THECUBAREVIEW 13 



HORSE RACES: The race meet being held at Oriental Park, Marianao, orig- 

 inally announced to be for one hundred days racing, has been extended up to April 

 6th on account of time lost due to the general strike. The meet appears to have 

 been a successful one and it is reported that the race track has recently changed 

 hands. The new purchasers are interests connected with the Havana Electric Rail- 

 way, Light & Power Co., which operates a line reaching the race track, and others. 



NEW INDUSTRY: The newspapers report the incorporation of a new company 

 whose name is not given, to manufacture jute sacks in accordance with a patent taken 

 out by a Cuban inventor, with the idea of thereby furnishing a considerable number 

 of the sugar sacks which now have to be imported from India. 



SPORTS: We have reported elsewhere regarding the race meet at Marianao. 

 It was hoped that some of the American League teams would come down here to train 

 this Spring, but apparently such will not be the case. At the present time the base- 

 ball season is in full progress among the native teams and recently a nine from the 

 Naval Aviation Camp at Key West played here against the University of Havana 

 baseball team and lost by a score of 8 to 2. Also the former's basketball team played 

 different games with the local clubs here. 



IMPROVEMENTS AT MARIANAO BEACH: Previous reference has been 

 made to the pretentious plans under way looking towards the beautifying and de- 

 veloping of the bathing beach near Havana known as the "Playa de Marianao". In 

 addition to the high grade residential subdivision now being started, there will later 

 be constructed a sort of Coney Island and a hippodrome for the holding of horse races 

 and other sports, as well as a large hotel, etc. To accomplish this purpose the real 

 estate company interested in this proposition has had to purchase practically all 

 buildings comprising the present bathing beach with the exception of the Havana 

 Yacht Club building and the majority of these have now been torn down to be suc- 

 ceeded by the new subdivision. To those who remember the former appearance of 

 the "Playa", its aspect at present is that of a town which has been demolished by a 

 cyclone and as a result accommodations for bathing are at present very limited al- 

 though naturally during the winter season there is not so much demand for same. 



CARNIVAL: Havana is again enjoying a Carnival after an interval of three 

 years during which it was discontinued on account of the war. The present carnival 

 season takes in all the Sundays in March, but on ^account of there being no parade on 

 Sunday, March 9th, because of the general stride, the celebration was postponed to 

 Saturday, March 22nd, in order to complete the scheduled number of days. The 

 weather of the carnival days has been very favorable and as a result very large 

 crowds took part and the sidewalks were thronged with spectators. 



In the days of horse-drawn vehicles, the carnival parade took in the Prado only, 

 but with the advent of the automobile it was necessary to extend same to include 

 Gulf Avenue, and beginning with this year the parade continued to Vedado before 

 returning to Havana, there being at times three almost solid files of vehicles going 

 down one side of the driveways mentioned and returning on the other. In addition 

 to handsomely decorated private automobiles there have been many autotrucks trans- 

 formed into floats for the carnival, as well as advertising floats. There are also the 

 usual number of masquerade balls which generally are held on carnival Sundays by 

 the different Spanish and Cuban clubs, as well as many private affairs. 



The selection of the Queen of the Carnival was left to a voting contest organized 

 by the different newspapers of Havana, the winner being Srita. America Valdes Vidal, 

 a worker in one of the cigarette factories of Havana. The official coronation of the 

 Queen, attended by her Maids of Honor, took place at the City Hall on the first car- 

 rival Sunday. After this they took part in the parade in a break drawn by four 

 horses furnished by the City Council, and they are similarly taking part in all the 

 other carnival parades. Various functions have been held in honor of the Queen 

 such as a special day at the race track, band concerts and other entertainments. 



