Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-06-12


testimony before the Cuban relations COM
mittee yesterday continued today to be an
absorbing topic Of conversation at the Capt.
toll. 1t now is certain that the democrats
will attempt to make political capital out
of the Thurber case, and will try to draw
the acts of General Wood and the military
government of Cuba into range Of the
democratic fire.
The following may be accepted as the
view of some of the influential friends Of
the Cuban reciprocity bill in the Senate
upon General Woods authorization of the
use of Cuban funds for the promotion of
reciprocity:
Use of Cuban Funds.
The details of drawing public attention
to the necessity of reciprocal trade re-
lations between Cuba and the United States
were intrusted to committee of Cubans
representing the several commercial bodies
of Havana and the sugar planters. These
men raised funds by subscription among
themselves and the planters and they work
ed in cooperation with the Export Asso-
citation, of which Mr.. Thurber is pres-
dent. When it was deemed advisable to
send out large numbers of circulars the
committee found that their funds were
ming out Gen. Wood was appealed to by
the CubanS and asked to use a portion of
distinctly Cuban project. He consented. and
the money was devoted to that purpose.
Mr.. Thurber then sought subscriptions in
this country and Mr.. Havemeyer gave
$500. The friends of reciprocity say that
this sum. enthusiastically small in COMPARE
son. disproved the exaggerated claim that
the sugar trust was lending powerful aid
to the promotion of Cuban reciprocity.
Many Conflicting Views.
Many conflicting expressions Of opinion
were heard today among senators and rep
resentatives upon the probable effect of the
Thurber testimony on the Cuban reciprocity
bill and upon Gen. Woods right to make
the contributions which Mr. Thurber testi-
fed.
The reciprocity advocates insisted that
the testimony should not affect consdera-
ton Of the pending bill. The beet sugar
men were more confident than ever that
the effect of the disclosure. as they termed
it. would be to arouse a spirit of hostility
toward the bill. based upon the presump-
ton that the sugar trust would be the prin-
cipal beneficiary. In private conversation
the beet sugar men announced their belief
that they now will succeed in preventing
action at this session.
One of the interesting features of the
case is the attitude of the democrats The
party managers are in high feather over
the incident, and say that it will not fail
to serve the democrats to advantage in the
coming campaign AS soon as the reci-
PioIilS Dil comes up III the senate the
democrats will turn their guns upon the
sugar trust, and insist that before reciproc-
ity is authorized the differential duty on
refined sugar must be taken off. The dem
ocrats are confident of arousing public
opinion against the sugar trust. and efforts
to that end will occupy a large part of their
attention for the remainder of this session
The beet sugar republicans of the House
are of the opinion that the Cuban reciproci-
ty bill will not be accepted by the House
unless the differentiaI amendment is re-
tanned in the bill. They do not believe that
the Senate will consent to taking off the
differential duty and they are devoting all
their energies now to strengthening their
lines IN the House against the time when
the bill shall come back to the Senate with
the amendment stricken out.
strong coalition between the democrats
of the House and the beet sugar republ-
cans of that body will be maintained, it is
asserted, and maintained to the end even
Cuban reciprocity fails. 1t is said that
while the democrats favor reciprocity they
are not responsible for enacting 1t. and
certainly will not accept it unless the differ
entail duty on refined sugar Is taken off
Probable Senatorial Discussion.
When the bill comes up In the Senate
there probably will be a spirited discussion
OF the administration Of Cuban affairs The
democrats are getting ready for 1t, and, 1t
Is SAID, are already in possession of ma
ter1al which they can use to advantage.
These threats do not alarm the republican
managers in the least. The Senate soon
Will be furnished with full details of the ex-
pendltures under the military government
in Cuba.
Senator Piatt stated to the Senate today
that the War Department was now en-
gagged In the preparation of these statistics
and they would be sent to the Senate as
soon as they could be compiled
The republican managers are willing that
the widest publicity should be given all
the details OF the administration Of Cuban
affairs by the military government for they
know to certainty that nothing will be
found rejecting upon Gen. Wood or his
assistants. They say that If the democrats
expect to make party capital out of the
United States guardianship of Cuba they
Will experience a miserable failure
There were no conferences today between
the republican beet sugar senator's and the
friends of the reciprocity bill 1t is prob
able that further negotiations will be post
poned until a general conference of repub-
lican senators is held, which will be some
day this week or prior to next Thursday.
Administration Senators Confident.
The administration senator's are going
ahead with preparations for consideration
or the Cuban reciprocity bill to follow the
isthmian canal measure. They take the
position that the Thurber testimony has
no bearing upon the merits Of the bill and
they are confident that when the vote comes
publican votes to pass the measure in the
form decided upon by the majority of the
republicans.
Work on Cuban Accounts.
Secretary Root being absent from wash
ington at West Point and Acting Secretary
Sanger having had no connection with in.
sular affairs. which have always been I'M
der the Secretary's own direction, there
was no person at the War Department to-
day authorized to enter into any expia IA
ton formally touching the vouchers pro-
duced by. Senator Teller yesterday when
examining Mr. Thurber as to the Cuban
reciprocity proposition. 1t is learned at the
ihsular bureau. however that a large part
of the force of employees therein have beer
hard at work trying to get ready for Con-
gress at the earliest possible moment a
complete exhibit Of the Cuban receipts and
expenditures during the period of American
occupation.
The work has progressed to point where
the bureau has been able to submit the ac-
counts up to April 80, 1890. but 1t will be
quite two months yet before the last &C
counts can be submitted. 1t Is said that
when these are in Congress will have before
1t vouchers showing every cent exnended IN