THE 

 CUBA REVIEW .— 



"ALL ABOUT CUBA." 



Copyright, 1908, by the Munson Steamship Line. 



NEW YORK 



Bf>TANlCAL 



UaHOEN. 



Volume VIL 



AUGUST, 1909. 



NUMBER 9. 



CUBAN GOVERNMENT MATTERS. 



art 



CD 



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Congress Adjourns With Little Done — The Page Matter — Political Friction Very 

 Much in Evidence — The Lottery — New Cuban Loan, Etc. 



Cuba's first Congress under a restored republic adjourned July 9, after an 

 almost continuous session of five months, with but little accomplished. Debates 

 on matters of small importance, instead of serious legislative constructive work,, 

 marked the session, and it was only toward the closing days that some important 

 bills passed both houses and received the President's signature. 



The first bill enacted into law was declared unconstitutional when submitted 

 to the Supreme Court. It was a political measure to take the appointing power 

 from the mayors and vest it in councils. Among the measures approved were those 

 authorizing a national lottery and legalizing cockfighting. Another bill that be- 

 came law permits the installing of long distance telephones throughout the island. 

 This was opposed on the theory that the telephones would afiford means of com- 

 munication between conspirators. The proposition to legalize bull fights was killed. 



The complete fusion of the two wings of the Liberal party, the Miguelistas 

 and the Zayistas, as the political followers of the President and Vice-President 

 are called, seems a little nearer now, but there are unmistakable signs of discontent. 



Zayistas on July 23 sent a committee to President Gomez protesting agamst 

 alleged discrimination in the matter of political patronage. Their leader, Vice- 

 President Zayas, while optimistic regarding fusion, confessed that his party is now 

 in a critical condition. 



Rumors were also in circulation of the formation of a new organization to be 

 called the Cuban National party, which seemed designed to absorb the present 

 Miguelista party, thereby absolving the latter from carrying out its ante-election 

 pledges made to the Zayistas, among which was an agreement to support that 

 party's leader, Senor Zayas, for President in 1913. 



The latter on hearing of the new organization is quoted as saying that if it 

 were true he would not feel inclined longer to sustain the administration. That 

 there is opposition to him is evident from the fact that some Miguelistas objected 

 to him as chairman of the fusion organization committee. General Eusebio Her- 

 nandez being preferred. 



The 

 Cuban 

 Navy. 



On July 24 the Cuban navy 

 was placed under the Treas- 

 ury Department, an act pro- 

 vided for by a recent law of 

 the Cuban Congress. 

 By this legislation the revenue cutter ser- 

 vice of the country became the national 

 navy, a change in name rather than in fact. 

 The act gives increased importance to the 

 marine service, and may lead the Cuban 

 Government to purchase gunboats and other 



small armed craft. The number of officers 

 needed in the service is to be determined 

 by the Secretary of the Treasury. 



Among the duties of the national navy 

 as defined by the act are to defend the in- 

 terests and rights of the nation, to protect 

 the customs revenues, the sponge and turtle 

 fisheries in Cuban waters, to prevent un- 

 lawful traffic in firearms and spirituous 

 liquors and to put down mutinies aboard 

 merchant ships. 



