NAVIGATION
Navigation, with Cuba, may be considered under three division:
_a_--Navigation between Cuba and foreign countries other than the United
States.
_b_--Navigation between Cuba and the United States, including Porto
Rico.
_c_--Navigation between Cuban ports.
The most delicate problem connected with merchant shipping in Cuba
during the military administration of the affairs of the Island by the
United States, has been the regulation of the coasting trade. Under
Spanish administration, transportation by sea from one port in the
Island to any other Cuban port was restricted to vessels under the
Spanish flag and of Spanish register. Some modification of this
regulation became necessary immediately upon American occupation, for,
after Spanish evacuation of the Island, the obligatory display of the
Spanish flag in Cuban ports would have been obviously intolerable to the
residents. Three courses were open to the authorities of the United
States: first, the coasting trade of the Island could have been thrown
open to the vessels of all nations without reserve; second, the coasting
trade of the Island could have been restricted to vessels of the United
States; and third, a temporary expedient could have been employed which
would reserve the adoption of a navigation policy for Cuban decision,
when an independent government shall have been established and its flag
and sovereignty recognised.
The first course involved the most radical departure from both the
policy which always has obtained in Cuban ports and the policy which has
always obtained in the United States, which had undertaken to restore
stable government on the Island. Had the coasting trade of the Island
been thrown open temporarily to vessels of all nations, a reversal of
that policy in the future could be effected only with difficulty and
would certainly provoke complaint from commercial nations, eager to
insist that a temporary privilege, be it enjoyed for never so short a
time, becomes a vested right. An independent Cuban government will
undoubtedly decree that the coasting trade of the Island shall be
confined to vessels of the Cuban flag. Such a measure is the easiest and
quickest method to begin the creation of a national merchant marine,
which will be a necessity to the insular republic. It is equally certain
that in the event of the ultimate annexation of Cuba to the United
States, the coasting trade of the Island will be confined to vessels of
American register, in pursuit of the traditional policy of this country.
The first course open was accordingly rejected.
The proposition to confine the coasting trade of the Island to vessels
of American register was entirely out of consonance with the declared
purposes of the United States in going to war with Spain. That
proposition would, not unnaturally, have been construed as notice to the
world and to the Cubans themselves that it was our purpose to exploit
the Island for the benefit of our own trade, a purpose entirely opposite
to the views which have inspired the Administration and the great mass
of the American people throughout all the stages of discussion and
action upon the Cuban situation. Military exigencies made it necessary
to provide that American vessels should engage in carrying, from one
port in Cuba to another, in order to move men, supplies, and mails. In
the restoration of trade to its ordinary channels, the employment of
some shipping to fill the place vacated by Spanish shipping withdrawn
was a necessity; and the shipping of the nation which had liberated and
assumed tutelage of the Cubans was properly drawn upon for this
purpose. More than this the authorities of the United States have not
asked of the Island in the way of navigation privileges; less than this
could not have been taken consistently with the purpose to restore order
and normal trade conditions, necessarily preliminary to the
establishment of an independent government.
The regulation actually adopted and in force since the 1st of January
contains the germs of a Cuban merchant marine. It is provided that any
resident of Cuba, who owns a vessel, no matter where built, or under
what flag, upon renouncing his allegiance to the King of Spain or any
other foreign prince, state, or sovereignty whatever, may obtain from
the military authorities of the United States in Cuba a permit entitling
the vessel to engage in the coasting trade of the Island. It is thus
within the power of any resident of the Island, who purposes to become a
citizen of the future republic, to own as many ships as he has the money
and inclination to buy. For the time being these ship-owners occupy the
anomalous position of being men not without a country, but without an
established form of government to which they can take allegiance. How
long this anomalous condition shall continue rests to a very great
extent with the Cubans themselves. Their shipping, too, is virtually
without a flag. Yet in the designation of a distinctive signal--the blue
flag with a white union--the authorities of the United States have more
closely consulted historic and heraldic proprieties than did the Cubans
themselves. The colours chosen are those adopted in different forms by
Argentina, Uruguay, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua, the former
Spanish colonies on the Atlantic which won and have maintained
independence. The cynical student of history cannot point to a lone
star, and croak that we have imposed it on Cuba as a sign that the
history of Texas is to be repeated.
[Illustration: THE HAVANA FLOATING DOCK.]
The same just policy, the same desire to consult the probable wishes of
a future independent government, the same willingness to forego
selfish advantages, have characterised the formulation of navigation
regulations for the foreign trade as for the coasting trade of Cuba.
