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THE CUBA REVIEW 



The market for toys in Cuba is excellent. Cuban children are just as fond of toys 

 as their American neighbors, although it appears that imported games are not quite 

 so popular, probably because the directions and other reading matter pertaining 

 thereto are not always in the Spanish language. 



For the benefit of American toy manufacturers there is forwarded herewith a list 

 of Cienfuegos toy importers, who should be addressed in the Spanish language. [This 

 list may be obtained from the Bureau of Foreign and Domestic Commerce or its dis- 

 trict and co-operative offices upon referring to file No. 107703.] 



CONCRETE STEAMER ENGAGED IN TRANS- 

 PORTATION OF CUBAN SUGAR 



The American ferro-concrete steamship 

 FAITH, the first boat of her type to be 

 constructed in the United States, has re- 

 cently completed her trip with a full 

 cargo of sugar loaded at Cardenas and 

 Matanzas for New York. She has a dead 

 weight capacity of about 4,500 tons, and 

 carries 20,239 bags of sugar. 



The steamship FAITH was built on the 

 Pacific Coast at the yards of the San 

 Francisco Ship Building Company, Red- 

 wood City, California. On her maiden 

 voyage she carried a miscellaneous cargo 

 to Vancouver, and then proceeded with 

 lumber to the west coast of South Amer- 

 ica, making such a successful trip as to 

 demonstrate most satisfactorily the prac- 

 ticability of engaging ferro-concrete 

 steamers in long voyage trades. She 

 subsequently carried a cargo of nitrate 

 from Chile to New Orleans, where she 

 delivered her cargo in as good condition 

 as steamers of the regular type, thereby 

 proving her seaworthiness and adaptabil- 

 ity to this class of cargo. Her trip with 

 sugar was equally successful. 



In view of the high value represented 

 by her sugar cargo, it was only after a 

 very careful survey and most diligent in- 

 vestigation as to the suitability of this 

 new type of steamer for the transporta- 

 tion of sugar had been made that the 

 marine insurance underwriters finally de- 

 cided to accept the risk on her cargo. 



Some apprehension has been felt as to 

 her structural strength to withstand the 

 stresses and strains encountered on the 

 high seas, and as to whether the elastic 

 limit of concrete is sufficient to neutralize 

 the effects of heavy weather. It is for 

 this reason that the Underwriters have 

 not as yet accepted her as a first-class 



risk, notwithstanding the fact that she 

 has been constructed along such good 

 lines, and the sealing of the ship has been 

 so well perfected as to make her imper- 

 vious to salt water. Otherwise, danger 

 from this source is confined solely to the 

 possibility of leakage around the hatch- 

 combings and ventilators, which must be 

 guarded against on all steamers, whether 

 constructed of ferro-concrete, steel or 

 wood. 



NATIONAL ECONOMY SHOES 



The commission headed by the Secre- 

 tary of the Food Control Board, which 

 has the matter of purchasing National 

 Economy shoes for Cuba in charge, while 

 on a recent trip to the United States, 

 placed orders for a total of 430,000 pairs 

 of shoes; 140,000 for men, 80,000 for 

 boys, 70,000 for women and 140,000 for 

 children. The models selected were lasts 

 standard in Cuba and the materials were 

 approved by the commission. 



SPANISH SLOOP-OF-WAR POMONA 



Efforts are being made by a salvaging 

 concern of Havana to raise the old Span- 

 ish sloop-of-war Pomona, which sank off 

 the coast of Cuba more than 100 years 

 ago. 



Automatic "floaters," the invention of 

 a Cuban, are being used. 



Besides the treasure in silver plate 

 which it is hoped may be found in the 

 wreckage, the salvagers expect to recover 

 forty-two bronze cannon with which the 

 ship was armed. 



NEW CABLE 



Concession to lay and operate a cable 

 from Rio de Janeiro to Cuba has been 

 granted by the Brazilian government to 

 the Central and South American Tel- 

 egraph Co. through its representative, 

 Frank Carney. 



