Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-06-09
CJJBA'S ECONOMIC STRIDE
LINKED WITH AMERICAS
Modern Architecture and Business Meth
DDS Contrast Oddly With Lingering
Traces of Spanish Regime.

more influence than the historical and
moral factors mentioned are the eco
nomic elements, which serve to
strengthen that which geography and
history had already accomplished;
that is, to identify the interests OF
Cuba with those of the United States.
Sugar Great Industry.
The economic system of the island
IS in reality very closely bound to that
of the United States. Cuba, like some
other Latin American countries. has one
great industry. Nature has especially
endowed the island with soil and sun
best fitted for producing sugar cane.
to such an extent that as sugar pro-
Queer she has no competitor anywhere
in the world. All Cuba is given over
to the sugar industry; the national
treasury depends upon it, the private
fortunes of her planters depend upon
it; in short, the general prosperity of
the island varies with the ups and
downs of the sugar industry. And al
most all of this enormous amount of
sugar is shipped to the ports of Uncle
Sam. Hence it is easy to understand
the Importance to Cuba of her COM
mercial relations with the United
States.
AS result of this sugar trade, Cuba
buys her manufactured articles in the
United States, and is the best GUS
toner of that country in Latin Arneri-
ca, for she alone buys more than all
the other Latin American nations put
together, excepting only Mexico. Hence
the United States has a special inter-
est in the prosperity of the island, be-
cause Cuba is her best customer! Lastly,
American capital is interested in Cuba
In enormous amounts that reach fabu-
lous totals. Cuba's own greatest source
OF wealth, her sugar industry, is largely
in the hands of American capital. All
this goes to make the economic life of
Cuba depend, almost entirely, upon the
United States.
World War Prosperity.
This has been even too we'll proven
oy the recent experiences with sugar
On account of the World War the
United States bought immense quanti-
ties of Cuban sugar, which produced
sudden and extraordinary prosperity
in the island. Great fortunes were
made in few weeks, and the progress
of the country made great strides.
When this war demand ceased and the
price of sugar went down there was a
serious crisis. When Cuba had begun
to recover from it, and her commerce
with the United States had reached new
peaks, the United States Congress de-
cided to raise the tariff on sugar, and
from that moment the economic depres-
sion in the island has continued to
increase. Proof of this is seen In the
trade index of commerce with the
United States. which has been lower
each year. Since the increase in the
sugar tariff commercial interchange
has decreased 35 per cent, to the injury
of the American exporter
Now another increase in the sugar
tariff is proposed, and an unfavorable
economic reaction has been felt in the
island. 1t is plain that such an increase,
If approved will bring about an eco
nomic crisis in Cuba of such proper
tions as to be almost impossible of
solution. The Cubans declare that in
the solution of this problem, and on
account of the importance of the COM
mercial ties between the two countries,
the United States should take just as
deep an interest in solving it as do
the Cubans themselves.
This is what one hears constantly
in these days from the planters Of the
| island, who seem more preoccupied
with the sugar problem and the pro-
posed tariff increase than they were
even with the presidential inaugura-
ton of Gen. Machado. for which the
whole country has been in gala attire.