Under the war power, as construed by the courts, the President could,
without doubt, have so framed regulations as to divert forcibly to the
United States, and to vessels of the United States, a large share of the
commerce of the Island which now seeks other channels. Direct taxation
is not the only form in which commerce can be made to pay its
contributions toward the expenses of war. Disregarding narrow advice to
create opportunities for American profit out of the Cuban situation, the
President and his advisers have so framed the navigation regulations for
foreign trade that not only is there no discrimination among nations in
trade with Cuba, but also the opportunities for trade between the Island
and Spain are greater even than they were under Spain's own rule; and
the navigation and port charges imposed on ships and their cargoes have
been materially reduced.
These are the general features of the navigation policy which has been
in force in Cuba since the 1st of January. It is believed that the
history of colonies and dependencies furnishes no other instance where
the governing power has asked less for itself, has sought more carefully
to furnish every opportunity for the development of an independent
mercantile marine and the extension of an independent foreign trade. The
people of Cuba have it easily within their power to have within a year a
national shipping as great as that of Argentina after ninety years of
independence.
Many ships, foreign and coastwise, ply between the ports of Cuba and
every port of the world, especially American ports, and a number of
lines have been long established, the most prominent of these being the
New York and Cuba Mail Steamship Company, better known as the "Ward
Line," from its founder, James E. Ward. This company, which is
incorporated under the laws of the State of New York, was organised in
July, 1881. Its authorised capital stock is $2,500,000, of which
$2,200,000 has been issued and paid in. At the time of organisation, the
following steamers were bought of James E. Ward & Co., and operated:
_Newport_ 2735 tons _Niagara_ 2265 tons
_Saratoga_ 2820 " _Santiago_ 2359 "
The following steamers have been acquired since organisation:
_Cienfuegos_ 2332 tons _Seguranca_ 4115 tons
_City of Washington_ 2684 " _Seneca_ 2729 "
_City of Alexandria_ 2915 " _Vigilancia_ 4115 "
_Yumuri_ 3497 " _Matanzas_ 3094 "
_Orizaba_ 3497 " _Havana_ 5667 "
_Yucatan_ 3525 " _Mexico_ 5667 "
with a number of auxiliaries, etc., in list hereafter.
The following have been lost and sold:
_City of Alexandria_ Lost
_Cienfuegos_ "
_Newport_ Sold to Pacific Mail Steamship Company
_Yumuri_ Taken by United States Government
_Niagara_ Sold to United States Government
The _Newport_ was sold in March, 1886, to the Pacific Mail Steamship
Company.
In June, 1888, the vessels owned by the Alexandria Line, which operated
steamers to Cuba and Mexico, were purchased and added to the fleet. The
vessels were the _City of Alexandria_, lost in 1893, and the _City of
Washington_, which was thoroughly overhauled, renovated, and in which
were installed new boilers and engines in 1889. In 1890 the _Yumuri_,
_Orizaba_, and _Yucatan_, all three of about equal dimensions and
tonnage, were built and placed in the service. In July, 1893, the
_Seneca_ was purchased of the Old Dominion Steamship Company and added
to the fleet. In January, 1894, the _Seguranca_ and the _Vigilancia_,
sister ships, built in 1890 for the Brazil Line, were purchased and
added to the fleet. In 1897 contracts were awarded to the Messrs. Cramp
& Sons, of Philadelphia, for the construction of two vessels of over
5000 tons each. One of the vessels, the _Havana_, has just been
completed, made 18.46 knots on her trial trip in January, 1899, and is
now in commission. The other, the _Mexico_, will be soon launched,
completed, and placed on the regular route. Both of these vessels are
built under the provisions of the Subsidy Act of March 3, 1891; both are
of the second class, available as auxiliary cruisers, etc., and exceed
in speed and tonnage the requirements of such class. In August, 1898,
the Spanish steamer _Guido_, captured during the war with Spain, was
purchased of the Government, renamed the _Matanzas_, and, under American
register, placed in the service as an auxiliary steamer. In April, 1898,
the steamer _Niagara_ was purchased by the Government for use as an
auxiliary to the navy, and soon after the steamer _Yumuri_ was taken by
the Government under the provisions of the Subsidy Act, to be converted
into an auxiliary cruiser.
The company has contracted with the British, Mexican, and United States
Governments for service to and from and between ports in the Bahamas,
Mexico, Cuba, and the United States. The contracts with the United
States were entered into with the Post-Office Department in 1892. These
contracts call for regular service of ships, which under test come under
the provisions of the Act of March 3, 1891, as third-class ships, to
ports in Cuba and Mexico. Under the provisions of the Act above cited,
American crews are employed and certain conditional requirements
fulfilled. This especial service has been maintained uninterruptedly
except during the Spanish war.
