THE 



CUBA REVIEW z"S 



"ALL ABOUT CUBA." botanical 



<iARDEN. 



Copyright, 150-, by the Munson Steamship Line. 



Volume VII. FEBRUARY, 1909. NUMBER 3. 



CUBA'S NEW PRESIDENT INAUGURATED. 



Simple Ceremonies — Dissatisfaction Over Appointments, and Friction Developed 

 Betvi^een President and Vice-President — Labor Troubles Predicted. 



The Cubans on January 28 came into their own for the second time at the hands 

 of the American government. 



The ceremonies of inauguration of the new President of Cuba at the palace in 

 Havana were very brief. At noon President Gomez stepped out upon the balcony 

 overlooking the Plaza de Armes and took the oath to enforce the laws of the 

 republic and defend the constitution. The oath was administered by the chief 

 justice of the Supreme Court. 



Returning inside to the reception room of the palace, President Gomez received 

 from the hands of Mr. Magoon the final decree turning over all the affairs of the island^ 

 together with an order from Washington terminating Air. Magoon's commission 

 as provisional governor. 



Vice-President Zayas was sworn in at a special session of the Senate earlier 

 in the day. 



An important feature of the withdrawal was that part of Governor ^Magoon's 

 address in which he set forth clearly the terms under which the administration was 

 turned over: 



"I am directed by the President to declare that the United States considers 

 that the second article of the appendix of the constitution of Cuba forbids Cuba to 

 assume or contract any public debt in excess of or in addition to the debt already 

 contracted or authorized by now existing laws and now existing decrees of the 

 provisional government, and that the United States wnll not recognize or concede 

 to be a valid obligation of Cuba any bond or evidence of debt which may be 

 issued in violation of this understanding. I am further directed by the President to de- 

 clare that it is the final and conclusive determination and decision of the provisional 

 government that all claims of the soldiers of the war of liberation have been fully 

 satisfied and discharged by the execution of existing laws, and Cuba remains under 

 no further obligation or indebtedness in respect thereof; and that the declaration 

 hereinbefore contained in respect of the increase of the Cuban debt specifically 

 and especially applies to any attempt to create an indebtedness for the discharge 

 of such alleged or pretended obligation." 



The new Cuban President, Jose Miguel Gomez, showed that he understood 

 the terms and said: 

 O-j "Once again we are masters of our fate, and there is not a Cuban heart but 



CD swears to mamtam for all time the newly acquired integrity of the nation and who 

 O]. does not at the same time feel the profoundest gratitude toward those who after 

 governmg them, have faithfully performed their agreement and now leave 'us in 

 ¥r the full enjoyment of our sovereignty." 



Within one hour after the inauguration Mr. Magoon and his staff had left Cuba 



CO S^r^, f, north, the former on the battleship Maine and the latter on the transport 



Qj McUellan. Three thousand troops of American armv remain under command of 



Li_ Major-General Thomas L. Barry. These will be returned to the United States as 



fast as the transport service will permit. 



