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



HAVANA CORRESPONDENCE 



August 25th, 1019. 



CONGRESS: Early this month Congress passed, without any amendments, the 

 new electoral law drafted under the supervision of General Crowder, Judge-Advocate 

 of the I". S. Army, and it was at once signed by the President, thus becoming a law. 

 Among other hills passed since our last letter was one granting amnesty for electoral 

 crimes: also, the different strike leaders which had been detained since the lasl strike 

 were freed. 



Congress adjourned for the summer vacation on August 13th. One of the hills 

 which was held over until the next session was a proposition to sell the present jail 

 building, in which is also located the Supreme Court. It was hoped that the pro- 

 ceedings of this sale would he sufficient to build a new edifice for the Department of 

 Justice and also house the Supreme Court and other departments connected with same, 

 as w< 11 as provide for a new jail. 



SO-CALLED "TOURISTS' LAW": What is called the "Ley del Turismo" or 

 Tourists' law recently passed by Congress and approved by the President allows 

 gambling or betting by pari-mutuels or in any other way on games of chance, strength 

 or skill in cities having a population of 25,000 or more. Applications for such con- 

 cession should he made to the city council, which, if granted, shall pay taxes, part of 

 the latter to he devoted to charitable purposes. Minors and all persons under 21 are 

 prohibited from attending such places either as spectators or participants in the 

 games. The buildings in which these enterprises are conducted must be property 

 of the applicants and after a period of 20 years, during which the concession is effective, 

 revert to the municipalities. These games cannot last for more than nine months 

 of each year. 



TOPOGRAPHICAL MAP OF CUBA: In a recent message to Congress President 

 Menocal asked that an appropriation of funds he made for the purpose of making a 

 topographical map of the Republic. He called attention to the great mineral wealth of 

 Cuba, which is largely undeveloped, and mentioned that the United States would 

 co-operate with. Cuba in the preparation of this map. 



NEW PRESIDENTIAL PALACE: The completion of the work in this building- 

 has been considerably delayed due to strikes and other causes, hut we understand 

 it is now the intention to formally dedicate it on October 10th, which is the next 

 national holiday. 



NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF TOURIST TRAVEL IN CUBA: This is the 



translation of the name of the organization formed by interests in Havana called the 

 "Associacion Nacional del Turismo en Cuba" and is the one referred to in our letter 

 of last month as originating with the Havana Rotary Club. This association has 

 addressed communications to the newspapers of Havana, explaining its ohject and 

 purposes, which are to foster tourist travel in Cuba, using their efforts toward obtain- 

 ing the construction of a highway extending from Pinar del Rio in the west to Santiago 

 de Cuba in the east: also stimulating the estahlishment of a system of hotels through- 

 out Cuba to furnish accommodation to tourists, as well as providing the latter with 

 general information regarding the country, its natural resources, means of transporta- 

 tion, its industries and commerce, etc. This communication further states that the 

 wealth that would accrue to Cuba from tourist travel, if proper effort is made to en- 

 courage same, would only he excelled by one of the Island's resources, namely, sugar: 

 further that the association does not propose to undertake the estahlishment of any 

 husiness or engage in money-making enterprises of any kind. 



