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CUBANS F TO-D A Y 



Cortes for the Province of Santa Clara, a 

 post which he held until 1890 and was re- 

 elected in 1893 for the Province of Havana. 



Between these two periods, namely in 

 1 89 1, he was the representative in Madrid 

 of the Planters' Association of the Island 

 of Cuba upon the Commission that was 

 appointed by the Spanish Government for 

 the purpose of securing economic data 

 concerning its colonies. 



During the War of Independence, de 

 Castro withdrew entirely from political 

 affairs, but when the Spanish Government, 

 in 1898, decreed autonomy for Cuba, he 

 returned to public life and helped in the 

 organization of the new system, being 

 elected a representative in the Cuban 

 House. 



At the beginning of the war between 

 Spain and the United States, he was named 

 Civil Governor of the Province of Havana, 

 a difficult task. While the Island was being 

 blockaded by the American Navy he made 

 tremendous and successful efforts to avoid 

 rioting in the Capital and to assist those 

 who were suffering from hunger. He or- 



I 



HISPANIC NOTES 



