New-York tribune., 1906-04-09
RECIPROCITY JUSTIFIED.

The Tribune favored the negotiation OF a reel
procity treaty with Cuba on two grOunds-hrst
that it was our duty TO lend the Cubans help
ing hand in their efforts to revive the islands
industries. and secondly. that mutual tarih con
| cessons would stimulate trade in both direc-
tionS and enlarge our sales as well as our pur-
chases. Opponents of the reciprocity policy
sneered at it as an outbreak of misguided sen
timentalism. and asserted that we were simply
surrenderng a fifth of our tariff revenue on
Cuban tobacco and sugar in the vain hope of
ngthening our position a seller in the
Cuban market. The Cubans, we were told, were
accustomed to make their purchases in Europe
and if they prospered through our assistance
France. Spain. Great Britain and Germany
would be the only gamers 1t is worth while to
recall these prophecies two years after the event
and to test their soundness by our actual ex-
perence under the Bliss-ZaldO treaty. The
treaty was proclaimed on December %. 1903, so
| that by contrasting our Cuban trade in the
calendar year 1903 with our Cuban trade in the
calendar year 1905 we can get a fair idea Of the
! conventions effectiveness I'm broadening our
Cuban market.
| 1t was a foregone conclusion that our imports
from Cuba would rapidly increase. Cuba pro
duces two staples-sugar and tohacCo-whch we
consume in enormous quantities. Even without
concessions we should take practically as much
of these two products as the Cuban growers of
fered us. The 20 per cent discount in duty al
| lowed under the treaty doubtless stimulated
Cuban industry and brought to this country
supplies which might not otherwise have been
produced In two years according to figures
just issued by the Bureau Of Statistics of the
Department of Commerce and Labor Cuba's s
sales in this country have increased in amount
from S5I,22S291 to $685.. .S56-a gain Of 66
per cent. In sugar alone the importatiOns in
1908 reached n value of $72,649,S1S-a gain over
1903 of 100 per cent Tobacco importations
have grown but slowly by comparison, the gain
in 1905 over 1903 in tobacco leaf and cigars
being n little less than $3,000000. or % per
cent. Fruit is beginning to come in more rap
idly. however, the bananas sent from Cuba in
1905 being valued at 81. .236.O2S.
With our tropical and semi tropical neghbors
we must expect to have an adverse trade bal
anee We offer an unlimited market for their
products. and they can consume only relatively
small quantity of ours. Yet as they grow in
wealth they rapidly enlarge their purchases
While Cubas imports to the United States have
| Increased in two years by G6 per cent. our i'm
ports to Cuba have increased by 90 per cent
We sent 10 the island in 1909 goods valued at
! $23j0441I But in 1905 our sales amounted to
S4A569S12 The benefits Of this increased trade
! have been widely distributed Our steel and
| iron exports have risen in value from 81 461 Q37
! 10 F7fS7-"'' EAPoTIS OF DootS ana shoes nave
! doubled in quantity, flour shipments have in
creased % per cent. lumber shipments 100 per
! cent. cotton cloth shipments 400 per cent. and
new and important market has been found for
! the Southern rice planter rice exports to Cuba
! which amounted in 1903 to $15 having grown
! In value in 1905 to $S45,049 The BIiss-Zaldo
! treaty has proved an excellent bargain both for
the Cuhans and for ourselves. In so doing it
| has completely cOnfounded the critics who so
| long opposed it frivolous stand pat
! grounds