10 T II E C U B A R E V I E W 



English 922 



French 922 



Germans 372 



Italians 93 



Austrians 42 



Russians 28 



ELECTORAL LAW COMMITTEE: Major General Crowder, whom we have 

 previously mentioned as having been sent here by the American Government to assist 

 in revising present Cuban election laws, continues with his work but nothing definite 

 as to what has been accomplished has yet been made public. 



POLITICAL SITUATION: Active steps are being taken by the different po- 

 litical parties in preparation for the national elections in 1920. Mr. Alfredo Zayas, 

 who was Vice-President under General Jose Miguel Gomez, has been nominated by 

 the Liberty Party as their candidate for President, and General Carlos Mendieta 

 has been named for the Vice-Presidency. The Liberty Party is not a united one, 

 however, for the reason that General Jose Miguel Gomez is not favorable to the 

 candidacy of Dr. Alfredo Zayas for President. General Gomez, although living re- 

 cently in Miami, Fla., is still a power in all Liberal Party political matters. 



The Conservatives have not yet nominated their candidate, although General 

 Rafael Montalvo is spoken of as having President Menocal's approval to run as his 

 successor. 



HAVANA'S WATER SUPPLY: Havana has frequently suffered from an in- 

 sufficient water supply and many plans have been projected and looked into for im- 

 proving the situation. The latest proposition being investigated is to make a con- 

 nection with the Ariguanabo River, located a few miles inland, but this idea is op- 

 posed by many because it is claimed that this river has its headquarters in a lake 

 or swamp; therefore the water is not lit for drinking purposes. 



CUBAN FOOD ADMINISTRATION BOARD: This Board, while still in (.itera- 

 tion, has issued no particularly important dispositions since our last letter, its trans- 

 actions being confined mainly to disposing of the flour and footwear contracted for 

 by the Board. 



As regards the control of flour shipments, the Director of Subsistence has is- 

 sued a decree naming Galban, Lobo & Co., Barraque, Macia & Co., Gonzalez & 

 Suarez & Co., and Tirso Ezquerro, the largest flour importers here, to serve as a com- 

 mittee to arrange the disposition of the Hour on hand which had arrived consigned to 

 the Food Administration. 



There is a large stock still on hand of the footwear known as "National Economic 

 Footwear," and the Board now proposes to sell it by auction to the highest bidder 

 in order to dispose of the supply. 



According to the papers, a decree will shortly be issued abolishing governmental 

 control over the price of foodstuffs, thereby allowing merchants to fix their own price 

 in the future as in normal times. 



ABOLISHMENT OF CABLE CENSORSHIP: Last week the censorship which 



had been in effect since May, 1917, on cable messages between the United States and 

 Cuba was abolished, and messages may now he sent just as they were lief ore the 

 censorship became effective. 



GOVERNMENT IMPROVEMENTS IN THE BAY OF HAVANA: Newspapers 

 report that the Cuban Government is making plans for the construction of a na- 

 tional shipyard, dry dock, wharves, marine hospital, etc., to be built at Triscornia, 

 at which point the Quarantine Station is now located. 



