Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-11-01

the cane that will be standing this winter.
He may even pay off some of his debts, but
that is doubtful; at least the bankers who
advance the money shake their heads and
say it Is doubtful.
What the planter is not yet taking into
account is that his field and mill hands will
want more wages. In some places they
have been working for 40 cents day Span
iSh silver, or p cents American money. It
always will be to the credit of the Cuban
country people that they went through
period of the keenest industrial distress
without disorder, ard with a willingness to
work for any kind of wages SO long as en-
ployment was found for them. They are
yet far from being free from the distress,
but the future is more promising, and if
the price of sugar keeps up, their wages
Will go up also. The Planters have not yet
fully realized this, but they will run against
it soon.
Natural causes having given Cuba the re-
lief which the United States refused to give,
it will be seen that the European countries
have good working basis in urging the
Cuban government that natural causes and
the Brussels convention make reciprocity
with the United States unnecessary But
the relief itself Is temporary and incom-
piete. Cuban planters know this and Gu
ban officials know it. The prosperity which
some day is due this island is in sight but
1t will disappear from view if there is a
hitch in the relations with the United
States The Cuban planters want more
than 20 per cent reduction. They ought
TO nave more, but since they cannot get it,
they will be glad Of the 30 per cent. ANY
one of them who talks otherwise is simply
talking for effect. And some of them are
bility.
President Palma's View.
The view which President Palma and mis-
caolnet take is not the view Of Europe
That is shown by their action In approving
the draft of the reciprocity treaty. I do
not know what are the notifications which
nave been suggested but am told that they
are not very important. Whether this is
so or not, the main question is not of de-
tails. 1t is whether the United States and
Cuba shall enter into a mutual trade ar
rangement. Back of that are sentimental
ana political matters of grave Importance.
In spite OF much Misrepresentation, some
OF II passed on ignorance and much of 1t
conceived In malice the Cuban government
mas given Its adhesion to reciprocity with
the United States. The immediate question
IN Cuba is whether President Palma will
be able to carry the treaty through the
senate. Some influences working against
MN are as ugly, as reckless and as unprin-
clpled as those which worked against Pres
ident Roosevelt in the United States Senate
last spring. The diplomatic intrigue hav-
ing failed to influence adversely the Palma
administration, is now bent in another di-
rectlon- 1t seeks to influence the Cuban
Senate, and to do this both indirectly and
by means OF public sentiment.
Since the terms of the proposed treaty
have not been made public, much of the dis
cussion is in the dark, but strong effort is
exerted to create the impression that reci-
procity is a Jug harelied arrangement, with
the United States having the jug and Cuba
| the handle. If thatEwere true the United
States, for political and other reasons, well
could afford to reverse the arrangement.
But there has been~enothing yet to show
| that the treaty is a -handled affair.
1t has to be confessed that. much distrust
still Is felt of the ability of the United
States to make reciprocity effective. There
Is Infinite faith on the part of the Cuban
people in President Roosevelt: but after the
| experience of last spring the suspicion still
| is strong that the island may be tricked
| In view of what happened the Cubans feel
that In this matter Of reciprocity hereafter
| they must walk by sight and. met by faith.
Within two or three days scores of times
l have had the question asked whether of
Cuba binds itself to a trade treaty the
American Senate will ratify it, or whether
the new republic again will be Kicked and
cuffed and spurned. 1t is almost impossible
to explain how deeply rooted the suspicion
Is that Cuba again may be chesfed. To all
those distrustful questions there is only one
answer. That is, that the American people
having been shamed and Inundated by the
| failure of Congress last spring. have taken
every chance to rebuke their unfaithful
servants and to sustain President Roose-
welt, and that the common opinion now is
| that trade treaty will be ratified, or. If
that fails, that the legislation which passed
the House of Representatives may be taken
as the basis for a laMfwhich can be passed
| by majority In the Senate.
Distrust Of Congress.
While this distrust> Is deep, there are yet
some mitigating circumstances The Cuban
people are beginning ia understand the
meaning Of a congress composed OF two
coordinate branches. When they were
thrown down SO badly by the American
| Congress last spring they were just at the
beginning of their experience In legislation.
| Now they have got Insight into the many
| conflicting views and the interests which
! have to be harmonixed in Q legislative body.