The weekly Iberian., 1902-12-20
ITEMS OF INTEREST FROM the
Nations Capital. Things Being
Done and Talked About.
GEN. BLISS HAS FINISHED HIS
WORK In CUBA
And 1T is Satisfactory. The Venezuelan Sit
uation. The Barrett Japanese Episode.
Anthracite Coal Matter and Other Sub
jects of Interest.
w ashington, Dec, Is. 1902.

eai idil tuat 1eherdl kaSker II.
Bliss has accomplished, in Havana
the task for which he was sent to
Cuba and has either negotiated
reciprocity treaty or has procured
protocol which provides tor such
treaty. AS heretofore stated in
these letters, the new treaty pro-
vides for reduction of the
Dlngley duties on imports from
Cuba of 20 per cent and secures in
return theretotor material con
cesslons from Cuba. Cuba IS TO
ADOPT maximum and minimum tariff
schedules, the former to be assessed
on imports from all countries
other than the United States. In
exempli6cation of the working of
the new treaty 1t is stated that at
present Cuba imports more cotton
goods, of which she IS large con.
snmer, from Europe than from the
United States. The new tariff will
kgive the United States an advart
age in tariff of from 1918 to 40 per
cent and will thus insure q monop.
oily Of the Cuban market. The
same is vlrtusllYtrue of linen goods
etc. The Pre- s,dent Is said to have
secured pledges from many sena.
tors to support the new treaty and
the administration does not believe
it will meet with strong opposi.
ton. The Senate Committee on
Foreign Relations has determined
to insert a clause in the ratification
of the treaty. requiring the consen,
of the House but the republican
leaders say that wlllnot be hard to
obtain. &S&
| The Venezuelan situation in the
occasion of some anxiety on the part
of the administration although It il
believed the fact that Great Britain
is party to the belligerent forces
will have a tendency to restrain
Germany from the high handed
proceedings she might attempt we're
she alone engaged. The sinking Of
Venezuelan ships By the German
| Admiral has led to suspicion of the
attitude of the latter country, how
ever, and the President and his
Cabinet are watching the situation
with closest interest. The gunboat
Marietta has been ordered to La
Guayra TO protect American inter
tests. The President has made it
very clear tha; be will not interfere
with the most drastic measures for
collectlng the debt which Veneznels
owes her foreign creditors but will
promptly protest at any attempt al
territorial acquisition.
Both the President and Secretary
Hay are much pleased at the good
offices performed by United States
4 Minister Bowen at Caracas, the lat
ter having secured the release Of
the Englis and German consuls and
citizens whom President Castro Al
6rst imprisoned and having beer
. the medium for an arbitration By
the Venezuelan President, a prop
osltion which, it ls feared, comes
too late for acceptance By Germany
and Great Britain. It has. how
ever, been submitted to both nation'
through the State Department.
The disregard of the little nicei
/. ties of diplomacy. 10 which thu
country has in the pas. been prone
u4caused some embarrassment dunnl
the past week. Min lister Buck bay
ing resigned his post 81 Tokyo, tn
President appointed Mr.. John Bal
rett, now Minister to Siam. to sue
coed him. Immed,a tely it becam
!, known, not as : esnlt Of forms
!, protest, but BY less direct method
common n among diplomats, that NJ
Bsrrett would be to- some exteu
persons non grata q Tokyo. Fol
tunately, the newspapers had =
lcertained the Presidents Intention
before they were formally mad
known sud thus prseip'tated th
Icrlticlsmsfrom the japanese Leg
ton. Itbecame novnthat the chit
Iobiectlon to Mr.. Barrett was the fs'
that he bad, IN public speecl
stated that AguinAldo and bis FL
lpino colleagues we're stateenen g
I nar With The japanese Rocog