New-York tribune., 1902-08-07

t.tr,,- ne assumed that the Cuban Con
gress itself knows the worthiesshesS 0i
promises.
RESPONSIBILITY OF CONGRESS.
The conditions in Cuba have favored these
schemes for saddling the island with ols H0
tional debt provided it could ne hee''ia'7U '7U
Persons familiar with the SITUATION 'iii0"
much of the responsibility on the congress u
,be limited States. The first proposition for
loan was in aid Of the sugar planters 10 INC
sr,ount of s40GOOo0 or S5,o10,0oo- 1t was
,ronosed IN give them a bounty of so much on
each twenty-five pounds Of the cane grown
and on which they had lost money Mr.. Terry
The Secretary Of Agriculture. who fathered the
rlan is one of the largest sugar planters in the
island He said that the proportion OF nus
government gift or loan which would go TO hls
own estates he would turn into the treasury
His own disnterestedness could not De ques-
toned. The distressed condition OF the sugar
planters 3 strong argument IN favor OF uiLS
loan. ard President Palma sent the pldL 10
the Cuban Congress with his Endorsement Had
the American Congress made CONCESSIONS 70
Cuban sugar in the markets of the Unlted
States there would have been no neeu OF alu
10 the planters. and no public sentiment Woulu
have developed in Cuba in favor of such plan
in the Cuban Congress some opposition dlo
develop To the Scneme OF aldlnS Inc pIdu's-7 -
without making provision for the rest OF the
country. This opposition has become SlToAS
enough TO couple the proposed aid for the plant
ers with the much larger loan to pay on the
Cuban army and settle the obligations con
tracted by the revolutionary junta, of when
President Palma the head. In some form,
whatever final legislation is enacted VIII IN
clude pay for the Cuban army The distressing
conditions on the sugar plantations, win SO
many people out of work, have added 10 the
persistence with which the demand Tor the pay
ment Of the army has been pressed IL was
hoped that this subject could be postponed -oF
at least a few months until reasonable oasis
could be fixed for payment Bnt the aclNltS ~
the American financial syndicates ana the real
distress of SO large portion OF the lnhapitaHIS
have made il impossible to postpone the ques-
ton The American military ofhclals VINO were
IN Cuba all recognized that both as meaSuI|
of iusfice and of self-defence the hrst Cubah
government would have 10 make provision LOT
having the army but they thought that at the
,1axir171lr7 A loan Of 100000 would be enough
70 do this and to settle all the obligations OF
she revolutionary junta. If the American Con-
s-ress had nut Cuba in the pathway OF prosper
Stv no doubt exists to-day that at the proper
tir,a This loan could have been made, and a Va
,iet1, of nernlexins questions could have heeh
avoided AS TO the actual possibility OF Cuoa
carrying 2 loan of S4oaooete little encourage-
,,ent is given hv the existing conditions. Inc
interest charges would he nearly S2NE1hn ana
.bis added 10 the fixed amount Tor funllllE'
,.-ould have to form part Of the annual pudeet
The customs revenues in Cuba 1ufnlsA
on ,,e- cent If the governments income IhoSf
,,,,o understand the Cuban tariff say tnat u"
administration can devise d system or sCHeu-
,,lss 1-bicn viii secure this increased chaTse
while al the same time providing Tor the cur
rent expenses Of government