New-York tribune., 1902-06-22
RULED BY SUGAR RINGS
NOTHING FOR Cuba AT THIS
SESSION OF CONGRESS.
JNFLTENCES BROUGHT TO BEAR
AGAINST RECIPROCITY TOO POW
ERFUL To BE OyERCOME-A
HUMILIATING SITUATION.
IBr TELEGRAPH To THE TR1BrNE.I

IBT TELEGRAPH To THE TRIBUNE-l
Washington. June 2f.-It now seems evident
that nothing will be done at this session Of
Congress to bring Cuba into close commercial
relations with the United States urged by
the President and his predecessor. Mr. Nc
Kinley and supported nominally by the over
wheiming majority of the Republicans of both
houses The situation indicated by this bare
statement of a fact that is patent to every
body in Washington is one of the strangest
and most nexplicabIe in the history Of ma
tional legislation 1t can be accounted for on
no other theory than that the recently formed
combination between the Sugar Trust and the
beet sugar ring is too strong for the majority Of
both parties in Congress 10 resist
SUGAR COMBINATIONS POWER.
The Sugar Trust. represented by the Rookie
felIer- -Havemeyer group Of hnanciers. has pur-
chased all the German patents for the utiliza-
ton of the by-products of the beet root in the
United States and has also absorbed. either
by outright purchase or option, the larger
plants engaged in the manufacture of beet
sugar. This gives the Sugar Trust complete
monopoly of the sugar business of the United
States as long as the enormous tariff fixed by
the Dingley law remains unchanged on the
statute hook.
From all the evidence at hand it seems prob
able that at the inception of the agitation for
reciprocity with Cuba the Sugar Trust favored
that proposition. because il involved a reduc-
ton of the duties raw sugar from Cuba
which would have given the Sugar Trust some
adyantage over the beet root ring But when
the trust was enabled to effect COmbinat ton
of interest with the beet root industry, through
the purchase by the latter of the German
patents for the utilization Of the by-products
he of
Havemeyer fnanciers for reciprocity with Cuba
ceased and instead of being ardent advocates
of that movement they became active opponents
Of it, 1t is foreseen by them that. unless Cuba
is brought into close commercial relations with
the United States at this session. the value OF
sugar lands in the island must rapidly deprecl-
ate and that eventually the only solution or
the problem will be annexation Cuba is
hobbled-in fact bound hand and foot by the
Platt amendment-and the young republic must
starve until some substantial trade relief is
afforded by the Congress of the United states
President Mckinley and President Roosevelt
have urged the necessary legislation on con-
gress in eloquent and pleading terms
MAJORITY HELD UP BY MINORITY
moro handful of Republicans of the House
and Senate are holding up this legislation This
hoIdup shameful though it may be, apparently
is now complete and. pending the action recon-
mended by the martyred President and his
coura geous successor, the Sugar Trust, now that
If wholly controls all the sources of supply OF
sugar production in the United States. will have
an opportunity to buy at greatly reduced prices
the choice sugar plantations Of Cuba. When
the trust acquires these plantations Congress
probably will be ready to grant either rectproc-
fty or annexation TO Cuba. Hence all this talk
about negotiating commercial treaty with
Cuba at the next session of Congress instead
of enacting at this session the legislation asked
bv the President and earnestly supported by
Senator Platt of Connecticut. and a few other
members of the Senate. 1t is still possible that
the President may send TO the Senate before
adjournment a commercial treaty with Cuba
carving the same tariff reduction proposed by
the bill presented TO the Senate Republican
caucus by the Connecticut Senator but it is not
at all likely that it would be ratified. Obviously
the decision reached by the influences that con-
troll both parties in Congress Is not to do any
thing for six months that is calculated to relieve
Continued second Pngeo