.
| Mr.. TaWney's Views.
| The sentiment of the republican menu
bers of the House ways and means commit-
tee as likely to be constituted at this ses-
! sion, is firmly against reduction of the
| tariff on Cuban sugar. Representative
| T9wney of Minnesota, who Will be a MEM
Der of that committee, voiced the known
sentiment of many of his colleagues today
in an interview with Star reporter.
| ''The result of admitting Cuban sugar
| free of duty he said will be to transfer
4 aINr,,t . fhsl
| of the United States into the treasury Of
| the American Sugar Refining Company,
popularity known the sugar trust. Tine
| price of sugar will not be lowered one cent
| to the consumer. The S12,009,000 repre-
sents the duty now collected on Cuban
| raw sugar and the amount by which The
| trust would benefit.
Cuba sent us, in 1900, one-fifth the
| amount of dutiable sugar We imported.
| Well is it not absurd to say that by taking
| the duty off Of one-fifth our imports and
| leaving 1t on the other four-ifths, a
duction in price win ensue on the whole
| product made from the raw sugar?
IF all sugar was admitted free of duty,
the present monopoly of the sugar trust
might be broken; other refiners might get
\ into the field and competition POSSIBLY
lower the price of sugar. But the trust
has the monopoly Of the field, and, OF
course. it wants to get in as much Tree
raw material as it can, SO long as the
monopoly is maintained.
II am looking at the proposition from the
tion of protection to the American bees
grower and cane raiser.
"1t is a well-known fact that some OF
the sugar proposed to be brought in free
is raised by plantations in Cuba owned by
the sugar trust; that other quantities are
raised by Americans and Europeans who
have obtained control of the plantations in
expectation Of free trade in the future.
1.-The Humanitarian suggestion brought
into this issue does not appall me. think
we have done great deal for the Cubans.
ovid ffar hoN -nf fhnr.a fxa.
given them a government of their own,
they prefer still to trade with Europe to
buying our goods, 1 don't see how admit
ting their sugar to our ports will offer any
great Inducements to them"
Source of Missionary Work.
Considerable missionary work is being at
tempted among the senators and represen-
tatives-eiect of this Congress by means OF
personal communications. Most Of these
emanate from New York law offices, and in
some cases are easily traced to the inter-
ests back Of them.
The latest batch reached Washington last
evening, of which the following is a SAM
pie. 1t came out of Broadway law office
and purports to be in the interest OF an
overwhelming ;, majority OF conservative
speaks the representative to whom IL is ad-
dressed to advocate the following resolu-
tion:
t;yes the Senate concurring, That, in order
that the assembling of Congress may give
rise to no uncertainty as TO future Ameri-
can business conditions and so destroy busi-
ness confidence, check production and bring
idleness and poverty to labor and loss to
capital in the United States, the sense OF
Congress is hereby expressed TO be against
any decrease of any customs tariff upon
any article the like of which is produced
in the United States whether such decrease
be proposed by bill requiring the appro-
val of both houses OF Congress or by any
treaty with foreign country; and against
any measure permitting the admission OF
foreign goods into any possession enjoying
free trade with the United States at any
less duty than that levied upon the same
kind of goods when admitted at any port
OF the United States proper directly from
any foreign country"
II this resolution is introduced IL will
precipitate contest within the republican
party OF the House at once. The western
ers who bring to Washington reports OF
growing sentiment in their section in favor
of tarin reduction along certain lines. will
not. 1t is said. submit to having the subject
bottled up In any such peremptory fashion.