Evening star., 1933-08-17
De CESPEDES ASKS
OPEN j. S. MARKET
Cuban Prosperity Depends
on Fairer Sugar Terms,
Correspondent Told.
BY COL. FREDERICK PALMER.

b1 SOL. fhEDEnlSh L ThLNALhs
By Wireless to The Star.
HAVANA, August 17.-"For II years
have worked around plan for
new reciprocity treaty with the United
States" said President Manuel Carlos
De Cespedes of Cuba in talk I have
just had with him. We ask the United
States to agree to the treaty not only
out of friendship, but because OF our
common economic interest.
Cuba asks that Americas great mar
ket be opened to her sugar Oh fairer
terms. Unless this Is done, Cuba can
not prosper again"
AS walked through the halls of the
presidential palace while the new gov
ernment came to grips with its eco
nomic problems the walls seemed to
take voice in joining in the national
chorus of Buy our sugar or we cannot
buy goods from you" The man who
had succeeded rough-heWn. ruthless
Gerardo Machado at the presidential
desk might have been taken at first
glance as having risen from the study
of a collection of old prints to receive
fellow connoisseur in his library.
Besieged BY Callers.
When I first met him there was a
press of callers waiting in the lobby to
see him A few hours later men were
busy with mopS and pals clearing the
marble floors. An attendant policeman
said there would be no further recep-
tions until the following day
However. David Hitchman. jamaican
by birth and perfect neutral in Cuban
politics who served under Gen. FitZhugh
Lee in the American occupation Of
nr1@ ia, bn rf,1N So
Cuban President since that day came
to my rescue when I told him had an
appointment. David took me to the
President, who seemed to be secluded
as quietly as he had been i'll his en-
baSsy in Washington or abroad. al
though there were more papers on his
desk demanding immediate attention
and more telephone calls to answer.
AS a boy l lived in the United
States said the President. Then I
went back as Cuban Minister to Wash
ington I feel that I understand your
people and now that the veil has been
lifted your people will better under
stand mine.
1T is time for candor. We recognize
the United States as our greatest and
best friend To your timely aid we owe
our independence. You took up arms
for our cause in 1898. inSuring the sue
cess of our long struggle which my
father, began in 1868 and to which he
gave his life
Gratitude Shown.
I'VE willingly gave proof of all the
gratitude in our power as small ma
ton in our immediate declaration OF
war when you entered the World War
and in promptly placing our army. our
sugar and all our productive capacity
Iicnncol Wa the tlfSt OF
allied nations to repay in fun her war
loan to you
When I referred to the American
part in the recent crisis leading TO the
overthrow of Machado, President De
Cespedes said. Il knew Ambassador
Welles as young man in your State
Department. He has borne out the
promise 1 saw in him then by his able
craftsmanship and diplomacy. His medi-
alton in the political conflict has pre-
pared the way for the second period OF
our national rise In the first period,
you may have had reason at times to
associate Cuban rule with conception
that is not uncommon in the United
States about Latin American countries.
Ours was a cruel history under
colonial system. Naturall and inevitably
came our leaders They were born un-
der colonial tyranny and could not alto
gether escape the influences of its pre-
cepts."
Judging by the youth of the leaders
of the new regime said. the younger
generation of Cuba has certainly come
into its own"
The President smiled and mentioned
his own age. Il find myself an elder
among my young cabinet officers and
co-workers," he declared. Il hope that
with my long experience in European
and American as well as home affairs
I may serve with little of the wisdom
and spirit eXerted by Benjamin Frank
lin among the Young statesmen of your
revolution of ITS
Il have been impressed with how
many OF your young statesmen speak
English WELL I said.
Influenced by L. S. Culture.
They have been much in the United
States and under the influence of your
culture and institutions rather than the
European" President CeSpedes replied.
This very meaSurably differentiateS
Cuban habits from that of other Latin
American nations which are less ac-
cessible to the United States. Our
youth go to New York and Washington
rather than to Paris and Madrid for
many of their ideas and ideals. But
We shall always remain fundamentally
Latin in culture with its classic strain.
though the breadth of outlook which
makes for world civilization and cul-
ture invites us to share in and profit
by your culture. progress and organl-
zation. Geographically we are your
nearest island neighbor, and flight has
brought us still nearer to you in
two-hour plane service between Miami
and Havana.
~
eminent have the same spirit to mould
Cuba's future in the second period of
this republic as the soldiers of our rev.
olution had in freeing Cuba to enable
her to begin the first period of her
national existence. The first duty Of
the new era is to establish liberty, JUS
tice and order from which happiness
will flow. Liberty requires the freedom
of the press and of the courts of JUS
tice. which are ruthlessly suppressed
under the recent regime"
And then? - I asked.
Economic Problem Pressing.
"The supreme. pressing and very try
ing problem is financial and economic"
the President answered Cuba was
the first nation to suffer from the world
depression. Her misfortune is singular
ly hard owing to the eXtravagant spend
Ing OF prodlgal borrowings by the re-
cent regime in the era of high pros
perity. Once We have Strengthened out
the tangle of maladministration and of
corruption we must continue with Sc
we're economy in an honest admins
tration to meet all our obligations and
insure the complete restoration of
credit. Our wickedly onerous and COM
plex system of taxation must be re-
placed by scientific system.
Our great staple is sugar. You buy
much of the sugar you consume from
sources remote from your shores. The
dollars you spend for our sugar are re-
turned to you in the purchase of your
goods We aspire to become your best
customer. Are you not willing to ex-
tend to US just opportunity to become
so to our mutual economic and finan-