The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1902-12-14
England and Sugar.

Not only to the British West Indies. but
also to Cuba. the declaration made by
MIR BALFOUR in the House of Commons
with regard TO the sugar bounty uues-
ton ia a matter of vital interest. The
British Premier admitted that in 1850
the Government received from the law
advisers Of the Crown an opinion to the
effect that by discriminating against the
sugar imported from any particular
country England would lose the benefit
dertyed from the" most favored nation
clause in her commercial treaty with
that country. Let US note the bearing
of this admission on the agreement
reached at the Sugar Conference.
BY the Sugar Conference held at Br,is-
sells it was agreed that on and after Oct.
l, 1903, the countries represented would
grant no bounties on exported sugars,
and England on her part covenanted that
she would impose countervailing duties
upon sugars imported by her from any
countries that refused to be bound by
the agreement. Russia denies that she
pays a bounty on her beet-root sugar
when exported, but England claims that
by her fiscal arrangements she practi-
cally offers an equivalent stimulus to
production and export. Consequently.
England has announced that unless
those fiscal measures are rescinded she
will deem herself bound by the Brussels
agreement to impose countervailing du-
ties on Russian sugar that enters British
~ 90,
according to the opinion given by law
advisers Of the Crown, she will refuse to
give sugar imported from Russia the
same treatment that she will accord to
sugar brought from other countries,
and therefore, having denied TO Russia
the benefit of the most favored ma
ton clause, cannot herself pretend to
profit by that provision.
II may be said that the British Govern
ment need not be bound by an opinion
rendered twenty-five years ago and that,
perhaps, different opinion may be given
by the present Crown advisers Under the
circumstances, however, England could
hardly refuse n proposal on the part of
Russia to refer the question to the Court
| Of Arbitration at The Hague, and should
that tribunal render a decision against
her, she would doubtless prefer to re-
frain from imposing countervailing du-
ties on Russian sugar rather than forfeit
the benefit Of the most favored nation 4"
clause in treaties. Such action on her
Part would put an end to the agreement
reached at Brussels, for, if Russian sugar
il to be exempt from counteryailing
duties in the British market, other Con-
! tinental sugar could not compete with
! il, and the sole consideration for the
abolition of bounties. namely. the pros
pect OF supplying the British market,
would be lost
Unless the agreement reached at the
Brussels Conference il carried out the
fate of the British West Indies is sealed,
The British Government will not long
continue to pay even the petty subsidy
which it has undertaken to furnish dur
ing the brief term intervening before the
date fixed for the Brussels agreement to
become operative. Equally irrevocable
would be the doom of Cuba il, like ia
maica and Barbados, it depended ex-
clusively upon the market of the United
Kingdom. There have been indications
during the last few months that certain
Cubans were disposed to underrate the
importance of a reciprocity treaty with
the United States, on the ground that 40
soon as the Brussels agreement should
become operative Cuban sugar might
be exported to Great Britain at a salts
factory profit There will obviously be
no hope for Cuba in that direction il
Great Britain refrains from imposing
countervailing duties on the product OF
the Russian beet root. That is to say,