In addition to its regular express service, the company operates a fleet
of modern freight and combined freight and passenger steamers, which
touch at the principal ports of the various routes, according to the
demand of traffic. The line maintains a service on each of the following
routes:
New York to Havana, thence to Tampico, and return, via Havana, to
New York.
New York to Tuxpan, via Havana, Progreso, and Vera Cruz, returning
via Frontera, Campeche, Progreso, and Havana to New York.
New York to Nassau, thence to Guantanamo, Santiago, Manzanillo and
Cienfuegos, returning via Santiago and Nassau.
The sailing on these routes is on fixed schedule, as follows:
To Havana and Tampico Saturdays
To Havana and Mexico Wednesdays
To Nassau and South Coast of Cuba alternate Thursdays
Additional sailings are frequently made to the above ports by express
ships, and it is contemplated to make such additional sailings fixed
ones, subject to schedule, so that--so far as Cuba hereafter is
concerned--in the near future, the south coast will have at least a
weekly service, and Havana a tri-weekly service of fast express
steamships. The principal ports of call in Cuba have been enumerated.
Other calls are made from time to time when traffic demands it.
The company operates, in addition to its Atlantic fleet, a number of
steamers of suitable tonnage and speed to act as feeders to and from
smaller ports in the Gulf of Mexico. These vessels act in combination
with the larger ones of the fleet with which they connect, and in
addition maintain a coastwise service.
Lighterage plants at Havana, Santiago, Vera Cruz, Tampico, Progreso, and
tugs at the principal ports, complete the list of floats, the property
of the company. Their auxiliary vessels are the following:
_Hidalgo_ 1128 tons _Atlantica_ (transfer)
_Cometa_ 1151 " _Delenfeu_ (tug)
_Manteo_ 584 " _Moran_ (tug)
_Bailey_ 238 " _Francke_ (tug)
The rates may vary, but slightly. The present rates, or rates now in
force, are named in following tariff.
[Illustration: A CUBAN FERRY.]
EFFECTIVE FROM OCTOBER 17, 1898
First Class. First Class, Second Class.
Excursion.
To Havana $40 $ 70 20
" Progreso 55 95 35
" Vera Cruz 60 105 35
" Tuxpan 65 115 45
" Tampico 60 105 35
" Campeche 75 130 45
" Frontera 75 130 45
" Laguna 75 130 45
" Mexico City 65 115 45
" Guantanamo 60 100 30
" Santiago de Cuba 60 100 30
" Manzanillo 60 100 30
" Cienfuegos 60 100 30
" Nassau 40 70 20
These rates are for rooms on main deck. An extra charge of five dollars
per berth will be made for all hurricane-deck rooms taken in any
direction. "Stop-over" privilege, five dollars for each port.
Children 3 to 12 years of age, half rates
Children under 3 years of age, free
Servants accompanying employers pay half rates.
Another leading line is the Companía Transatlántica Español (Spanish
Transatlantic Company), whose list of ships, taken from the British
Lloyd's Register, 1898-99, including those vessels sailing to and from
Spanish ports as well, is as follows:
Net Net
Tonnage. Tonnage.
_Alfonso XII_ 3418 _Columbia_ 2299
_Alfonso XIII_ 3585 _Covadonga_ 3523
_Alicante_ 2865 _Don Alvaro de Basan_ 2898
_Antonio Lopez_ 2238 _Fernando Po_ 151
_Buenos Aires_ 3765 _Habana_ 1573
_Cataluña_ 2247 _Isla de Luzon_ 2580
_Ciudad Condal_ 1616 _Isla de Mindanao_ 3036
_Ciudad de Cadiz_ 1845 _Isla de Panay_ 2460
_Colon_ 3935 _Joaquin Piélago_ 390
_Larache_ 1009 _P. de Satrustegui_ 5090
_Léon XIII_ 3950 _Rabat_ 514
_Manuel L. Villaverde_ 951 _Reina Maria Cristina_ 3634
_Mexico_ 1366 _Reina Mercedes_ 2074
_Mogador_ 323 _San Agustin_ 1554
_Montserrat_ 2306 _San Francisco_ 1672
_Monte Video_ 3673 _San Ignacio de Loyola_ 2299
_Normannia_ 3054
This line runs its steamers from New York to Havana direct on the 10th,
20th, and 30th of each month. The Compania Transatlantica, which has
always manifested a progressive spirit, will, as soon as the differences
in the Spanish-American war are definitely settled, immediately begin
the extension of its lines in the development of commerce between the
West Indies and the Americas, and will seriously entertain the
establishment of a line connecting the Philippines with San Francisco;
and, as it has a sufficient number of steamers to meet the requirements,
it will be prepared to inaugurate the service at once, especially if the
United States Government will enter into an arrangement to grant it a
mail service. This additional service will in no-wise affect the service
between Spain and Cuba, which must continue for at least ten years,
under a contract entered into with the Spanish Government.
