THL 

 CUBA RE.VILW 



"ALL ABOUT CUBA" 



Copyright, 1912, by the Munson Steamship Line 



Volume X 



NOVEMBER, 1912 



Number 12 



CUBA'S NOVEMBER ELECTIONS 



DECISIVE VICTORY FOR GENERAL MENOCAL, THE CANDIDATE FOR 

 PRESIDENT OF THE CONSERVATIVE PARTY 



On November 1st the Cuban people held 

 their first national election without the 

 help of the United States soldiers and by 

 a decisive vote elected General Mario 

 Garcia Menocal, the candidate of the Con- 

 servative Party for president of the Cuban 

 republic, defeating Sr. Alfredo Zayas, the 

 candidate of the Liberal Party, who was 

 vice-president under Gomez, the retiring 

 chief executive. The result was generally 

 satisfactory, as General Menocal's career 

 shows that he is fit for his task. He is 

 one of the foremost business men of the 

 island, having been for years the manager 

 of the largest sugar mill in Cuba, that at 

 Chaparra, which he has brought to a mag- 

 nificent condition of productivity, has a 

 nation wide reputation for honesty and in- 

 tegrity, was educated as an engineer in the 

 United States and is a graduate of Cornell. 

 He is in his 43d year. 



The first election, that of 1905, which 

 resulted in placing Estrada Palma in the 

 presidential chair for the second time, was 

 accompanied by disorders, followed by 

 threats of revolution, culminating in the 

 outbreak of August, 1906, which precipi- 

 tated the second American intervention, 

 under Governor Magoon. During this in- 

 ter\-ention was held under the supervision 

 of American army officers the election of 

 190S. which resulted in the election of 

 General Jose ^Tiguel Gomez and Dr. Zayas 

 by a substantial majority. 



General Menocal was badly beaten by 

 Gomez at that election. The fact that he 

 has always oppossed the Cuban president 

 is to many not the least reassuring point 

 in the career of the president elect. 



General Menocal's plan for reform, put- 

 lined in a statement to the people, is a 

 sober, busines'^like program, and will be 

 found on another page. 



Despite much preliminary predictions of 

 trouble the elections were conducted in the 

 most orderly fashion with less outbreaks 

 than occurred at some of the polling 

 places in the United States. It is true 

 that peace and order were enforced by 

 troops, but reports state that these only 

 used their authority for no other purpose 

 than to secure to every voter free access 

 to the po'ls. 



There is a feeling in Cuba that the elec- 

 tion law, wdiich is a carefully prepared 

 statjute, was violated by the use of troops 

 at the polls in Havana and other cities. 

 This has never been done before in gen- 

 eral elections, although elections have, taken 

 place when United States troops were 

 present. 



The Cuban election law forbids the pres- 

 ence of troops at polling places or within 

 a distance of twenty-five meters of the 

 ballot boxes. 



\^oting began at 6 o'clock and continued 

 until sundown. 



For the first time in the history of Cuba 

 the sale of alcoholic liquors was prohibited, 

 all bars and cafes being closed by presi- 

 dential decree during the time of polling. 



Another decree prohibited the carrying 

 of arms of any kind, even the lightest 

 walking canes being included among the 

 forbidden weapons. 



Reports from the interior of the_ country 

 show that order was Erencrally maintained. 



The last available figures, those of No- 

 vember Sth, showed that General Menocal 

 has carried every province on the island 

 except Matanzas. 



Pinar del Rio and Camaguey Provinces 

 chose Menocal by 45.3 majority in the 

 former and by 1.2.35 majority in the latter. 



Incomplete figures from the other prov- 

 inces were as follows : 



