File No. 611.3731/27.
The American Minister to the Cuban Secretary of State.
The American Government sees no objection to Cuba’s signing the Brussels (sugar) Convention, provided that she does not extend to any other power the preferential rates accorded by treaty to American sugar, even if other powers should claim them under article 5 of the convention. The American Executive can not waive this preferential treatment, as such a waiver would amount to a partial abrogation of the reciprocity treaty, which could not be made without the consent, of the Senate. The American Government does not, however, object to the reduction in the Cuban duty on sugar (and the consequent reduction in the preferential) which was made in February, and does not make any demand for the reestablishment of the former status.
Note.—The remaining correspondence, as it refers more directly to the reciprocity treaty as a whole than to the item of sugar, will be found under Reciprocity Treaty, except a few references to sugar in the article on Tobacco.