T UK C I B A R i: \" 1 E W 



HAVANA CORRESPONDENCE 



May 26th, unit. 



CUBAN CONGRESS: Congress i< >iiii in session, but no legislation of Im- 

 portance has i 11 enacted since our lasl advices. Major-General Crowder, U. S. A., 



who has been eiiLai^ed in revising the present electoral laws, lefl lasl week for a 

 short trip to the United States. It is reported that before Leaving he had completed his 

 draft of the new law, which he left with President Menocal t" look over before 

 sending a message to Congress on the subject, and thai General Crowder will return 

 when the matter conies up in Congress for discussion, in ens.- any points in con- 

 nection with same should not he clear. 



CUBAN FOOD ADMINISTRATION BOARD: About the only important suh- 

 ject this Board is still handling is the question of disposing of the National Economic 

 Footwear, which it was proposed to do by auctioning off to the highesl bidder as 

 referred to in our last letter, and it was arranged accordingly, the entire stock- being 

 bought by a large shoe company here. Many unfavorable rumors originated in con- 

 nection with i he manner in which this matter was handled and it has been reported 

 that thousands of pairs of these shoes have been stolen. 



GENERAL MAXIMO GOMEZ MEMORIAL: In the new municipal hospital, 



which, however, has not yet been finished, located on the Avenida de Lndependencia, 

 can he seen an exhibition of the models submitted by artists from all over the world 

 in competition for the memorial monument to be erected in honor of General Maximo 

 Gomez. There are some thirty designs in all. This monument will he erected in 

 Colon Park, near the head of the Prado. 



CUBA'S COMMERCIAL DEPARTMENT IX THE EXITED STATES: On May 



6th President Menocal sent a message to Congress calling attention to the close 

 working relations between Cuba ami the United Stales and stating that the Cuban 

 Government would establish a Commercial Department in connection with the 

 Legation at Washington, for the purpose of handling any matters which would properly 

 come under this head. 



In this message the President stated that because of the importance of this subject 

 he had signed a decree creating provisionally until June 30th next the position of 

 Commercial Attache to the Legation of Cuba in Washington, which should be filled 

 by some competent person. Congress was asked to make an appropriation for this 

 position with an annual salary of $5,000. 



POSTAL CEXSORSHIP REMOVED: The newspapers announced that on April 

 24th the Government removed the censorship which had existed on postal matter 

 between the United States and Cuba and mail, therefore, now comes through in about 

 the former normal time. 



CABLE CEXSORSHIP: The Postmaster-General issued a decree on May 2nd 

 stating that on that day cable censorship would cease, excepting on messages to parts 

 of Europe, Africa and Asia Minor which do not belong to Great Britain, France or 

 Italy, which latter would continue to he censored as before. 



CUBAN LABOR DAY: Labor Day in Europe is celebrated on May 1st and Cuba 

 follows the European custom in this respect, as mentioned in our last letter. On May 

 1st last there was a large labor parade and meetings held in different parts of the 

 city. The day is not recognized as an official holiday by the Cuban Government, hut 

 nearly all of the stores closed, the street cars were shut down for 24 hours and no 

 public automobiles were operated. The railroad trains, however, were conducted on 

 their usual schedule. The day passed without any disturbances. 



