The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-06-18
WHAT CUBA MAY Do

The hint has been thrown out that If
congress fails to establish reciprocity be-
tween Cuba, and the United States,
Great Britain may step in and arrange a
reciprocity treaty that will meet the as
pirations of the Cubans. However hard
such an outcome of the disgracefuI situa-
ton in congress might be on the Amer
lean people there can be no doubt that 1t
would be practical as well as poetical
justice.
Great Britain has long evinoed keen
interest in Cuba and was the first power
to name a minister to the new republic,
and had it not been for the special cour-
tesy Of President Palma that minister
would have been received before Mr..
Squiers and would therefore have been
the dean of the diplomatic corps at Ha-
yana. British trade with the island is
very considerable being second in both
exports and imports to that Of the United
States. In 1900 Cuba took $11, 955, 153
worth Of English goods. and exported to
England s4,354 ST worth Of products. The
English undoubtedly appreciate the fact
that the Cubans are generous consumers
Of imported goods and that with pros
perity the islands purchasing capacity
will vastly increase.
Z At first glance, England being what is
termed free trade country, 1t may seem
impossible that a, reciprocal trade treaty
could be arranged between the United
Kingdom and Cuba. But England has
- ho1
bacco, which was Increased I'd pound in
190O-1901, and in 1901 there was imposed
duty of 7ad "a pound on sugar. The
revenue raised from the tobacco duty is
upwards of $50, 900 year and
that from the sugar is about $780,
600. Now that the Boer war is over,
these additional taxes may soon be re-
pealed, or, if the country stands them
easily, they may be used to promote re-
cirrocal trade instead.
AS tobacco and sugar are the principal
crops of Cuba and as England is the
worlds great sugar market and a very
liberal tobacco consumer, almost the
whole of it's imports from Cuba being ci4
CARS, the opportunities for reciprocity
agreement are obvious. Much of the
merchandise now supplied to Cuba by the
United States. could be supplied by Eng
land with favorable arrangements, and if
England took large part Of Cuba sugar,
Of which.it now takes scarcely any, and
much of the tobacco crop, which 1t could
easily do by adjusting the duties; the
commercial attention of Cuba would nat
llrally be turned from the United States,
now their principal market, to England.
If the English treaty should provide for
reciprocity with English colonies or some
Of them they could supply Cuba with
goods that she now takes largely from the
United States but are not procurable in
the United Kingdom
st has been assumed that the Plat
amendment makes it impossible for Cuba
70 negotiate a reciprocity treaty without
Amr consent. AS matter Of fact it does
not, and in view of the fact that we
have no treaties with Cuba as yet, the
opportunity for England to act Is very
promising. The treaties that Cuba is
forbidden to enter into are not trade trea-
ties but are those that might impair the
independence of the island or give a
foothold to some foreign country.
II un,,ld be cutting commentary on