File No. 611.3731/37.
[Untitled]
Habana , October 7, 1911 .
Sir: I have the honor to report that in a letter dated the 29th ultimo the Cámara de Comercio, Industria y Navegación de la Isla de Cuba, has called the attention of President Gómez to the fact that since December 26, 1908, the reciprocity treaty between Cuba and the United States, which went into effect on December 27, 1903, remains in force only from year to year until denounced by one of the contracting parties, and that this situation is prejudicial to commercial interests, as the possibility of such a denunciation must be constantly kept in mind. Under the circumstances the chamber of commerce (through its president, Sr. Narciso Gelats) urges the Cuban Government to make an agreement with that of the United States through which the situation may be made more stable and the life of the treaty prolonged definitely for a five-year period, with, if possible, additional advantages to Cuban commerce.
Attention is especially called to the question of sugar. It is considered probable that changes will be made in the American tariff within the next few years, and it is feared that the duty on sugar may be materially reduced—that it is even possible that sugar may be put on the free list—and that Cuba would thereby lose the advantage secured by the treaty to her principal article of exportation. Use is made of the argument (already used by us under other conditions) that a reduction in the tariff would also reduce the preferential, and the Cuban Government is urged to make some arrangement through which Cuban sugar can always enter the United States with such a preferential over European sugars as will enable it to retain the American market upon a profitable basis.
I have, etc.,