The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1902-06-14
the subject matter to which call your

attention. 0''' S0u'
Some of our citizens oppose the
lowering OF the tariff on Cuban prod-
ucts' just as three years ago thew on
posed the admission Of the Hawaiian
lslandS, lest free trade with them
might ruin certain of our interests
mere In the actual event their fears
proved baseless as regards Hawaii,
ana thelr apprehensions as to the dam
age TO any industry of our own be-
cause of the proposed Measure If re-
Clproclty with Cuba seem to me equal
~ paseless. In my judgment no Amer
lean industry will be hurt. and many
american industries will be benefited
py the proposed action. It is to our
advantage as a nation that the grow
ing cuban market should be controlled
by American producers.
What We Expect From Cubn.
The events following the war with
Spain, and prospective building of the
lsthmlan canal, render it certain that
we must take in the future far
greater interest than hitherto in what
happens throughout 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 footing, econom-
lcally. The proposed action is in line
with the course we have pursued as
regards all the islands with which
we have brought into relations of
varying intimacy by the Spanish war.
Porto Rico and Hawaii have been in
Guided within our tariff lines, to their
great benefit, as we'll as ours, and
n nf ho 4 l-t,~
to our own industries. The Philip
pines, which stand in a different re-
lation. have been granted substantial
concessions
Cuba is an Independent republic,
but which has assumed certain special
obligations as regards her interna-
tlonal position in compliance with our
request 1 ask for her certain special
economic concessions in return; these
economic concessions to benefit us as
well as her. There are few brighter
pages in American history than the
page which tells of our dealings with
Cuba during the past four years. On
her behalf we waged a war, of which
the handspring was generous indig-
nation against oppression; and we
have kept faith absolutely. 1t is
earnestly to be hoped that we will
complete in the same spirit the record
so well begun, and show in our deal
ings with Cuba that steady contin-
uity of policy which it is essential
for our nation to establish in foreign
affairs if we desire to play well our
part as a world power.
Not Tariff Question.
1--WE are a wealthy and powerful ma
tion 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. l
ask that we help her as she struggles
upwards 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. l ask that
open-handed help, of a kind which a
self-respecting people can accept, be
given to Cuba, for the very reason thai
we have given her such help in the
past Our soldiers fought t
give her freedom; and fol
three years our representatives
increasingly, facing disease Of a pc.
culiarly sinister and fatal type with
patient and accomplishing fortitude. tc
teach her how to use Alright her new
freedom. Never in history has any
alien country been thus administered
with such high integrity of purpose
such wise judgment, and such a single
minded devotion to the countrys in.
terest. Now l ask that the Cubans be
given all possible chance to use to the
best advantage the freedom of which
Americans have such right to be proud
and for which so many American lives
have been sacrificed.
Theodore Roosevelt"
White House Junp 10