The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-01-13
RECIPROCITY FOR CUBA
A Plea for Reduction on Imports
TO the United States.
Senior Lncoste. Secretary of AEricuI-
ture. Supports Appeal of the Plant
crs-A Comparison with south and
Central American Countries - 4
0ne-sided Condition mt Present.

| HAVANA Jan. u. Senior Lacoste, Sec
| retary of Agriculture, has written a let
ter to Governor General Wood. in which
he supports the appeal of the Society
| of Planters for a reduction in the duties
| assessed on Cuban sugars imported into
the United States and the abolition of
the export duty on tobacco
Senor Lacoste says that in 1894 Cuba
imported s3S, 900 worth of American
goods. The quantity fell during the war,
but after its close in 1899, it was $50, ,OOO.-
| 600. These figures will grow. he says. in
proportion as the economic conditions of
| Cuba improve
Secretary Lacoste says the United
States is considering the question of max
ing reciprocity treaties with Nicaragua,
Salvador, and San Domingo. But Cuba.
he says imports fifteen times more Amer
lean products than San Domingo and as
much as the three Republics mentioned
with the French and English West Indies
and Brazil thrown in. Secretary Lacoste
says that the reason for not granting TO
Cuba what it was proposed 20 gram to
! other countries was that Cuba under the
tutelage Of the United States has no per-
sonality TO make a reciprocal treaty.
But, he adds, the Government of the
United States. which at present legally
represents Cuba, has fixed the existing
customs tariffs for Cuba, under which all
preferential tariffs have disappeared
owing to this fact, machinery for the
manufacture of sanitary articles, which
| pay an ad valorem duty, are imported from
ad 90 r.,
tage in freights over European goods of
similar character. which cannot compete
with them. other goods, such as -four
iard, and crackers, are supplied almost
exclusively from the United States. He
says that American cotton goods have a
great advantage over linen goods owing to
the duties, the taxes on the latter having
been raised in such a manner that Cubans
are forced to buy cotton
From these alleged facts Senor Lacoste
argues that one side of a reciprocity
treaty has been fulfilled. Cuba has opened
her markets to the United States and the
people of the latter country should carry
out their end of the bargain by giving
Cuban products a better opportunity.
The revolutionary papers support the
petition of the society of planters. Here
tofore the noisy element has declared
there was not any use in troubling about
economic matters until the political ques-
tions were settled. This movement. how
ever, is strong one, and is widely felt
and the noisy element must uphold it or
be left cut in the cold.
The argument used by Senor Lacoste is
the same Us that used by the newspapers,
to the effect that Cuba is a large Gus
toner of the United States. because the
latter country has charge OF the Cuban
customs, and that the people should con-
tinue to agitate the question
La Lucha" says that Porto Rico be-
longs to the United States Not only in
the matter of sugar imports. but in all
products this island has an advantage over
Cuba in American ports. The paper goes
on to argue that Cuba cannot expect to
get the same terms as Porto Rico. and
that the best thing for the revolutionists
to ask is that Cuba shall be free and in
dependent. and at tho same time enjoy
the benefits of being an American Terri
tory.
A prominent revolutiOnist said today
that he feared that when the American
Government refused the request of the
planters for reduction of the sugar duty
the Cubans will ask why. and Will be
told that the United States expects Cuba
to accept protectorate or its equivalent
and that the land owners will try to in
iuence the people TO accept this
The general opinion is that the land
owners and merchants are more likely to
use their influence in favor of an Amer
lean protectorate after having secured the
benefits of close trade relations with
the United States than they are IL these
relations are held up as a reward to Gu
bans who are in favor of a protectorate
or of making certain concessions
A new English paper, the Daily Amer
ican,' was started here today