The Washington times., 1902-04-29
Senate Subcommittee on
Cuban Relations
to Meet.
Mr.. TELLER TO USE PROBE
Colorado Statesman Contends American
Sugar Refining Company Owns Cuba's
Crop - Will Demand That Witnesses
Be Brought to United States.

Does the American Sugar Refining Com
| pany. otherwise known as the Sugar
! Trust, cwn the Cuba sugar crop, or does
it hold options on it? That is what the
subcommittee of the Committee on Rela-
tions with Cuba will attempt to find out
at series of meetings beginning this
morning.
The members OF this subcommittee are
Senator's Platt Of Connecticut, and Burn
ham of New Hampshire, Republicans. and
Teller Of Colorado. Democrat. Mr.. Teller
says the Sugar Trust does control the
sugar crop. and that he can prove it. IL
the committee will allow him to summon
certain people as witnesses.
The Senator's witnesses are in Cuba.
and it is probable that the committee will
decide to let them stay there. on the
ground thai the information as to the own
ership of the Cuban sugar crop can be OBJ
tanned in the United States, certainly in
New York city. and probably without 60
ing outside of the District of Columbia.
Senate to Aid.
Senator Teller says he will present his
list of witnesses. and il the committee
decides that they cannot be brought to
Washington from Cuba. he will manage to
have their story told in the Senate Cham
ber so that the public can understand it.
Mr.. Teller says he does not care how
much evidence is presented to show that
the Sugar Trust does not own or control
the Cuban sugar crop. it is the fact just
the same.
He says he is opposing any bill for
tariff reduction between Cuba and the
United States, because il would place
The whole burden on the shoulders of the
beet sugar producers of the United States.
and because, whether the Sugar Trust
does or does not control the sugar crop,
the Cuban people would not get a cent
of the benefit. Moreover. he says. the
Cuban people don't need relief. and don't
deserve 1t. and declares that the Re-
publican party. in seeking to carry out
the recommendations of the Presidents
message. are actuated solely by desire
to benefit the Sugar Trust.
Has His Doubts.
When Senator Teller's attention was
called to President Rocsevelt's attitude
toward the trusts and to the popular be-
lief among Republicans in Washington
that he is an enemy and not a friend
to the trusts, Mr.. Teller replied:
'oh, we'll, that may be SO: but then,
the President has been misinfOrmed by
General Wood.
THE Secretary of War knows nothing
about the Industrial situation in Cuba
and the man who knows more about it
than anybody else-Colonel Bliss, so long
the customs collector at Havana-has tes-
titled that the commercial conditions in
Cuba are not what they have been repre-
sented TO be, and that no relief is
needed"
At todays meeting of the subcommittee
1t is probable that arrangements will be
made for getting the testimony Of Sugar
Trust officials and other persons in New
York and Washington who can give posi-
tive indisputable evidence on the subject
Of the ownership of the Cuban sugar crop.
Bill to Be Framed.
when that phase OF the subject is dis
posed of the committee will endeavor to
frame bill that will meet with the ap-
proval of the Republican Senators as a
body. The backbone of the opposition has
been badly Jared by the action of the
beet sugar manufacturers association
Of Michigan in forwarding to Washington
resolutions commanding that, the Michi- |
gan Senator's should kill the House bill, !
and recommending the payment OF q re-
bate to the sugar planters.
1t is well known that the beet sugar |
in other States than Michi- |
gan have come to the conclusion that a |
OF 20 or % per cent will not |
affect their business. and tha. |
they prefer to take that than to disorgan-
iZe the Republican party in Congress on |
he eve Of Congressional election.