New-York tribune., 1902-04-29
PRICE THREE CENTS.
CUBAN SUGAR INQUIRY.
SENATE COMMITTEE BEGINS
WORK TO-DAY.
EVIDENCE AT THE WAR DEPARTMENT.
SHOWS THAT THE TRUST DOES
NOT CONTROL THE ISL
AND'S CROP.
IBY TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBUNE-I 7

IBY TELEGRAPH THE TRIBUNE-I
Washington. April 2S-The subcommittee Of
the Senate Committee on Relations with Cuba
will meet tomorrow morning to begin the IN
vestigatfon of the charge contained in the Teller
resolution that all or great part OF this year
Cuban sugar crop is owned by the American
Sugar Refining Company. otherwise known as the
Sugar Trust. The members of the subcommittee
are Mr.. Platt of Connecticut; Mr.. Burnham. Of
New Hampshire and MIR. Teller, of Colorado
1t is generally thought the investigation can
be completed within three days. as all the evf-
dence needed to disprove Senator TeIler's charge
is believed to be in the hands of officials OF
the War Department. Then. too Secretary
Root who will arrive in Washington to-mor-
row from two weeks visit to Cuba. will pre-
sumably be prepared to aid the Investigators
with material which he collected while in the
island at first hand The Tribune already has
published full reports made by Governor Gen.
eral Wood on the ownership of the sugar now
warehoused in Cuba awaiting a market These
reports were made in the first week Of April.
and covered minute1y every phase of the ques-
tion They showed that of the nearly six hun
dred thousand tons of sugar produced in Cuba
this year only little over three thousand tons
had been purchased by the Sugar Trust Inc
remainder. according to the results OF General
Woods careful inquiry. is held either by the
planters or is in the hands of commission mer-
chants at Havana.
DEFEAT OF OBSTRUCTIONISTS ASSURED.
1t is likely however. that Senator Teller, the
recognized leader of the Democratic oostruction-
lists TO Cuban reciprocity, will not accept the
War Departments figures or Secretary Roots
representations, based close personal 1nVes-
tigation on the ground. Mr.. Teller, in fact de-
clared to-day that he was going to insist en-
fa~c
Der of witnesses from Cuba, who. he says, VIII
testify that the Sugar Trust actually owns more
than half of the Cuban sugar now awaiting a
market 1t is not probable however. that he
will be permitted to call here at this time any
considerable number of witnesses from Cuoa. as
the ma jority of the committee undoubtedly VIII
be willing to accept the reports of General wood
and Secretary Root as conclusive. Mr. Teller
further declares that II he is not permitted 20
have his own way in the matter of sunnoninS
all the witnesses from Cuba he may desire TO
call he. will get the information he is after
through a different channel and place it before
the country in a speech he will make in tha
Senate in opposition to reciprocity But what
ever he and the other Democratic obstruction
lists may do il has been definitely decided not
to permit their tactics to delay for single day
the submission TO and passage through the SEN
ate of a substitute bill for the House measure
While Senator P1att. of Connecticut and the
other supporters of the administrators Cuban
policy are not discussing their plans for publi-
cation it is known that they have practically
decided on a straight reciprocity bill, and that
as soon as they are satisfied it can be put
through the Senate a strict party measure
they will carry it through the committee stage
and report IT TO the Senate. They may not
be ready to do this for week or two. though
when they start it it be depended upon
that Mr. PIatt and his Iieutenants are sure Of
their ground
BEET SUGAR LOBBY BACKING DOWN
The beet sugar lobby is not nearly so exclan1a-
tory or defiant as it even two or three days
ago, to say nothing of it's spirit while the reci-
procity bill was pending in the House. In fact,
there is every indication that the beet root peo-
pie eager TO make terms with the sup
porters of the administration. mainly with the
view of preventing the Senate from including
in it's substitute bill provision for the repeal
of the differential refined sugar. without
touching the countervailing duty collected on
bounty fed sugars a strong hint of this de-
sire was given in the action last week of the
Michigan beet sugar manufacturers. who for
warded to Washington a memorial to their Sen
ators to fight for the adoption of the House bill
rs that measure existed before it amended
by the insurgent leaders, with the aid of the
Democratic free traders. Although the Senate
is not at all likely to- pay any serious atten-
tiOn to this plea still il is not unlikely that It
VIII have a good effect several Republican
Sena tors who have been either actively or pas
sively hostile to Cuban reciprocity legislation
at this session. 1t viii also dampen the ardor
of other Republicans who had threatened TO
oppose the administration with vigor and deter
mination. In other words, anti-Cuban Senator'S
are learning that the beet sugar people are pre-
pared 20 leave them in the lurch. and in order
to save themselves from embarrassment with
the administration and their constituents many
Republicans who had about made up their
minds to oppose TO the limit of their capacity
any measure of commercial relief for Cuba have
decided either to support the administration
outright remain neutral Mr. Burrows. of
Michigan. the abest and most reSOurcsful oppo-
nent of Cuban reciprocity in the Senate. has per-
Ceptibly lost the confidence he displayed a week
go. and now seems utterly discouraged If he
does not fight he had intended to do and
he undoubtedly could If he started. il be
said. even at this early stage of the struggle In
the Senate. that the reciprocity cause will win
easily.