The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1903-01-02
WASHINGTON LETTER.


From our regular correspondent.
WASHINGTON, Dec. goth, 1902.
The sanguine view of the Venezuelan
situation taken i'll my letter of week
ago proves, in the light of subsequent
events, to have been amply warranted.
Not only have all the parties to the diff
ficulty consented to submit their differ
ences to arbitration but they have accept
ed the suggestion of the United States
and will employ the good Offices of the
Hague Tribunal. Numerous admins
trative details remain to be perfected and
even some more important contentious on
the part of the Powers await final settle
ment, but it is known that Secretary Hay
has already begun work on the prelim-
mary protocol which, when signed, will
confide to the Hague the arbitrament of
the many claims and differences There
was time during the past week when it
was feared that the President would be
compelled to accept the onerous task of
arbitrating the case, such being the
wishes of the Allies, but Secretary Hay
with great diplomacy succeeded in max
ing it clear that it would be an imposition
to ask the President to perform so difficult
and thankless an undertaking, and EN-
phasized the wisdom of following the
example of this country in the Plus Fund
and honoring the international tribunal
which all the Powers involved had estab-
lished for emergencies similar to the
present.
*x*
Second in Importance to the satisfactory
progress of the Venezuelan negotiations,
has been the publication of the terms OF
the Cuban treaty negotiated in Havana
by General Tasker H. Bliss, acting under
the instructions of Secretary Hay. The
general trend of the treaty was outlined
in these letters some weeks ago but now
absolute facts can be stated. The reduction
from prevailing tariff rates provided is &c
per cent on all goods not OH the free list
at the present time, but in addition, the
United States receives large number Of
special discounts which, in the judgment
! of the administration, will secure to the
manufacturers and producers of thi:
country an absolute monopoly of the
Cuban trade. So far as it has been pos
sible. to ascertain, members of Congress
| nall ,>1oaco1 NTH ofxr wi oh
they regard as a triumph for American
diplomacy. Several have predicted that
the convention will be promptly ratified.
The President has skilfully forestalled the
iminent discussion as to the respective
prerogatives of the Senate and the House
by announcing that if the Senate ratified
the treaty without reference to the House
he would Immediately send message to
Congress asking for enabling legislation
*x*
Under the provisions of the treaty,
Cuban products entering the United States
will do so at uniform discount of 20 pei
cent from the Dingley rates and the pro
| uu(lo vi luC CullCu SldlCS Suod
will receive concession Of 20 per cent
from the lowest Cuban tariff assessed or
similar goods from other countries ex.
cept when otherwise provided, the ex.
ceptions being instances where special
discounts of rs, 80 and 40 per cent are al
lowed. 1t is worthy of note that even
with the 20 per cent discount, the pro
ducers of beet sugar will still enjoy q
protection Of one and one-third cents pei
pound against Cuban competition. Agri
cultural products receive special consid
Grafton, TO wit, 80 per cent discount on
butter, raw cotton and wool, 40 per cent
on rice, etc. Manufactured cotton and
wooden goods receive discount of 40 pei
cent, while manufacturers of iron and
steel and the raw material, receive dis
counts of rs per cent, and silk goods,
watches, umbrellas, etc., receive a dis
count of 40 per cent.
~
The so called "open doc, policy" in the
Philippines is occasioning much per
plexity in the War Department and the
Senate committee on Philippines. Great
Britain and Germany have protested
against what they claim is a failure on
the part of this country to maintain that
policy. In evidence of such failure they
cite the case of Manila hemp and fibre
on which the Philippine Commission
with sanction of Congress- has imposed
an export duty of 81. so per ton, which
duty, however, is RENTED when the
product is shipped to the United States
Senator Lodge of the Philippine COM
mittee has always argued that the oper
door policy must stand, and for that rea
son no advantage could be afforded to the
United States on goods shipped into the
Philippines, but it now looks as though
The Administration holds that as a pos
session of the United States the Phil
ippines cannot be bound by the policy
but must be regarded in the light of col
onies, to which foreign nations have nc
greater right to expect equal import and
export duties than they have to expect
such duties in importing from or export,
ing to the British colonies, for instance.
It is said that while the Peace Commits
sion made some pledges in regard to such
policy, it was because the Commission