The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1902-02-06
SUPREMACY IN AMERICAN
WATERS.

In the present international struggle
for commercial supremacy some ma
tons create markets, some struggie
Tor them and some and them, bot it
Is not often thar nation finds mar
Ret thrust upon it. such. however is
the situation which obtains between
Cuba and the United States today.
Cuba stands knocking at the door Of
congress asking the United States to
come and sell all the island needs 10
buy. and yet congress seems 10 think
there is a wooden horse concealed in
the offer.
No better opportunity was ever pre-
sented tS make profitable reciprocal
compact. whereby the entire trade OF
Cuba would be turned to the United
States. and this without destroying a
single industry In this country In re-
turn for tarff concessions on Cuban
sugar Cuba offers TO modify her tariff
by fixing a maximum and minimum
rate Cthe latter 10 apply only 10 the
United StateS). amounting to from
is.s per cent to 50 per cent which
would throw Al least IS per cent OF the
islands trade 20 the United States. to
the benef, Of every line OF Sgricult-
uTal and manufacturing industry. We
would under such tariff arrangement
supply all the glass, jewelry, iron,
steel. cotton. linen, wollen and silk
textiles. the lumber, furniture, hard
ware. implements, machinery, bread
stuff. boots. shoes leather goods-in
short we would supply the imports Of
Cuba.
This Is, however. only half of what
Cuba offers. Poor as she Is she IS
now begging and asking us TO look to
clear conscience for our reward.
Cuba is offering valuable exchange
for all concessions granted. The Cuban
/ people propose not only to buy OF the
United States. but they agree to con-
1ne the carrying trade between the
two countries to United States and
Cuban vessels. and 10 grant cuban
registry only TO such vessels as may
hereafter be built In the United States
This Is a most valuable consideration.
The United States coastwise reglla-
tIons now apply between the ports Of
the United States and those OF Porto
Rico. An arrangement such as Cuba
Offers would make them apply praci-
eaily between Cuba and the United
States. and with the entire trade Of
these two islands secure TO US the
commerce Of the Gulf OF Mexico would
be in our hands-a commerce sufici-
emily large to be worthy Of the earn
est efforts Of statesmen anywhere.
The German, Norwegian and Eng
iish vessels which now ply the Gulf
can do 80 with profit only because
Of the trade Of those Islands together
with the trade Of the mainland. With
the certainty Of freight at all Cuban
and Porto Rican ports, and possibly
all those of the Danish West Indies,
American vessels would make stops at
the ports Of Venezuela, Colombia,
Central America and Mexico, and It
is an admitted truth that trade fol-
lows a nations vessels. In this man
ner the peaceable conquest Of all
Spanish American markets bordering
on the Gulf would be secured. This
would be worth to the United States,
both I'm freight and trade. many times
the amount Of duty we should be call
ed upon to sacrifice oy granting sub
stantial reductions Of the present high
dules on raw sugars.
Thus the high moral duty to deal
fairly with Cuba demands that CUba's
prayer be heard; but there is also
an opportunity to make bargain
and make the United States CONNER
cisl marine supreme in American
waters.