THE CUBA REVIEW 



HAVANA CORRESPONDENCE 



August 1, 1918. 



Amonf? the bills jiassed by Congress since last writing is the divorce law, which having been 

 sent to the Pn>sident, who neitlier signed nor vetoed the bill after a period of ten days had 

 elapsed, it thus became a law, and according to presidenfal decree will take efTect 'M) days 

 after July 29th. Cuba has heretofore had no such law and its passage was strongly opposed 

 by the Church, but the bill seems to have generally met the approval of both the newspapers 

 and the public at large, hence after considerable debating in both Houses, it was finally passed. 

 Another is the espionage bill calling for a census of enemy aliens, authorizing their arrest and 

 detention if necessary, prohibiting employment of any such persons in any public position, etc. 

 This law also restores constitutional guarantees, which were suspended by the President over a 

 year ago on account of war conditions. Also the obligatory military service bill was at last 

 passed by the lower house and is now being debated in Congress. This latter bill, however, has 

 been greatly amended since its original presentation to Congress, and is is stated that this has 

 the efTect of nullifying to a considerable extent some of the purposes for which the bill was first 

 drafted. However, there now seems to be no question but that it will be passed by Congress 

 with little delay and will then go to the President for signature. It is stated that as soon as 

 the law is in operation a contingent to represent the Cuban Army will be made up and sent 

 over to fight with the Allies, also that volunteer forces will be organized for the same purpose. 

 During the shortage of coal last winter, electric illumination was curtailed and the electric 

 signs which are one of the features of Central Park, were discontinued until coal became more 

 plentiful, when restrictions regarding such illuminations were entirely removed. Now, however, 

 the representative of the American Food Administration has indicated to the Cuban Govern- 

 ment the desirability of restricting such consumption of electric current, stating that there will 

 be a shortage of coal again later in the year, and it is essential that economies in this respect 

 should be started now. This same official, to whom coal cargoes are being consigned, has noti- 

 field the coal dealers that they must not furnish any coal to the Havana Electric Ry., Light & 

 Power Co, .as the latter has been supplying coal to the breweries, w^hereas the furnishing of coal 

 to the latter has been prohibited on account of their not being considered essential industries. 

 The breweries, however, manufacture most of the ice consumed in Havana and it is 

 claimed they must be furnished with coal in order to provide the necessary ice. This matter is 

 now being given consideration by the representatives of both the American and Cuban Food 

 Administrations. 



Since our last letter, bread has been baked freely throughout Cuba under the arrangement 

 outlined in our June letter, this bread being made from war flour. The July allotment of food- 

 stuffs for Cuba licensed bv Mr. Morgan, American Food Administrator, was as follows: 



lbs. 



Corn 28,000,000 



Canned Beef 1,000,000 



Pork 1,000,000 



Oleomargarine 50,000 



Cottonseed OU 1,-500,000 



Lard Compound 1,500,000 



Wheat Four 2,800,000 



The amounts of condensed milk, evaporated milk, cornflour and cornmeal are unrestricted. 



Spain is again permitting the exportation of olive oil, and considerable quantities are being 

 imported into Cuba, the price, however, being several times more than normal. Cargoes of rice 

 continue to come direct from the Orient by sailing vessels, and also considerable quantities of 

 American rice are brought over through the Gulf. 



The Cuban Food Administrator has pubhshed a decree announcing that on account of the 

 high prices charged on clothing and shoes, dealers in these articles will, in future, be compelled 

 to show documents giving their actual cost before they will be allowed to despatch same through 

 the Custom House, and then they will be permitted a certain fixed precentage of profit for selUng 

 purposes. Some of the merchants threatened to stop importing clothing and shoes if this decree 

 was put into efTect, but the Food Administrator called their attention to the fact that the 



