File No. 611.3731/21.
[Inclosure—Translation.]
The Cuban Secretary of
State to the American
Minister.
State Department,
Habana, March 17,
1911.
My Dear Mr. Jackson: I beg personally to
draw your attention to one of the two notes which you kindly handed
me the day before yesterday—the one referring to the preferential
reduction upon sugar imported from the United States. The indication
conveyed in that note places the Cuban Government in a very
difficult situation. You will recall that ever since it was known
here, last October, that the next Brussels convention would penalize
Cuban sugars if we should not place ourselves in the position
previously demanded, I approached you, relying upon the invariable
kindness with which you have always treated me, with the request
that you inquire of the United States Government its opinion as to
whether any step upon our part that should lower the duties on
sugars imported into Cuba could, in the judgment of the American
Government, affect the benefits accorded American industry under the
treaty of commercial reciprocity in force.
As I took the liberty on several occasions to recall the matter to
your attention, and as I received no reply of any kind from your
Government indicating that such a measure might be regarded as
contrary to the terms of the treaty in question, the Cuban
Government legitimately understood that no difficulty existed and
that indeed the matter was of no real interest to the United
States.
In the circumstances the Cuban Government thought itself free to
proceed as the menaced interest of Cuba’s principal industry
recommended; hence, upon recommendation of one of the departments of
the Government, the President sent a message to Congress
recommending a measure to avert the Brussels menace.
In pursuance of that message, Congress passed and the President of
the Republic sanctioned the law reducing the duty on imported sugar,
published in the Gaceta Oficial of February 25 this year.
Neither when the message in question became public, nor during the
discussion of the bill to which it gave rise, nor from the date (ut
supra) of the promulgation of the law until the 16th instant, had
this Department received any intimation from the Government of the
United States. Therefore, despite its purpose to avoid all
difficulty, it was impossible that the Cuban Government should not
consider that, in the opinion of the United States Government, it
was authorized to assume itself absolutely free to act as it did in
aid of the exportation of Cuban sugar to European markets,
especially in view of the fact that, the importation of sugar from
the United States to Cuba being of such insignificant quantity, we
inferred that this circumstance was the reason why, during such a
long period, the American Government should have abstained from
offering timely suggestions. The Cuban Government, at least, was
justified in this inference, since as a matter of fact the total
importation of sugar from the United States to Cuba during the
entire (fiscal) year 1908–9 amounted to but 1,565 pounds, valued at
$74, and of refined sugar 40,422 pounds, valued at $1,830.
And the Cuban Government has acted in such good faith that in
reducing the sugar schedule of the tariff it went even further than
the requirements of the Brussels Convention.
But now, my dear Mr. Minister, your note creates for Cuba and her
Government a situation as delicate as it is embarrassing, for since
even in the case of an American export so utterly insignificant as
that of sugar, as shown by the figures I have quoted above, the
Government which you so worthily represent takes the stand indicated
in your note of the 16th—with which Cuba is now for the first time
acquainted—the Cuban Government must apply again to Congress to
reestablish the former status, to the consequent amazement of
Europe, our own damage, and with no compensating advantage to
American industry that would justify the exaction of such a painful
sacrifice upon the part of our Government. Unless, indeed, the
American Government, in whose sense of justice and unquestioned and
positive friendship our country so thoroughly confides, shall
overlook this incident, of which we do not feel that we are in the
least responsible, especially when, by waiting a little, it may turn
out that the law passed by the Cuban Congress is inefficacious for
the end contemplated because of the possible predominance among the
signatories of the Brussels Convention of the idea that Cuba is
favored by advantages regarded by them as
[Page 106]
“bounties” (“Primas”) in the terms of the
treaty of commercial reciprocity with the United States, rather than
by the protection of her own tariff.
I have taken the liberty, by dear Mr. Jackson, to offer you this
brief statement of the situation brought about by the note of your
Government, with the idea of getting around these unexpected
difficulties, so that, without detriment to legitimate interests,
our dignity shall not suffer, and, above all, to the end that by no
means shall any alteration occur in the affectionate, sincere, and
cordial friendship which binds our countries and their Governments,
with the assurance in advance that for our part we wish to preserve
it immutable.
And I embrace, etc.,
