THE CUBA REVIEW 



CUBAN GOVERNMENT MATTERS 



NATIONAL DEBT 



The Ciibaa iiationr.l debt is at present 

 $68,S08,000, and in her national UfeCuba has 

 paid $11,500,000 upon her debts by amortiza- 

 tion of debts as the bonds came (kie. 



This debt is composed of the following 

 financial operations: 



Six per cent, revclutionary bonds issued 

 by Estrada Palma for 13,000,000, som.e 18,000 

 still to be paid. 



Six per cent, loan of .135,000,000 with 

 Speyer & Co. of New York, for payment of 

 salaries of Liberating /-rm_y, under Estrada 

 Palma's Presidency, irade in 1904 and ex- 

 pires in 1944. Taxes on slcohol and tobacco 

 to pay bonds. About $6,000,000 paid. 



Four and a half per cent, loan of $16,500,000 

 by Gen. Jose Miguel Gom.ez with Speyer & 

 Co., for paving and sewerage work in H.avana, 

 amortization to begin in 1919, bonds expire 

 in 1949. Ten per cent, of customs duties 

 go to pay this loan. 



Interior debt of 5 per cent. flOO bonds 

 to complete payment of Liberating Army; 

 $11,000,000 emitted, and some $600,000 

 aro.ortization made. 



Loan of 1914 of President Menocal with 

 J. P. Morgan & Co., under Law of Economic 

 Defense, of $10,000,000 at 5 per cent. Ex- 

 pire in 1949, and 15 per cent, of custom.s 

 duties go to payment. Amortization begins 

 in 1920. 



Treasury bonds, some $5,000,000 emitted, 

 under present Government and sam.e law. 

 Some $3,000,000 amortization of bonds made. 



This makes a total of $11,500,000 paid and 

 $68,908,000 \et to be paid. 



CUBAN EXPORT PROHIBITION ON GOLD 



President Menocal issued a decree April 21 

 forbidding the exportation of either American 

 gold or silver, or Cuban gold or silver. For- 

 eign money not in Cuba will only be per- 

 mitted exportation through the ports of 

 Havana, Santiago de Cuba and Cienfuegos. 

 Such exportations must be carefully exam- 

 ined by custom.s inspectors. 



It is the duty of the Government, says 

 the decree, to guard the stability of the 

 current coinage and prevent a recurrence of 

 the conditions which caused the establish- 

 .m.ent of the present Cuban monetary system. 



AMMESTY LAW 



As a i-esult of the offer of the Cuban Gov- 

 ernment to treat liberally those insurgents 

 who give adequate assurance of their loyalty 

 to the existing Government, the Secretary 

 of Justice has issued a decree which will 

 result in releasing from prison all persons who 

 were imprisoned for the sole crime of se- 

 dition and rebellion, and who subsequently 

 voluntarily gave themselves up to the Gov- 

 ernment. This action has resulted in the 

 release of a,bout 1,000 persons. 



CAPT. JOHN O'BRIEN 



On the 20th of April, Capt. John O'Brien, 

 otherwise known as Dynamite Johnny or 

 Capt. Unafraid, was tendered a reception 

 at the Hotel McAlpin, New York, on behalf 

 of the Cuban Government on the occasion 

 of the Captain's 80th anniversary of his 

 birth. The Cuban Consul, Dr. Leopoldo 

 Dolz, and a large party of Capt. O'Brien's 

 friends, were present, and the following 

 cablegrain was sent by President Mario G. 

 Menocal : 



The present circumstances make it 

 doubl>' pleasant for me to extend my 

 congratulations and sincere good wishes 

 on the occasion of your SOth birthday, 

 as the course of events has proved that 

 Cuba has not forgotten the magnani- 

 mous aid rendered by you and your 

 countrymen during our struggle for in- 

 dependence. The conflict in which once 

 again Cuba and the United States stand 

 side by side is, in my judgement, but a 

 prolongation of our fight for liberty on 

 an immensely larger scale. May you 

 live to celebrate many more happy birth- 

 days and to witness the triumphal vin- 

 dication of the ideals to the defense of 

 which you have dedicated your life. 



CUBA RAILROAD 



The Cuban Ciovernment has decided to 

 advance $1,000,000 to the Cuba Bailrjad for 

 repairs needed on that line as a result of 

 bridges, trestles, etc., being destroyed by the in- 

 surgents. The money will later be deducted 

 from the sum which the Government must 

 pay the railway either for troop transporta- 

 tions or for indemnities. 



