THE CUBA REVIEW 



13 



cotton goods for instance, the United States could compete advantageously. Spain has 

 fully realized the importance of Cuba's trade, and carefully studies and caters to it. 



The figures for Cuba's imports from foreign countries for the year 1914 are not yet available 

 and a more thorough analysis of her imports is not yet possil^le, but American manufacturers 

 and exporters should carefully study Cuba's demand for all kinds of textiles and cotton jute, 

 all kinds of manufactured articles of metal, china and porcelain, glass ware, leather and 

 leathered manufactured goods, rubber, gutta percha. paper and office furnishings, paints 

 and varnishes, oils, greases, resin, etc., various grades of edibles and beverages, arms, watches, 

 perfumery, all kinds of woods, carriage and automobile accessories, seeds and all kinds of 

 agricultural implements. 



CONSUL GENERAL ROGERS VIEWS ON CUBAN 

 TRADE 



In an address delivered recently before the 

 Jacksonville Chamber of Commerce the fol- 

 lowing is an instructive and interesting pre- 

 sentation of the views of one who is well quali- 

 fied to speak on this subject: 



"In precedence to all else, let me say that 

 probably no country of the globe surpasses 

 Cuba in natural fertility, and it is to be 

 doubted if any area has produced as much 

 wealth in the same length of time from the 

 soil. Cuban agriculture has given rich return 

 and that with little effort. At the present 

 time about ten per cent of the arable land of 

 the republic is under cultivation, and yet in 

 the year of 1913, the value of exports, of which 

 90 per cent accrued directlj' or indirectly from 

 agriculture— was $164,000,000, while that of 

 home consumption of native products was 

 certainly half as much more. It seems almost 

 incredible that a country having a population 

 of only two and a half millions, of which nearly 

 a million is of urban domicile, having but 

 little manufacturing aside from that necessi- 

 tated by the two great crops of susar and 

 tobacco, and having as yet comparatively 

 little diversified agriculture, could produce 

 such annual wealth from so small an area. 

 Nevertheless, it is done and moreover is ac- 

 complished with an ease ^vliich renders the 

 marvel of it all the more striking. Nature has 

 been prodigal indeed in her bounty to Cuba. 

 There has been given a soil of almost unex- 

 ampled richness, a clunate which is that of the 

 semi-tropics, a rainfall which in volume is suf- 

 ficient for the need — and in addition a con- 

 figuration, which means that all the products 

 of the island are accessible to transportation 

 facilities. In view of all these facts, it is of 

 small wonder that the world has come to 

 speak of the recuperative powers of Cuba, and 

 to regard the people as of those who should 

 consider themselves blessed with special privi- 

 leges and immunities. 



That the world shares Cuba's wealth-pro- 

 ducing powers is shown by the imports. These 

 in 1913 amounted in value to about $143,- 

 000,000, of which about 36 per cent repre- 

 sented foodstuffs, and about 20 per cent other 

 necessities of life. When to the proportion of 

 the whole is added that of machinery, metals, 

 chemicals and earth products, amounting to 

 nearly 30 per cent, it can be seen how much 

 Cuba depends upon the world. But this 

 purchasing power for things aboard and for 

 those of local production is more remarkable 



than the wealth production when it is con- 

 sidered that so large a proportion of the ex- 

 port wealth is accounted for by sugar and 

 tobacco, much of the values of which do not 

 return to Cuba. Truly, it may be said that 

 Cuba is anomalous in her economic facts, and, 

 therefore, gives to students of such matters a 

 peculiar field. It is hard to adjust the theories 

 and principles which arise, and the layrnen, 

 therefore, are justified in contending them- 

 selves in attributing all things to the inherent 

 richness of the country. It is always safe to 

 regard Cuba as a country of marvelous wealth- 

 producing powers and a wonderful market for 

 products adapted to the needs and necessities 

 of the land and its people. 



Of the value of the ex-ports of Cuba, the 

 United States prior to 1913 paid about 86 per 

 cent. In 1913, owing to the shipment of 

 sugar to Europe, we paid for 80 per cent. Of 

 the total export values, sugar represented in 

 1913 about 71.6 per cent, tobacco and tobacco 

 products about 19.2 per cent and vegetables 

 about 2 per cent. Of the sugar-value in 1913, 

 we took 87 per cent, of that of tobacco and 

 tobacco products 59.02 per cent; of fruits and 

 vegetables, 91.13 per cent. The other exports 

 with the exception of iron ore, of which we 

 took all, comes to us in lesser proportion of the 

 whole. Our export to Cuba account for 

 nearly 53 per cent of the total value. That 

 we do not make a better showing in this rela- 

 tion is not due, as many have stated loosely, 

 to the indifference of the Cuban, but simply 

 to the fact that we do not produce or cannot 

 sell many of the important things needed. 

 This list includes certain foodstuffs, demanded 

 by a Latin people, certain textiles we do not 

 produce, and certain wares of various kinds 

 can be supplied by Europe at prices below 

 ours, despite our reciprocity benefit. 



To explain this further, you must remember 

 that foodstuffs account for 35 per cent of the 

 total value of importations, and of the food- 

 stuffs we supply only 45 per cent. If we 

 could give them rice and jerked beef, and 

 Spanish wines and many other things the na- 

 tional taste demands, our percentage would be 

 increased materially. Again textiles, and 

 especially cotton goods of certain kinds suit- 

 able for the climate and the usuages, account 

 for 123^ per cent, and of these we supply only 

 221/2 per cent of the whole. 



There is a logical explanation for not only 

 our share in the total value, but also in rela- 

 tion to every item which goes to make up 

 these values. Our reciprocitj^ advantage, in 



