The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1903-03-31
er18BUR VA TUEsDA oO3s
Mr.. HAY WARNS CUBA
Slightest Amendment to Reciprocity
Treaty Will Defeat 1t.
FOREIGN INFLUENCES AT WORK

endeaVorins to Defeat Ratification BY
Attacking observation-disclosures Sen.
srate Reports On Treaty In Cuban
Senate.
Washington. March Secretary
Hay has sent a warning to Cuba that
the slightest amendment Of the Cuban
reciprocity treaty by the Cuban cor.
gross. even that which proposes to
make its ratification conditional on the
treaty going into effect during the cur
rent calendar year. certainly would de.
feat the convention itself. sirce any
amendment must be submitted to the
United States senate. ana before that
can be done the date fixed for the final
exchange of Publications. March 81
viii have been passed Mr. Squiers
the United States minister at Havana.
has transmitted this note 20 the Cuban
foreign minister. and he is hopeful that
it will be sufficient to curb the desire
to amend the treaty
II is fully realized here that foreign
influences in Havana. which would he
affected injuriously by the treaty are
working upon Cuban pride to defeat
the ratification by attaching amend.
ments TO the treaty This was fully
expected. and is regarded as within
the legitimate duties of diplomatic rep
resentatives in such cases. but il is be
lieved that the effort will prove IN
successful
Three Reports On Treaty.
Havana. March 2S.-Three separate
reports on the reciprocity treaty with
the United States were presented 10
the senate Yesterday af:ernoos oy he
foreign relations committee one.
signed by the chairman. senior Busta-
mente; the president of the senate.
Senior Capote. and by Senator DOLE.
recommended the approval Of all the
amendments adopted by the United
States senate. Senior Zayas presented
report against the ratification on ac-
count Of the action OF the United
States senate In combining the 90 per
cent reduction on the duty on Cuban
sugar TO the basis OF the tariff rates in
the law Of 1897
Senior Tamayo submitted the third
and adverse report upon all the
amendments. Both the minority re
ports were rejected by the senate The
majority report viii he discussed to
day. and il is expected that it will be
approved by a small majority Its
provision requiring the adoption Of the
treaty by the United States congress
before December /. however, is gen.
orally believed to be fatal TO the
treaty. since the acceptance by the
United States senate Of this provision
is impossible.
President Palma had a two-hour
conference at the palace yester.
day with the entire foreign re-
lations committee of the Cuban SEN
ate. at which every endeavOr was made
TO take definite action in regard to the
limit of time in which the reciprocity
treaty is TO become effective. The mi
nority, however, persisted in its opposi-
ton. OF the three majority senators
on the committee. Seniors Capote and
Doise appeared willing to ratify the
treaty without the time limit condition,
provided Chairman Bustamente. the
chairman. would consent; but the lat
ter as obdurate.
President Palma and Senior Zaldo.
secretary of foreign affairs, offered to
inform the United States government
officially that the treaty would be rati-
fed on the understanding that it would
be operative by the date desired, but
Senior Bustamente insisted that it
should be made legal condition Of ac-
ceptance
All three Of the majority senators
persisted in the belief that the time
limit condition would not damage the
ultimate ratification of the treaty itself.
President Palma and his cabinet be-
lieve the majority of the senate will
adopt the committees majority report