THECUBAREVIEW 13 



offered their stock to the public, this for the jjurpose of preventing m;inii)ul;ition of their shares 

 and also witn the idea of waiting until they had reached an actual iJroduction before creating 

 a market for same. Opinions vary greatly as to whether crude oil will be produced in paying 

 quantities or not. However, in the meantime about all the territory in which signs of oil have 

 been found is being fuJlv explored and tested and probably in a comparatively short time this 

 much argued question will be dcfinitclv decided. 



The long-delayed opening of the Jai-Alai Fronton took pJace on May 15th, a few days 

 after the arrival of the first lot of players from Spain. It has been some nine >ears since the 

 original concession for operating this game expired, and it was not renewed on the ground 

 that it was illegal, but by a recent presidential decree this ruling was annulled. While the game 

 itself is an interesting one and can easily be understood even by a novice, betting of course is 

 the principal feature in connection with same. The attendance at the opening was very large 

 and betting was heavy. Times have been prosperous here and the peo])le, having become 

 acquainted with horse racing and its attendant betting, as well as the Government lottery 

 are quite ready to welcome Jai-Alai as another game of chance. The Jai-Alai games are held 

 in the same building as formerly, which has been repaired and put in good shaps for this 

 purpose. 



On account of the great need for minerals, caused by war conditions, there has been a large 

 increase in all Cuban exportations of same. It is stated that for the year of 1917 mineral 

 exportations from Cuba reached a total value of $12,101,388 as against .$7,298,110 duiing 1916, 

 which is a gain of over 80%. Of this total, copper contributed $9,829,938, iron $1,746,870, 

 and the rest was made up of manganese ore and mineral asphalt. The United States Govern- 

 ment recently sent down here mining experts to go over the Island and search particularly for 

 jnanganese and chrome ore. We understand their reports were very favorable, but the greatest 

 drawback is that almost all of these mines are not only located at some distance from the rail- 

 roads, but also do not even have jjassable roads to enable them to get out their product al- 

 though projects are now under consideration for the building of highways for this purpose. 

 Due to this abnormal demand, every effort is being made by those having mines or locating 

 :same to get out ore. As a result there have been a number of new mining companies formed 

 -and as their properties have never been thoroughly tried out, it is hard to distinguish betweeo 

 the good and the bad, although it might be mentioned that the best of the mines at present 

 are privately owned and their stock is not offered to the public. 



As regards building operations, we can only repeat what we have reported in the past, 

 namely, that developments in this connection are going on heavily throughout Havana and its 

 suburbs, although the fact that practically no steel for construction purposes can now be im- 

 ported should have a tendency to reduce operations somewhat, although importers have laid 

 in very heavy stocks of such goods. One of the explanations of this activity in the building 

 line, which is in marked contrast with what is going on in the United States, is that a greit 

 deal of the war profits made here have been put back by the natives in the form of building and 

 suburban lots, they appearing to prefer this form of investing their surplus funds. At the same 

 time Havana has been ex-periencing a continuous healthy increase in population, which in itself 

 naturally creates a demand for additional housing facilities. For example, the suburb of 

 Vedado, one of the best located up to a few yeais ago wa,s very sparsely settled and was con- 

 sidered too far out, therefore it was not popular on that account. Since then it has been thickly 

 built up and building lots have become very valuable and desirable ones so scarce that houses 

 which were still habitable are being torn down to make room for new ones, and others which 

 were built in the prevailing one-story style are being enlarged by the addition of upper floors. 

 The result of this crowded condition of the suburbs nearest in has had the effect of developing 

 subdivisions farther out, particularly those lying between Vedado and the town of Marianao, 

 the la+ter being some six miles from Havana proper. Also there is a movement on foot to de- 

 velop country homes located beyond Marianao, which seems to be meeting with favor. 



Havana was visited on May 31st by three hydro-aeroplanes from the Key West Naval 

 Station, whose proposed flight had been announced for several days. The distance between the 

 two ports i* 90 miles, and it is said the flight over was made in something less than two hours. 

 These machines, however, aie not intended for speed, but are for instruction purposes, carrying 



