THE CUBA REVIEW 



two countries will result. It is also like- 

 ly that the end of Spain's claims upon 

 Cuba to pay the old colonial debt is now 

 in sight. While the general press opin- 

 ion was absolutely opposed to the pay- 

 ment of the claims they were present 

 and irritating. 



The dispatch to the Herald says "that 

 a decisive step toward an agreement on 

 a treaty of commerce between the two 

 countries was taken November i, at 

 Madrid, Senor Moret, Minister to the 

 Interior, stating to the editor of the Ha- 

 vana "Diario" that the Spanish Govern- 

 ment was absolutely convinced of the 

 necessity of rushing negotiations, in or- 

 der to prevent the loss to Spain of the 

 Cuban market, which Spain ranks in im- 

 portance next to the markets of France 

 and England, and represents 60,000,000 

 pesetas yearly." Should the Cuban Con- 

 gress, now in session, take measures 

 against Spanish products it would mean 

 the ruin of many leading Spanish ex- 

 porters." 



"Seiior Rivero, editor of the 'Diarto,' " 

 continues the dispatch, "after a conver- 

 sation with Sehor Moret, declared that 

 the treaty can be considered already ne- 

 gotiated, the only points to be settled 

 being matters of detail, which will be 

 based on the continuation by Cuba of 

 the advantages granted at present to 

 Spanish products, with a few new con- 

 cessions. 



Spain, on her part, will reduce by from 

 forty to fifty per cent, the duties on 

 Cuban tobacco, cocoa and fruits." 



The Venezuelan Minister, General 

 Andrade, expects also to perfect a com- 

 mercial treaty between his government 

 and Cuba. This is now being nego- 

 tiated. 



A meeting of the national 

 Conservatives committee of the Conserv- 

 Hostile ative Party was held in 

 Havana on October 29 to 

 determine the future policy of the party. 

 General Menocal, its candidate for Pres- 

 ident of the Cviban Republic at the last 

 election. Antonio Gonzalez Lanuza, lead- 

 er in the House, and other prominent 

 representatives made addresses. 



All agreed that the administration of 

 President Gomez was a failure and that 

 it was the duty of the Conservatives to 

 abandon the policy of sustaining the 

 government, which hitherto they had fol- 

 lowed for the purpose of giving it a fair 

 trial, and to begin an active anti-admin- 

 istration campaign in Congress and the 

 press. A resolution to this efifect was 

 unanimously adopted. A number of 

 other resolutions, including one oppos- 

 ing a budget exceeding $18,000,000, were 

 laid over for consideration. 



The New York Tribune says it is 

 rumored that President Gomez probably 

 will attempt to placate the Conservatives 

 by ofifering them positions in the Cab- 

 inet, in which already there are two va- 

 cancies, and from which there is a 

 strong probability that the Secretary of 

 the Treasury, Senor Villegas, soon will 

 retire. The continued failure of the 

 Miguelistas and Zayistas to efifect a per- 

 manent fusion, has aroused hopes among 

 Conservative members of holding the 

 balance of power in the lower house. 



The report of Mr. 

 Encouraging Bearing, American Charg 



Financial d'Afifairs at Havana, on 

 Report. Cuba's financial condition, 

 recently forwarded to the 

 State Department at Washington, proves 

 to be very encouraging. He found that 

 when the present administration assumed 

 control of the Treasury it held $2,685— 

 228.74, with obligations amounting to 

 $8,404,956.34, while on September 30, 1909, 

 there was on hand $1,035,302.28, with ob- 

 ligations amounting to $5,117,151.82. 



It appears therefore that although the 

 cash on hand in September was less than 

 last January, the debts have been de- 

 creased $3,287,804.52. The budget for 

 the iirst quarter of the present year, the 

 report also states, has been more than 

 met by the ordinary revenues, showmg 

 an economical administration of afifairs. 



With the aid of the Cu- 

 Lotterv ban Director of Posts, the 

 Tickets United States Post Office 

 Kept Out. Department has succeeded 

 in confining the sale of 

 Cuban national lottery tickets in the 

 United States to a minimum. When 

 money is sent by persons in this country 

 for Cuban lottery tickets, the money is 

 returned to the sender by the Cuban of- 

 ficials with a statement that it is a vio- 

 lation of the postal laws of the United 

 States to transmit matter relating to 

 lotteries through the mails. When the 

 Post Office Department receives infor- 

 mation that persons or concerns in Cuba 

 are sending matter such as tickets, cir- 

 culars, newspapers or advertisements to 

 this country, the Cuban authorities arc 

 notified, so action may be taken to pre- 

 vent it. 



Members of the city council of Cai- 

 barien are attempting to give the town 

 the status of a city. The citizens claim 

 that the only thing needed is the title 

 because the taxes they pay are equal to 

 those of a first-class city. Caibarien has 

 10,053 inhabitants. 



