New-York tribune., 1902-02-19
PLANNING CUBAN RECIPROCITY.

The intimation that the Ways and Means
Committee of the House of Representatives will
to-day draft n bill for modify the trade and
tariff relations between the United States and
Cuba is most welcome. There is nothing that
committee could do which would be more wei
come 10 the nation than the drafting and favor
able reporting of a measure providing for reci-
procity on liberal scale between the Two coun-
tries. II might have been better had the House
passed such bill before passing the war tax
repeal bill. Certainly il would he far better
had the Cuban question been attended to long
ago. in prompt response TO the Presidents
message of last December, for thus much actual
loss on both sides would have been prevented
and this country would have been saved from
the reproach of seeming to do late. with re-
luctance that which it should have been eager
TO do early. in the name of honor and justice
Nevertheless. it is better late than never. and
reciprocity bill following close upon the war
tax repeal will be regarded with favor by the
vast majority Of straight seeing and right think
ing Americans.
We speak of reciprocity rather than of relief
for that is the truer description of the measure
which is desired. II will grant Cuba relief
from actual distress and from threatened ruin.
That is quite true. But that is not all II will
similarly grant to the United States relief from
what should he regarded as an ntolerahle stu-
ation-namely, the decline and ruin of our ex-
port trade 10 Cuba. 1t is discreditable anomaly
that the markets of Cuba should he so largely
closed against us and that Cuba shouId mr.
chase in Europe every year tens of millions of
dollars worth of goods of the very Kinds which
we are able TO supply. 1t is not Cnba's wish
that this should be so. She would prefer to do
her marketing in the United States Rut she
really cannot afford TO do so without fair treat
ment. She is not rich enough to give us aims
What she does desire is to reciprOcate with lis
in trade, 10 sell her goods to us and 10 buy orr
goods in return. Under proper reduction of
tariffs on both sides Cuba would send all her
sugar and the bulk of all other products 10 the
United States. and she would purchase nearIv
all her supplies in the United States
This is not mere theory. 1t is fact Of record
Eleven years ago the thing tried. We gave
Cuba-or Spain-a substantial reduction of dutv
on sugar The result was that the vast bulll Of
Cuha's sugar output, which had been going to
England, was poured into our markets. AT the
same time we received corresponding conces-
sons of from - 10 10 per cent reductions of
tariff on goods exported 10 Cuba The result
Of that was that we quickly gained s27. 600 600
a year in Cuban trade and enjoyed almost a
monopoly of her markets. That was the work
OF Republican administration and a RenubIi-
can Congress, in accordance with sound Renub-
hcan protection ideas and policies Four wears
later free trade Democratic administration
ana congress undid that work with the result
lha' we lost our paramount place in the Cuban
market and had the humiliation of seeing our
! European trade rivals beat MS in markets which
are under our control politically and are almost
"lthm sight Of our shores. The duty of the
present day is for this Republican admInistra-