Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1902-06-24
MAKESPLEA FOR CUBA
PRESIDENT SENDS A MESSAGE
TO CONGRESS.
Roosevelt Urges Passage of the Reel
procity Bill Points to Pledges Full
filed and Says Good Work Begun
Should Be Completed.

htAeu anu says Ooou Work OeEhr
Should Be Completed.
President Roosevelt sent a special mes
sage to Congress Friday afternoon reit-
Grating his former recommendations for
the passage of law creating reciprocity
with Cuba and presenting additional ar
guments thereon. The message is as fol
lows.
TO the Senate and House OF Repre-
sentatives: I deem it important before
the adjournment of the present session
Of Congress to call attention to- the fol-
lowing expressions in the message which
in the discharge Of the duty imposed up
on me by the Constitution | sent to Con-
gress on the first TUESDAY of December
last:
Here follow extracts from that docu-
ment)
Yesterday | received By cable from
the American minister in Cuba a most
earnest appeal from President Palma for
| Legislative relief before it is too late and
(hisl country financially ruined
The granting of reciprocity with Cuba
is proposition which stands entirely
0AOANs AN tNdSOAS AOt IL LII
those for granting reciprocity with any
other nation, and are entirely consistent
with preserving intact the protective sys
tenn under which this country has thriv-
en- so marvelously. The present tariff
law was designed to promote the adop-
ton of such a reciprocity treaty, and ex-
pressly provided for a reduction not 10
exceed 20 per cent upon goods coming
from particular country. leaving the
tariff rates on the same articles unchang
ed as regards all other countries.
objection has been made TO the grant
ing OF the reduction on the ground that
the substantial EeEeft would not go to
the agricultural producer of sugar, but
would inure to the American sugar re-
fners. In my judgment provision can
and should be made which win guaran-
tee us against tlis possibility; without
having recourse TO measure of doubt
ful policy, such As bounty in the form
of q rebate.
The question as to which, if v, OF
the different schedules of the tariff ought
most properly to be revised does not en-
ter into this matter in any way or shape
We are concerned with getting a friendly
reciprocal arrangement with Cuba. This
arrangement applies to all the articles
that Cuba grows or ppoduces. 1t is not
in our power to determine what these
articles shall be; and any discussion Of
the tariff as it affects special schedules,
or countries other than Cuba, is wholly
aside from the subject matter To- which
/ call your attention.
Some of our leading citizens oppose
the lowering of the tariff on Cuban pro-
ducts, just as three years ago they OPP
posed the admission Of the Hawaiian Isl
ands, lest free trade with them might
ruin certain of our interests here. In
the actual event their fears proved base
less as regards Hawaii, and their appre-
tensions as to the damage to any indus
try of our own because of the proposed
measure of reciprocity with Cuba seem
to me equally baseless. In my Judgment
no American industry will be hurt, and
many American industries viii be bene-
flied by the proposed action. 1t is to our
advantage as a nation that the growing
Cuban market should be controlled by
American producers.
Close Friendship Urged.
"The events following the war with
Spain, and the prospective building of
the isthmian canal, render it certain that
we must take in the future a far greater
interest than hitherto. in what happens
throughout the Wcs5 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
position economically.
THE proposed action is IN line with
the course we have pursued as regards
all the islands with which we have been
brought into relations of varying iati-
macy by the Spanish war Porto Rico
and Hawaii have been included within
our tariff lines, to their great benefit as
well as ours, and without atsy of the
feared detriment to our own industries.
Cuba is an independent republic. buc
a republic which has assumed cert2in
special obligations as regards her inter
national position in compliance with oni
request. / 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 be-
half we waged a war of which the main
spring was generous indignation against
oppression, and we have kept faith abb
solutely.
ut is earnestly to be hoped that We
will complete in the same spirit the rec
ord so well begun, and show in our deal
ings with Cuba that steady continuity
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.
I'VE are wealthy and powerful ma
ton: Cuba is young republic. still
weak, who owes to us her birth, whose
whole future, whose very life, must de-
pend on our attitude toward her. / ask
that we help her as she struggles upward
along the painful and difficult road Of
self governing independence. l ask this
aid for her, because she is weak, because
she needs it, because we have already
aided her.
Il ask that open-handed help. Of n
kind which a self-respecting people can
accept, be given to Cuba, for the very
reason that we have given her such help
in the past.
THEODORE ROOSEVELT"