THE CUB A R E \' 1 E W 



says tli.Tt if there are any financial re- 

 sponsil)ilitios they helong h> Spain, ami not 

 t<i C"nl)a. 



Neio 



Rccifi'ority 



Treaty 



On February 12th Wash- 

 ington despatches said that 

 President Taft had begun 

 the negotiation of a reci- 

 procity treaty with Cuba. 

 Secretary Knox has held a number of con- 

 ferences with Sr. Rivera, the Cuban min- 

 ister, as to the drafting of .' new conven- 

 tion, especially in connection with duties on 

 sugar. The Cuban minister declined to 

 discuss his activity in this regard, but it is 

 understood that Cuba, e.xpecting present 

 sugar duties to be diminished, feels there 

 may be a necessity for a readjustment of 

 the preferential rates given to the republic. 



On the sul)ject of the treaty Cuban Secre- 

 tary of State Sanguily is quoted as express- 

 ing the following opinion : 



"The Cuban government for several 

 months, in harmony v.ith the Chamber of 

 Commerce and Planter's League, has been 

 trying to tind a way to extend the present 

 reciprocity treaty for another five years. 

 The idea has been to guard against any 

 new economic policy that might be started 

 in the United States. 



"In the meanwhile we have sought a 

 favorable opportunity for negotiating a new 

 treaty which will sufficiently protect Cuban 

 sugar and also favor as much as possible 

 our tobacco, but without success." 



Despatches from Washington on Feb- 

 ruary i4th were of the follov/ing tenor: 



Of the nature of the ne^v treaty little 

 can be stated at this time, but it is under- 

 stood that the Cubans will be expected to 

 relinquish some of the advantages they en- 

 joy under the article which now admits all 

 of their sugar, tobacco and other products 

 into the United States at a reduction of 

 20 per cent from the rates paid by other 

 countries. Although certain classes of 

 American products are given reductions of 

 duty when imported into Cuba amounting 

 to from 20 to 40 per cent, it is asserted that 

 the advantage has been shown to be largely 

 in favor of Cuba. 



The United States Tobacco Journal says 

 the negotiations for a new treaty lirings in 

 an opportunity for the Havana importing 

 interests. It says : 



"If ever, now is the chance for our Ha- 

 vana importing interests to make a drive 

 for having a uniform duty rate inserted in 

 the new treaty under preparation liy our 

 State Department." 



Some time ago there was a report that 

 Germany was endeavoring to obtain a 

 coaling station in Cuban waters. An ex- 

 change of telegrams between the United 

 States and the Cuban government failed to 

 disclose such purpose. 



Shi]) captains may now 

 May emplii^v their own crew, 



I'sc 1/ieir including stevedores to do 

 Crci^s the stowing away and un- 



loading of cargo on board, 

 and may import them for that purpose, 

 and shippers of sugar may employ the em- 

 ployees of sugar mills to handle their car- 

 goes on shore, according to a resolution 

 by the Cuban Treasury Department to the 

 collector of customs at Alanzanillo. It 

 therefore becomes a general law to be en- 

 forced at all Cuban ports. 



What brought about this important rul- 

 ing was the action of the stevedores of 

 Alanzanillo, who complained to the gov- 

 ernment that their occupation had been 

 taken from them by just such proceedings 

 of captains of sugar-carrying vessels as is 

 now allowed under the ruling. The ques- 

 tion was referred to the Department of 

 Agriculture. Commerce and Labor, which 

 decided as follows : 



"There is no law in existence which can 

 be cited to prohibit masters of vessels 

 from loading and unloading their vessels 

 with their own crews, or even to import 

 workmen to work on board the vessels; 

 neither is there a law to prohibit owners 

 of mills from using their own employees 

 to load their products on the vessels." 



I'romineiit men of affairs in f'nha.— Hon. Jose 

 Manuel Rabe, the recently appointed secretary of 

 public works. He is a thoroughly trained engineer, 

 a graduate of Troy University and well equipped 

 for his post. He speaks English well. 



