THECUBAREVIEW ll 



come from the United States to Cuba, and also will work against the bringing of attendants 

 and horses to Cuba. There has been some adverse criticism exj)ressed in the newspajjers as to 

 permitting racing to be carried on under present conditions, but some stables have already 

 arrived and present indications arc that the meet will be held here as customary. 



Compania Trasatlantica Cubana.- — Considerable prominence was given to the or- 

 ganization of this new Cuban shipping company several months ago. It was stated that they 

 had options on a number of steamers in the United States and would bring them to Cuba to 

 engage in traffic with other countries. Lately nothing has been heard regarding this enter- 

 prise, but the newspapers now report that there is considerable internal dissension in the com- 

 pany caused by the fact that their president, Sr. Benito Laguerela, who, together with his son, 

 was commissioned on their behalf to go to the United States to purchase and secure options 

 on vessels has, since liis return, refused to make any report of his negotiations to that company. 

 Therefore, it is stated it is i)robable that action is now being taken to compel him to render a 

 report without delay, and the board of directors will send another representative North to 

 investigate his transactions while there. 



Cuban Star Line. — Another new company, which was also in the public eye consider- 

 ably about the same time, is the Cuban Star Line, which, it was announced, woidd establish 

 a sliipyard in Cuba, reported to be at Cabanas, an imdeveloped port to the westward of Havana. 

 We are unable to learn of any further definite developments in regard to the construction of 

 these yards, but it is now stated that this delay has been due to the impossibihty to secure the 

 necessary steel from the United States and that the company is now interesting the Cuban 

 Government to take this question up with the American Government in an endeavor to secure 

 permits for the exportation of tliis material. 



Tobacco. — -Exports of tobacco during the second half of September are as follows: 



Quantity Value 



Tobacco in bales 14,278 $1,124,003 



Cigars 8,419,884 859,422 



Cigarettes (packages) 605,857 24,232 



Smoking tobacco (kilograms) 20,817 23,882 



The value of cigars exported during the entire month of September reached an average 

 of $103,60 per thousand against $86.09 per thousand for the same month last year, although 

 it should be borne in mind that the price of cigars has recently been increased $10 per thousand 

 as reported last month. The newspapers report that higher prices are being looked for in leaf 

 tobacco and that heavy purchases are being made by all manufacturers on this account. 



Sales of Ships.— It has been stated at various times that the Cuban steamers "Chaparra" 

 and "Gibara" belonging to the Empresa Naviera de Cuba, have been sold, but the transactions 

 have never been finally closed. The latest reported purchaser is a French company and 

 apparently the transaction would have taken place except for the fact that the Cuban Govern- 

 ment is understood to have declined permission to make the transfer of flags. 



Fourth Liberty Loan Drive. — The quota for Cuba, voluntarily fixed by the Fourth 

 Liberty Loan Committee for Cuba, was placed at $6,000,000, being a million dollars for each 

 billion of the proposed issue. Latest reports are that this amount has already been reached 

 and it is expected that before the subscriptions close on Oct. 19th the total amount wiU have 

 run up at least another million and perhaps as high as two million dollars more than the 

 original sLx million dollars. 



Havana, Cuba, Oct. 23, 1918. 



On October 19th it was decided to extend the time for receiving subscriptions up to 

 and including Oct. 22, and figures made public today show that the total amount subscribed 

 as so far reported is $10,151,750, and the total number of subscribers 21,151. These figures 

 compare with $5,161,000 and 10,417 subscribers for the Third Liberty Loan, and $1,500,000 

 subscribed to the Second Liberty Loan. For the First Liberty Loan no drive was conducted 

 in Cuba. 