A third company is the Munson Steamship Line, which carries on an
extensive and general transportation business in chartered steamers.
Every Saturday a ship carrying passengers and freight leaves New York
for Cuban ports, and others go at irregular intervals, carrying freight
to every port of any importance in Cuba. The Munson vessels go from
Philadelphia and Baltimore, carrying coal; others carry cattle from
Mobile, Galveston, and other American ports, and a steamer goes once a
month from Halifax. This line does the bulk of the cattle business to
Cuba. Its general offices are in New York.
There are a few unimportant, irregular lines, in addition to the three
leading lines named, but they carry freight chiefly, and take their
cargoes as they can get them. A large number of "tramp steamers" do
business between various American and Cuban ports, coming and going as
their work demands. In addition to ships from American ports, there are
lines from Havana to Spanish ports; a monthly steamer between Vera Cruz
and Southampton calling at St. Thomas and Havana; a French line runs
from St. Nazaire to Havana, stopping at Santander; lines from Havana to
Sisal and Vera Cruz; from Havana to Colon, calling at Nuevitas and
Gibara; from Havana to Porto Rico, calling at all Cuban ports on the
north coast; a French line from Havana to Vera Cruz and New Orleans; a
German line from Havana to Hamburg; and the little steamers _Olivette_
and _Mascotte_ of the Plant Line, best known to Americans, who go from
Tampa to Havana twice a week.
In 1894, 1309 foreign vessels, having a tonnage of 1,794,597 tons,
entered the port of Havana. Of these 603 were American and 409 Spanish,
with a tonnage, respectively, of 776,229 and 677,907. Coastwise steamers
are not included in these figures. These are numerous, and the service
between Havana and other Cuban ports is much better than might be
expected, due very largely to the fact that communication by road and
rail between Cuban towns is so far below the standard, and in many
instances entirely lacking by rail and practically lacking by highways.
Since the occupation of Cuban ports by the United States authorities
amended customs and port regulations have been adopted to meet the
changed conditions of affairs in the Island. The following port
regulations are taken from the latest report on the subject issued by
the Treasury Department:
"CUSTOMS PORTS: The port of Habana has been duly designated as the
chief customs port of Cuba, and the following have been declared to
be subports, viz.: Matanzas, Cardenas, Cienfuegos, Sagua,
Caibarien, Santiago, Manzanillo, Nuevitas, Guantanamo, Gibara,
Baracoa, Trinidad, Santa Cruz, Zaza, and Batabano, in the Island of
Cuba, and the officer of the Army duly assigned to each of said
ports as collector, will have general jurisdiction of the
collection of customs at such ports respectively. Every collector
stationed at a subport will make weekly reports to the collector at
Habana of all transactions at his subport, with copies of all
entries of merchandise duly certified, and all moneys collected at
subports must be deposited with the duly designated officer, whose
receipt therefor must be taken in duplicate. Any questions arising
at any subport will be referred to the collector at Habana for his
decision, from which there shall be no appeal, except in such cases
as he may refer for decision to the Secretary of War.
"ENTRANCE AND CLEARANCE OF VESSELS: Every vessel shall, on arrival,
be placed under customs control until duly discharged. Passengers
with no dutiable property in their possession may be permitted to
land without detention.
"If, upon the unlading of any cargo, there shall be found goods,
wares, or merchandise not duly declared on the manifest, such
articles in excess shall be required to pay additional duties of 25
per cent. on the regular duties. Should any packages or articles
named on the manifest be missing on the arrival of the vessel, the
latter shall pay a penalty of $1 per ton measurement, unless such
deficiency shall be satisfactorily explained or accounted for.
"Within twenty-four hours after the arrival of any vessel the
master must, under a penalty for failure of $1 per ton registry
measurement, produce to the proper officer a manifest of her cargo,
with the marks, numbers, and description of the packages and the
names of the respective consignees, which manifests, if the vessel
be from a port in the United States, shall be certified by the
collector of the port of sailing. If the vessel be from any other
than a United States port, her manifest must be certified by the
United States consul or commercial agent at such port; if there be
no United States consul or commercial agent at such port, then by
the consul of any nation at peace with the United States; and the
register of the vessel shall, upon her arrival in Cuba, be
deposited with the consul of the nation to which she may belong, if
any there be; otherwise with the collector of the port, until the
master shall have paid such tonnage taxes and other port charges as
may be due under these regulations.
