12 THECUBAREVIEW 



HAVANA CORRESPONDENCE 



March 4, 1918. 

 No important, legislation has been accomplished by the Cuban Congress since our last 

 letter, the amnesty and obligatory military service bills still being under discussion. These two 

 bills, both of which we have leferred to in previous communications, are important ones. We 

 will repeat that the amnesty bill is fostered by the Liberal party, who were the ones principally 

 involved in the revolution of a year ago, theii desire now being to secure pardons for all the 

 participants. The military bill mentioned is a Conservative measure, and is being held up by 

 the Liberal Congressmen because they cannot secure passage of the amnesty law. 



Conditions continue favorable for the Cuban sugar crop, but there is a considerable 

 shortage of laborers, also a large number of cane fires, although it is claimed they are no more 

 than normal. Final arrangements are being made in connection with handling the loan of 

 $100,000,000, which American bankers have raised to finance the present sugar crop. Up to 

 the latter part of February, according to figures furnished by the Secretary of Agriculture there 

 had been shipped some 425,000 tons of Cuban sugar to the United States. Spain, Mexico and 

 other Latin-American countries are very anxious to secure Cuban sugar. President Menocal 

 has signed a decree authorizing shipment of 25,000 tons to Spain, 15,000 tons to Mexico, and 

 10,000 tons to other Latm-American repubUcs. Small lots to Spain and Mexico have aheady 

 been made. The former have been forwarded in Spanish ships, but as the United States could 

 not spare American ships to take sugar to Mexico, such shipments have been forbidden, and 

 as a result the sugar to Mexico is moving in Cuban vessels. Some criticism has developed in 

 connection with this latter movement, it being stated that when the United States requested 

 the co-operation of Cuban ships to load sugar for American ports, their owners replied that they 

 were indispensable for the Cuban coastmse traffic, although now they appear to be able to 

 spare them to send to Mexico, to which country they are getting around $40 per ton as freight 

 on sugar as against about $9 to the United States. 



The Port of Havana is now closed to water traffic between 10 p. m. and 6 a. m. during the 

 balance of the war, and a gunboat is stationed continuously in the entrance to the harbor to 

 watch all shipping in and outbound. Also new and additional cannons have been placed in 

 the Punta fortress which commands the harbor channel 



Celebration of parades, throwing of confetti, masking, etc., during the carnival season has 

 been suspended. Public dances may be held, but must be stopped by 11 p. m. and all 

 lights turned out, in accordance with regulations governing the consumption of electric current. 

 Last year there was no carnival on account of the revolution then in progress in Cuba. 



We have previously reported the rumored revival of the old Spanish game of "Jai Alai," a 

 sort of haFi'.d ball. It is now stated that some of the players are en route from Spain and the 

 opening date will be the latter pait of March. 



American coal is now coming to Cuba in considerable quantities, although still much 

 less than normally. It is reported the Cuban Govermuent has chartered a number of sailing 

 ships to bring coal down and take sugar back. 



This ccal shortage has had the effect of somewhat reducing the building operations now 

 going on in Havana and suburbs, as the brick kilns cannot secure enough coal to keep in steady 

 operation. The Havana Yacht Club is preparing to erect a magnificent building with wharves 

 and grounds to cost about $350,000 on the site of their present location. During the adminis- 

 tration of President Gomez, a contract was let for the erection of a presidential palace to be 

 located on the former grounds of the Villanueva Station of the United Railways, and the walls 

 and dome of the building were put up, but no work has been done on same during President 

 Menocal's term. Recently it was decided to utilize the almost completed building of the 

 provincial palace for this purpose and the State therefoie purchased same from the Province of 

 Havana. Mention of the foregoing has been made in a previous letter. Now it has been 

 determined to tear down the partly finished presidential palace above referred to, and to 

 erect instead a national capitol building, work to this end having already been started. The 

 cost of the edifice is estimated at over $2,000,000 and to be finished in about two years. 



The United States Government has sent engineers to Cuba to investigate and report 



