THE CUBA REVIEW 



HAVANA CORRESPONDENCE 



December 17th, 1918. 



CONGRESS: Congress continues in session, but no new important legislation 

 has been enacted so far, in fact, on many days there has not been a quorum present. 

 The House of Representatives passed a bill abolishing the Food Administration 

 Board here, which bill is now in the Senate, but has not yet received much considera- 

 tion at their hands. Also efforts are being made in Congress to annul the Obligatory 

 Military Service law. 



The President's message to Congress, which appeared in the "Gaceta Oficial" of 

 Nov. 22nd, contains some interesting data regarding Cuba, among which we might 

 mention the following: 



The foreign commerce of Cuba during the fiscal year ended June 30, 1918, includ- 

 ing money, amounted to $672,655,114 divided as follows: exportation $370,481,762 and 

 importation $302,173,352. Comparing these figures with those of the fiscal year 

 ended June 30, 1917, which total was $618,417,017, an increase is shown in favor of the 

 fiscal year ended June 30, 1918, of $54,238,097, made up of importation $40,796,118 

 and exportation $13,441,979. 



It is also stated in connection with these figures that there should be taken into 

 account the fact that on June 30th of this year the mills were still grinding and there 

 were large quantities of sugar in their warehouses as well as deposited in terminal 

 warehouses awaiting export: further, that the above data is subject to some correc- 

 tions as final figures for the fiscal year are not yet complete. 



Mention is also made that the movement of passengers during the past fiscal 

 year shows a considerable decrease, undoubtedly caused by war conditions, although 

 while there arrived 22,284 persons less than the previous year, yet the number of 

 those classified as immigrants landing during the fiscal year ending June 30, 1918, 

 was 54,857 against 59,191 for the preceding year, showing a decrease of less than 

 5,000 immigrants, whereas the decrease in those listed as passengers was over 17,000. 



HAVANA CUSTOM HOUSE COLLECTIONS: It is announced that the total 

 for November was $1,624,977 compared with $2,593,438 the previous month, decrease 

 being due to the strikes which have taken place here. 



THANKSGIVING DAY PARADE: This parade in honor of the United States 

 and its soldiers, mention of which was made in our last letter, was held in 

 Havana and was a very imposing affair. The day was a beautiful one and the 

 parade, which began to organize in the neighborhood of Central Park, got under way 

 at 1 P. M. and was in movement until dark, something over five hours. It was made 

 up of practically all the government, military and civil organizations in Havana as 

 well as many from other towns, and was reviewed by President Menocal and the 

 diplomatic corps from a reviewing stand built on Gulf Avenue for that purpose. The 

 total number of participants was estimated as high as 40,000. 



OBLIGATORY MILITARY SERVICE: Now that the armistice has been signed 

 certain elements in Cuba are demanding a repeal of this law, as referred to elsewhere, 

 but President Menocal is still firm in the stand previously taken by him that this law 

 should be made effective, which will be the means of filling some 6,000 vacancies 

 which have occurred in the Cuban army. Cuban registrants have been advised to 

 carry necessary proof with them of their having registered, in case they are stopped 

 on the street by the police or army representatives, and the Government has pub- 

 lished a list of those who had not registered but should have done so which ran up 

 into many thousands. 



SHORTAGE OF FOODSTUFFS: In our previous letter mention was made of 

 the continued scarcity of flour and bread in Havana. This situation was shortly 



