River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1902-06-19
URGES CONGRESS
TO KEEP FAITH.
President Roosevelt Sends Special Message to That
Body Regarding Reciprocity with Cuba-Asks
That Special Concessions Be Granted.

ket should be controlled by American
producers.
An Equitable Arrangement.
1.-THE events following the war with
Spain. and the prospective building of the
isthmian canal, render 1t certain that we
must take in the future far greater inter-
est than hitherto in what happens through
ont the West Indies, Central America and
the adjacent coasts and waters. We expect
Cuba to treat US on an exceptional footing
POLITICALLY. and we should put her in the
same exceptional position economically.
The proposed action is in line with the
course we have pursued as regards Oil the
islands with which We have been brought
into relations of varying intimacy by the
Spanish war. Porto Rico and Hawaii have
been included within our tariff lines to
their great benefit as well as ours, and with
out any Of the feared detrlment to our own
industries. The Philippines, which stand in
a different relation, have been granted sub
stantial tariff concessions.
Asks for Special Concessions.
"Cuba is an independent republic, but a
republic which has assumed certain special
obligations as regards her international po-
sition in compliance with our request. / ask
for her certain special economic conces-
sions in return: these economic concessions
70 henefit rs as well as her. There are few
brighter pages in American history than
| the mage which tells of our dealings with
| cuba during the past four years. On her
| behalf we waged a war of which the main
| spring was generous indignation against
| oppression and we have kept faith absolute
| ly. 1t is earnestly to be hoped that We will
| compIete in the same spirit the recordt so
! well begun and show in our dealings with
| Cuba that steady continuity of policy which
| it is essential for our nation to establish
| in foreign affairs If We desire to play we'll
our part as world-poWer
| feed.
The Strong: Should Help the Weak.
eve are a wealthy and powerful ma
| ton: Cuba is a young republic, still
weak. who owes to us her birth, whose
| whole future whose very life must de-
| pend on our attitude towards her. I ask
| that we help her as she struggles un-
wards along the painful and difficult
road of self-governing independence.
ask this aid for her, because she is weak,
| because she needs it, because we have
| already aided her. I ask that open-hand-
| ed help, of a kind which a self-respectins
! people can accept, be given to CUBA, Tor
the very reason that we have given hel
such help in the past. Our soldiers
fought to give her freedom, and for three
years our representatives. civil and mill
tary, have toiled INCREASINGLY. facing dis
ease of a peculiarly sinister and fata
| type with patient and accompanying
fortitude to teach her how to use ar1Sh'
|
any alien country been thus administered
with such high integrity of purpose. suc1
wise Judgment and such a Single-handec
| devotion to the country's interests NO"
ask that the Cubans be given all pos
| sible chance to use to the best advantage
the freedom of which Americans nav
| such right to be proud. and for Whlcl
so many American lives have been sacrl
THEODORE ROOSEVELT.
white House. June IL. 1907
Effect of the Message.
Washington, June 14.-The pres1
dents reciprocity message gave sena
tors a live topic of conversation, bu
so far as is yet apparent there Is NJ
change in the situation. There was ;
disposition on the part of the leader
on both sides of the controversy t
claim when speaking publicly some ad
vantage from the message. Ih'
straight reciprocity men urged tina
the effect would be to cause at leas
some of the beet sugar republicans t
abandon their opposition. They con
tended that many of them had m1sun
derstood the attitude of the president
and now that this had been made clea
there could be no longer excuse 10
opposing straight reciprocity meas
ures. The message, they argued
would clear the atmosphere, rende
the presidents attitude unmistakable
and therefore bring opponents within
the party face to face with the fac
that in continuing their opposltlo'
they are antagonizing the official hea
of the party.