It. Till: <• r i; a k i; \ i i-: w 



not nf this (lass, ami \vi' I'lirtluT know tliat many ni iluni a tier cttmin;; liere and 

 findiniL; liow expensive tlit'ir stay is, are foirt'd to ciulail ii. Xatnrally, it is not ex- 

 pected t(» find low itri<H's tor aiconunodations at a suiiiiiic r or winter tourist resort, 

 but we feel that a nuK-li laruer movement of tourists rr<iiii ilie T'nited States to 

 Havana could l»r worked uit were the tourists sure of seciiriii- ample and moderately 

 priced acconuiiodations upon arrival here, ('ui)a is so difforciil from the United States 

 in a great many respects, nnd \c1 so easily and ([uickly readied that apparently 

 all that is lackini: in order to ensure a vast number of wilder visitors frr)m the North 

 is that attiMition l>e drawn to the forejroiu}: and the necessary transi>ortation facilities 

 given to irel Ihom horc and then pi-oper hotel ai-cinmnodatinus provided to take care of 

 them after airival. 



POLITICAL SITUATION: We have previously relerri'd to the possibility of 

 the consolidati<ni by that faction of the Liberal party headed by former A'ice-rresident 

 Dr. Zayas, with tlu' Conservative party, which is at present in power. The bitter 

 political war beint: waued betw<'en Dr. Zayas and General Jose Mijruel (Jitmez. former 

 I'resident, is as stronj; as ever. r»r. Zayas is still consid<M-ed to Ite a viM-y crafty 

 p(ditician, and leaders of the various oppo.sing factions find it very difficult in attempt- 

 ing to outwit him. At the present time the newspapers, both Conservative and Lib- 

 end, have a great deal to say regarding the fusion which it is generally rumored will 

 take place between the Conservatives and the Zayas faction of the Liberal i>arty. 



General Jose Miguel Gomez appears to continue to be the leading candidate for 

 the presidential nomination in connection with the main body of the- Libera. 1 party. 



We have previously made mention of different candidates for this office among 

 the Conservatives, but that party has not yet formally aimnunced their candidate 

 and it seems to lie impossil)le at the present time to predict whom th.-y will select. 



S. S. "BROOKLAND": The American wooden steamer "Brookland,"' belonging 

 to the U. S. Shipping Board, while discharging a cargo of fertilizer last month at 

 Kegla. caught fire, suppo.sed to he caused by internal combustion, and burned to the 

 water's edge. Oidy a small amount of her cargo had been discharged at the time 

 and the balance was a total loss owing to the fire, which also did considerable damage 

 to the nearl)y fertilizer warehouses. 



HEALTH RESORT: Announcement has just been made of the formation of 

 a syndicate of American and Cuban capitalists to opeiale a large tourist hotel at 

 the mineral springs located at San Diego de los Banos, in tlie mountain section of 

 Pinar del Rio Province, some eighty nnles fi'om Havana. The waters of these sitrings 

 are claimed to e(|ual those of many of the best resorts in other countries and it is 

 fully lielieved that with proper hotel accommodations and development of the baths, 

 etc.. which will be known as the Cuban Spa, the place will become well known as a 

 health resort. 



HARBOR \OTES: Although the strike of the stevedores and other harltor 

 workmen in Havana, which lasted some six weeks, was ended the fore part of Feb- 

 ruary, there is still a very great congestion of import merchandise on all the wharves 

 and terminal \\a rehouses in Havana, and it is the general opinion of shipping men 

 that it will be a considerable time yet before this accumulation is cleaned up and a 

 situation approaching normal again reached. The continuance of this congested con- 

 dition in Havana is having the effect of preventing steamship lines from cleaning up 

 the shipments which had accumulated at American ports while the strike was on in 

 Havana, because to forward them now as rapidly as might be done would only mean 

 increasing the present congestion here. 



Various ways and means are being considered by the commercial bodies here as 

 well as the Customs House authorities to overcome the situation referred to above, 

 but the fact remains that Havana has considerably outgrown her present wharf and 

 warehouse facilities and until additional accommodations in this respect are pro- 