[Illustration: PIER OF THE JURAGUA IRON CO., LTD.]
"No vessel shall be allowed to clear for another port until all her
cargo shall be landed or accounted for. All goods not duly entered
for payment of duty within ten days after their arrival in port
shall be landed and stored, the expense thereof to be charged
against the goods.
"Prior to the departure of any vessel from any of the ports herein
designated, the master shall deposit with the proper officer a
manifest of the outward cargo of such vessel, specifying the marks
and numbers of packages, a description of their contents, with
names of shippers and consignees, with a statement of the value of
each separate lot; also names of passengers and their destination.
A clearance will then be granted to the vessel. No prohibited or
contraband goods shall be exported.
"TONNAGE DUES: At all ports or places in Cuba there shall be levied
the following tonnage dues, until further orders:
Per
Net Ton.
(_a_) On entry of a vessel from a port or place not in Cuba $0.20
(_b_) On entry of a vessel from another port or place in Cuba, engaged at
time of entry in the coasting trade of Cuba .02
(_c_) The rate of tonnage dues on a vessel which enters in ballast shall be
one half of the rate imposed by subdivision (_a_) or (_b_), and one
half the tonnage dues imposed on a vessel entering with cargo
shall be refunded if the vessel clears in ballast.
(_d_) A vessel which has paid the tonnage tax imposed on entry from a
port or place not in Cuba shall not be liable to tonnage tax on
entering another port or place in Cuba during the same voyage
until such vessel again enters from a port or place not in Cuba.
(_e_) The tonnage tax on entries of a vessel from a port or place not in
Cuba shall not exceed in the aggregate $2 per net ton in any one
year, beginning from the date of the first payment.
The tonnage tax on entries of a vessel from other ports or
places in Cuba, engaged at the time of entry exclusively in the
coasting trade of Cuba, shall not exceed 40 cents per net ton in
any one year, beginning from the date of the first payment.
"The following shall be exempt from tonnage dues:
"A vessel belonging to or employed in the service of the Government
of the United States; or a vessel of a neutral foreign government
not engaged in trade; a vessel in distress; or a yacht belonging to
an organised yacht club of the United States or of a neutral
foreign nation.
"The tonnage of a vessel shall be the net or register tonnage
expressed in her national certificate of registry.
"LANDING CHARGES: The tax of $1 on each ton of merchandise imported
or exported, hitherto imposed as a substitute for tonnage taxes, is
abolished.
"The present exemption of coal from this tax is continued.
"The present export tax of 5 cents per gross ton on ore is
abolished.
"SPECIAL CHARGES AT SANTIAGO:[19] The harbour improvement taxes at
Santiago de Cuba will continue to be levied, as at present, as
follows:
Each steamer entering $8.50
Each sailing vessel entering 4.25
Each ton of cargo landed from a steamer .25
Each ton of cargo landed from a sailing vessel .125
Each ton of coal landed from a steamer .125
Each ton of coal landed from a sailing vessel .10
"COASTING TRADE OF CUBA: To facilitate the occupation and control
of Cuba by the military forces of the United States and the
restoration of order, the laws now in force restricting the
coasting trade of the Island to Spanish vessels are hereby modified
as follows:
"(_a_) Vessels of the United States may engage in the coasting
trade of the island of Cuba.
"(_b_) The officer of the Army of the United States in command at
any port of Cuba in possession of the United States is empowered to
issue a permit to a resident of Cuba who owns a vessel, which shall
entitle such vessel to engage in the coasting trade of the Island:
_Provided_, That the owner and master of such vessel shall upon
oath before such officer entirely renounce and abjure all
allegiance and fidelity to the King of Spain or to any other
foreign prince, state, or sovereignty whatever.
"Such permits shall first be approved by the general in command of
the forces of the United States in Cuba.
"Vessels entitled under this paragraph to engage in the coasting
trade of Cuba shall carry a distinctive signal, which shall be a
blue flag and the union of the flag shall be a white field.
"The form and manner of the issue of permits provided for in this
paragraph shall be prescribed by the Secretary of War."
The following table of distances is given for reference:
Key West to Havana 93 miles
" " " nearest point on Cuban coast 86 "
New York to Havana 1413 "
New Orleans to Havana 475 "
Cape San Antonio to Cape Catoche, Yucatan 125 "
Santiago to Kingston, Jamaica 200 "
Santiago to Greytown (entrance Nicaragua Canal) 700 "