The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-02-17
REcIPRocIrY wIrH CUBA.


Statistics has just Issued statement OF
our sales TO Cuba during 1904. evidently
for the purpose of insttuting a comparison
Of the trade OF that year. under the rect
procity treaty, with the sales Of the proceed
ing year. The showing apparently makes
a good case for reciprocity, An increase
is shown Of $50 per cent Tho sales Of 1903
were s23. 5o4, All, and those Of 1904 were
t3o, eA.345.
While a fair percentage OF this Increase
Is properly attributable 70 the operation
of the treaty, some consideration must be
given to other factors. The most important
OF these is the increase In Cuba purchasing
power "a a result Of her increased agri"
cultural prosperity. and the distribution OF
SIS, 900, 900 or so among her people through
the payment of the soldiers claims, Tor
which provision was made by the Cuban
national loan.
About 81 600. 900 Of the increase appears
in the item OF -four. We have long supplied
Cuba with her -four, usually directly, though
sometimes by the way OF Spain. and would
still do so, reciprocity or no reciprocity.
The increase OF 81 ,2oo, 900 in the item OF cattle
belongs properly 10 reciprocity In the
adjustment OF Cuba's tariff schedules We
secured 20 per cent. advantage over all
competitors on this item. Such articles
as lard lumber. coal. corn, mineral oil.
naval stores, typewriters. sewing machines
and considerable additional list have no
meaning in connection with the reciprocity
treaty. Other laws give us kind OF FIRST
mortgage on that trade. part, at least.
Of the Increase In sales Of boots and shoes,
furniture. paper. leather and few other
items may rightly be credited TO the treaty.
The effect OF reciprocity is most clearly
shown in the item of cotton cloth aud manu-
features Of cotton. in which the increase lie
from s507 aSs in 1908 to 81 oil .ss4 in le0L Yet
even that Is probably less tran Is per cent
OF Cuba s imports Of such goods.
Reciprocity has unquestionab had some
effect on our sales to Cuba. But il Is still
too early for any final judgment Of the sue
cess or the failure Of the plan. Two strong
factors appear. One Is in the fact that
long established trade connections with
Europe are not easily sundered. The other
is In the more serious fact that Arneri-
can merchants labor under the mis-
taken impression that reciprocity relieves
them of any necessity for active personal
canvass Of the Cuban market. The for
eign merchant sells his wares on open ac-
count or long time credit. The American
wants prompt cash. The foreign merchant
pushes for trade. The American thinks
that reciprocity should bring him orders
without solicitation. We shall not know
what force there actually is in reciprocity
treaties until both OF these axes are
fairly corrected. Trade Is an elusive bird,
and requires chasing
Our percentage of Cubas trade cannot
be estimated until she has reported her
total imports and submitted her import
valuation Of American shipments. Those
will probably he some 81 ,oo0,O or 5000
600 more than the figures given as the value
Of American exports. just why this is so
no man can say. but the discrepancy APP
pears in all statements Of export and import
figures and with all countries. Amateur
statisticiaas are oft misled and deceived
thereby The percentage Of recent years.
based. as such Ell q 40 should be. on
Cuba's official import tables, STANDS as
follows