Evening star., 1933-09-03
PARIS PACT GOVERNS U. S.
RESPONSIBILITY In CUBA
Huge Stake in Maintaining Stable Island
Roosevelt-Platt Amendment Issue.
BY COLEMAN B. JONES.

TINE stake of the United States in
the maintenance of stable gov
ernment and order in Cuba is
i three-fold falling under the
classifications of economics, ma
Gonal security and international pollt1-
cal obligations. All three stem lneN-
| tably from the proximity OF the two
countries and from the large measure
of responsibility which the United
States assumed when it assured the
existence Of Cuba as a republic.
The international aspects of that re-
Sponsibility were shown this week When
Great Britain and Spain made repre-
sentations to the United States for the
protection of their nationals in Cuba
They had been exemplified for weeks
in the efforts of Sumner Welles. Ameri-
can Ambassador to Cuba, to pacify the
domestic political situation on the
| island.
Guantanamo Bay symbolizes most
directly the national security phase of
the unique relationship between the two
nations. The United States naval sta
tion there is one of the most strate-
gically important in the plan for de-
fense of both the mainland and the
Panama Canal Moreover. the main
tenance of sanitary conditions in the
sub-tropical island. while it does not fit
conventionally into the usually accepted
meaning of national security is Of tre-
mendous importance to the United
States in the constant fight against the
invasion OF devastating diseases.
Tariff Discounts Adopted.
The economic interest of the United
States in the stability of government in
Cuba is reflected in the huge American
inv nd no ri
mate trade relations between the two
republics. Largely because Of the ex-
ceptionally favorable tariff discounts
mutually established in the commercial
convention of 1902. about three-fourths
Of Cuba's exports, chiefly sugar, are
disposed Of in the United States. and
about three -f1fths of its imports are
purchased in this country.
American investments in Cuba reach
a total second only to those in Canada
Exceeding the investments in any Other
Latin American country. they are vari-
ously estimated between 81 600 600 900
and 81 500 OOo,oO0 Official reports at
the end of 1880. the year which prob
ably established the peak of the flow Of
American capital abroad. indicated di-
rect investments in Cuban enterprises
totaling S9360000 600 and government
and private loans amounting to Sl3l.-
O0O070 OF the latter sum. s122 900 900
had been loaned to the Cuban govern
Inent S4.0C0000 to municipalities, and
S5 900 900 to corporations.
| The direct investments Of Americans
in Cuban enterprises have not been an
alyzed officially since the end of 1929,
when a total Of s919.00O,000 was indi-
Gated More than half of this, S544-
! 900 1000 was represented. of course. in
/ the Cuban sugar industry. Railroads
accounted for another sll7,000,000 of
| this total. and other forms of trans
portation and communication for S98-
| 900. 900 more About s45 GOO 900 was
! invested in manufacturing enterprises
| s31 100000 in fruit and other agricul-
tural properties. s15.00O.000 in merchan-
| dising. SO 900 900 in petroleum distri
button and about s61 900, 900 in miscel-
laneous undertakings.
Trade Balance Favors Island.
| The balance of trade between thl
! United States and Cuba has been con-
sistently in favor of the island republic
even during the sharp decline of the
depression years and despite the inroads
of the Philippines and Puerto Rico into
! the American market with their duty
free sugar The situation may be Wis
| ualized from the American viewpoint
by the following tabulation: