New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-01-31
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR.
THE SITUATION IN CUBA.
ronsiticns Favor Europe, Even Under Reel
,rocity Treaty-A Suggested Remedy.

- -. Editor OF The Tribune.
~ rirst-Cuba distant but FIVE hours from the
,-,,tsd states has annual volume OF rapidly IN
--.s,,1 trade Of s7O,OOOOoO 20 SsOOOO.OOo.
e,o,d-IN eo-thirds of II is in Europe's hands ana
81 ~ II is carried by foreign flags.
r-bi-s-Iow freight rates from Europe and her
= t,rn,s OF credit 20 Cuba OF six. nine and even
..rs've months. have greatly aided this result.
7ourth-The United States buys and consumes
ut seven-eighths Of Cuba's products, while Eu-
me has the principal selling trade to Cuba. and
lies the bulk Of the latter's imports and ex-
is even TO the United States
ssftb-The reciprocity treaty between Cuba ana
-, United States IS for five years. and, broadly
-.sLing comedies TO the latter (a) Twenty per
- On all articles OF merchandise not hereinafter
enumerated. and being the product OF the SOIL
= ,,austrv Of the United States. which are not now
,Tnorted into the republic of Cuba free OF duty
~ twenty-five per cent on machinery ana appa-
,tps Of copper In which copper or its alloys are
,bs component OF chief value; iron and steel ana
,snufactures thereof articles OF crystal and glass
fsxcept window glass; iron or steel SHIPS WINS
-, brsndes fish, ordinary pottery and earthen-
.rs CNote-The Cuban tariff on most imported
,,.cbirery runs from 10 per cent TO % per cent az
Iorsm iron and steel 40 cents to s. per 100 kilos
ss, pounds): crystal 81 10 $40 per 100 kilos nsh'
% e per 100 kilos: ordinary pottery and earthen-
ware 80 cents to Sc per 100 klos) (c) Thirty per
cent on butter wheat. -four, corn and corn hour'
cornmeal chemicals drugs. malt liquors In poVues'
non-alcoholc beverages, cider, mineral "ateIs'
colors dyes window glass articles OF hemp max
pta henequin rarnle, musical instruments Nrluhg
ana printing paper Except for newspapers, cotton
and its manufactures except knitted gooos)' cut
lery boots shoes, slippers. gold and silver plated
ware, drawings. photographs engTaVlngs' huo-
graphs, etc; all other papers except paper io'
cigarettes and excepting maps and charts PASTE
board and its manufactures. common soaps, Nese~
tables Cpickled or preserved all wines, except com
barrels and halI-DaTfttS- A-NOlS
The Cuban tariff butter is s. per 100 kilos
(2zpa pounds; wheat flour 81 per 100 kilos; corn
four 90 cents per 100 kilos ordinary window glass.
s. 40 per 100 kiOs; boots shoes and slippers 10 or Is
valorem most cotton goods IS cents IS cents per
kio; common soap. So per 100 kios; ordinary toilet
soap. 80 per 100 kios; vegetables picked or pre-
served % per cent ad valoreml I'D Forty per cent
on all manufactures OF cotton knitted cheese pre-
served fruits paper pup peTIumery' LlIIngi pr
lain higher grade soaps. umbrellas; parasols deH-
rice cattle (Aote-The Cuban tariff on cheese Is
IS per 100 ilos (22oi2 pounds; preserved fruits 2
rice leading import. and the foot Of the usual
cargo. 81 per 100 kilos; cattle, each, 81
snifs 20 f5 shove oncest,ons Viii still retain
the major part of Cuba's trade. and do almost Il.
its carrying even to American ports.
Seventh-The treaty will benefit Cuba and Europe.
but njure the United States. not only in the near
future, but will later mper the international reia
commerce and interests at very door
Remedy-fa) Let the American Congress pass the
the friendly annexation Of Cuba which the latter
will gladly accept and which is the only soiU-
ton for both countries; or. Oh authorize President
Roosevelt to negotiate with Cuba for commercial
agreements, IN which reciprocal and equivalent
concessions may be secured I'm favor Of the products
and mangfa ctures Of the United States whenever,
IN his judgment 1t shall be for the interest of the
United States so TO do; (c) require all goods
affected by the reciprocity treaty to be transport
built in the United States, thus driving European
interests from Cuban waters and reviving our mer-
oustryl. which will serve as much needed reserve
tor our navy; or. td( grant free eoastwise trade
Havana Cuba. January 20. 1904.
assuming our correspondents statement OF
the present conditions of Cuban trade and OF
the tariff rates and changes to be made under
the reciprocity treaty 10 be correct, we must
still regard his conclusions and recommends
tons. or at least one of the latter as a non
seQuitur. Why should the fact that Cuban
custom house charges are based on weight
operate to give Europe the greater part OF
Cuba's trade? Why cannot the United States
capture that trade under reciprocity now, as it
did ten years ago? Are we to understand that
freight rates cannot be made as low be-
tween the United States and Cuba as between
Europe and Cuba? Cannot American merchants
give Cuba as favorable terms OF credit as Eu-
ropean merchants do? Are we to understand
that Americans while they can compete sue
cessfully with other nations on even terms in
other markets, cannot compete with their Euro
pean rivals in the Cuban market not even
when they have an advantage of from 20 to 40
per cent in tariff rates? Are Americans unable
to effect commercial conquests without first
making political concuests? We have no OBJ
lection TO even closer commercial relations with
Cuba and a fuller measure Of reciprocity. and
We should like TO see the carrying trade be-
tween the two countries in American and Cuban
vessels. But cannot for a moment concede
that the only way TO attain such ends is to take
Cuba into this Union