THE CUBA REVIEW. 



offices to which they feel they are en- 

 titled. Dclgado is known to have Presiden- 

 tial aspirations, and as his term in the Sen- 

 ate will soon expire, it is more than likely 

 that he will demand a Cabinet position, 

 either tliat of Secretary of State or Secre- 

 tary of Public Works. 



never would consider a treaty with any for- 

 eign power that would jeopardize the in- 

 terests of the United States in the remotest 

 degree. 



St^aiiislt- 



Cuban 



Treat \. 



On November 12, through 

 the United States Minister 

 in Havana, the State De- 

 partment called on the Cu- 

 ban Government for a statement intended 

 to disclose whether or not the newly nego- 

 tiated treaty between Spain and Cuba con- 

 stitutes such an arrangement as would de- 

 stroy the preferential treatment accorded to 

 the United States imports into Cuba under 

 the existing reciprocity treaty. 



Under the terms of the reciprocity treaty 

 United States imports into Cuba were to 

 have a preferential rate ranging between 25 

 and 40 per cent, in return for a like prefer- 

 ential rate of 20 per cent, on Cuban goods 

 coming into the United States. Now news 

 comes from Madrid that Spain has prac- 

 tically completed a new treaty with Cuba, 

 allowing an abatement of 40 per cent, on 

 Cuban imports into Spain in return for con- 

 cessions of a like nature on Spanish goods 

 entering Cuba. What the State Depart- 

 ment desires to know is whether the rates 

 granted to Spain by Cuba diminish the 

 value of those accorded to the United 

 States. 



Article VIII of the American treaty 

 with Cuba contains this language: 



"The concession herein granted on the 

 part of the said republic of Cuba to the 

 products of the United States shall likewise 

 be and shall continue, during the term of 

 this convention, preferential in respect to 

 all like imports from other countries." 



Spain had been levying her maximum 

 tariff rates upon imports from Cuba, and it 

 may be that the Spanish Government mere- 

 ly proposes to place Cuba on an equality 

 with the minimum tariff countries, in which 

 case it could scarcely be held that the 

 United States would suffer an injustice. 

 But if it should appear that it is proposed 

 by Spain to grant Cuban goods an undue 

 preference, then it may be expected that the 

 maximum rates under the Payne-Aldrich 

 tariff act will be imposed on Spanish 

 goods coming into the United States, 

 while if Cuba accords rates to Spain 

 which diminish the value of the conces- 

 sions in the reciprocity treaty, the 

 United States may avail itself of the pro- 

 visions of Article X of the reciprocity 

 treaty with Cuba and terminate that ar- 

 rangement within six months. 



President Gomez said the same day that 

 the treaty would require the sanction of the 

 Cuban Senate, and that in anv event Cuba 



On November 18 a peti- 

 To tion was received by Presi- 



Use dent Gomez from the Cham- 



Amcrican ber of Commerce of the 

 Money. province of Oriente, the 



chairman of which is Senor 

 Mandulry, the provincial Governor, urging 

 that .Vnierican money be made the currency 

 standard throughout the republic, until such 

 time as Cuba is in a position to establish a 

 national currency. Oriente is now the only 

 province in which only American money is 

 current. 



A bill '.vs introduced November 19 in 

 the Cuban Senate for the establishment of a 

 national currency on the gold basis and sim- 

 ilar to that of the United States. 



The unit of the national currency is to be 

 the gold dollar. This dollar or peso shall 

 have the same monetary value as that of the 

 official currency of the United States of 

 America. 



Gold coin is to be minted in five, ten and 

 twen'y dollar gold p'eces, which will have 

 the same fineness and value as those of the 

 United States. 



The subsidiary currency shall be of silver, 

 nickel and copper of the same denomina- 

 tions, value and fine.iess as those of the 

 United States. 



The issue is to be limited to the actual 

 commercial necessities of the country, all 

 to be determined by . currency commission 

 to be appointed by the Government ; and 

 following the promulgation of the law, such 

 money shall become the legal tender of the 

 republic. 



Under the bill the minting is to be done 

 under a contract which the C'lban Govern- 

 ment is authorized to make with the United 

 States mint provided that the Government 

 of the United States will consent. 



Under the law all coin of whatever de- 

 nomination received t the treasury, except 

 such as may be received for the cancella- 

 tion of the $35,000,000 loan is to con- 

 verted and minted into national money. 



During a period of ten years following 

 the promulgation of 1he law. all moneys due 

 and payable to the state shall be received 

 in the national currency of the United 

 States of America, or in the gold coin of 

 any other country for its intrinsic value. 



The demonetization of the gold, silver, 

 and copper of foreign countries, except that 

 of the United States of America, which 

 shall have the same value as that of the 

 national currency, is fixed in the bill to 

 take place during a period of five years. 

 Foreign moneys will not be received in pay- 

 ment of dues to the government after a 

 period of five years. 



