10 THE CUBA REVIEW 



NEW BUILDINGS: The Banco Espafiol de la Isla de Cuba has bought the store 

 adjoining their building downtown and will remodel it for the purpose of enlarging 

 their present edifice. 



The newspapers report that this bank has also bought the Payret Theatre on 

 Central Park and will put up a magnificent building to serve as their main office, 

 but we are unable to confirm this statement. 



CUBAN POLITICAL MATTERS: We mentioned in our last letter that one 

 branch of the Liberal party had announced as their candidate for the Presidency, 

 General Jose Miguel Gomez, and General Carlos Mendieta for Vice-President, which 

 nomination, however, was not approved by that part of the party who recognize Ex- 

 Vice-President Dr. Alfredo Zayas as their leader, and adding that the Conservatives 

 had not yet nominated their candidate. General Gomez, who for some time past has 

 been living in Miami, Fla., readily accepted the nomination and it is reported that 

 he will come to Havana at the end of this month to go over important political matters 

 with his leaders. On the other hand, the papers report that Dr. Zayas has lately 

 held several conferences with President Menocal, the inference being that he is 

 endeavoring to make some sort of a working arrangement with the Conservative 

 party for the purpose of offsetting General Gomez in his Presidential aspirations. 



On May 22nd the Liberal Municipal Assembly adopted a resolution condemning 

 the action of the followers of General Jose Miguel Gomez and ordering a suspension 

 of the nominating convention which reported favorably on General Jose Miguel Gomez 

 as their Presidential candidate, basing same upon the fact that nominations should 

 not be made until after the new electoral law is acted upon by Congress. 



General Rafael Montalvo, whom we have mentioned as the most probable Con- 

 servative candidate for the Presidency, has requested his party not to make any 

 nomination until the present electoral laws are revised, which work is going on 

 under the supervision of Major-General Crowder. 



The most probable candidates for the Presidential nomination of the Conserva- 

 tive party are General Rafael Montalvo, General Nunez, the present Vice-President, 

 and perhaps Colonel Aurelio Hevia, formerly one of President Menocal's cabinet 

 officers and a warm personal friend of his, although it is currently understood that 

 General Montalvo is the Presidents favorite candidate. 



NEW COMPANY: The Compafiia Nacional de Conservas (National Canning 

 Co.) are building their plant at Calabazar, a few miles from Havana on the Western 

 Railway, and expect to be doing a canning business on a large scale soon. 



MAY TWENTIETH CELEBRATION: On this day, which commemorates the 

 anniversary of the establishment of the Republic of Cuba, there was held the usual 

 military parade and review, together with other exercises appropriate for the 

 occasion. 



A new feature of the celebration, however, was the evolution of the Cuban Avia- 

 tion Corps, five machines taking part, handled by Cuban aviators who have been 

 trained in the United States Aviation Corps. 



HAVANA CUSTOM HOUSE RECEIPTS: The total Custom House receipts at 

 Havana for the month of April, 1910, were $3,0S4,917.58, breaking the record, the 

 next largest amount being for the month of January this year, which reached the 

 figure of $3,077,1 3S.35. 



CUBAN GOVERNMENT AVIATION FIELD: The Cuban Government has es- 

 tablished this field near the Army polo grounds at Camp Columbia and it was for- 

 mally inaugurated on May 12th, the President, his cabinet and many other prominent 

 officials being present. Captain Terry, Commander of the Cuban Aviators, made 

 several interesting flights. 



