T H E C U B A R E V I E W 11 



HARBOR NEWS: The first merchant ship to visit the port of Havana direct 

 from China entered this port on June 14th with a cargo of rice, silks and otlier 

 Oriental fancy goods. This is an added opportunity for Havana business men to 

 extend their trade to China. The only other vessel on record, flying the Chinese flag, 

 entering this port was the Chinese cruiser, "Hai Chi," about ten years ago. On 

 June 3rd the Cuban school ship, "Patria," sailed from Mariel, where the Naval 

 Academy of Cuba is situated, for a cruise to foreign ports. The "Patria" will visit 

 several American seaports and return to Cuba after having traveled some 5,000 

 miles. The "Patria" had on board naval cadets who will graduate this year into 

 midshipmen and this is their final practice cruise before becoming ofiicers in the 

 Cuban Navy, 



During the month of May, 14,2.50 passengers entered the port of Havana, and 

 19,408 sailed for the United States and other foreign ports. 



PLAYA DE MARIANAO: The company which has the concession at the Playa, 

 which has been under fire for almost two years, has at last interested itself in afford- 

 ing the Cuban public bathing beach facilities at the ,Playa de Marianao, which is 

 Havana's only bathing beach. Although the admission fee is excessive, it must be 

 admitted that the company has made the bathing beach very attractive with a great 

 number of small bathing booths and awning covers, which now give the beach the 

 appearance of a European watering place. Considerable comment is being occasioned 

 by the newspapers in Havana regarding the excessive rates which are charged for 

 admission and it is rumored that some steps will be taken to have the fees reduced 

 to a more conservative figure. However, Havana's population now has an excellent 

 bathing beach which Avill afford great relief to the public during the present summer 

 season. 



The Casino, which was recently erected by this same company and which enjoys 

 the gambling privilege, is attracting considerable adverse comment in the papers, 

 as it is claimed there have been many large losses sustained by prominent residents 

 of Havana. 



ISLE OF PINES NEWS; Mention was made in oin- last letter of mining activi- 

 ties which were to be undertaken on the Isle of Pines by the Morgan Syndicate, and 

 it has further developed that a corps of engineers equipped with all tools and ma- 

 terials for making extensive investigations are now at work in furtherance of this 

 large contemplated activity. Denouncements have been made of 54,000 hectares at 

 different points of the Isle and it is estimated that Avithin the next six months this 

 operation will be fully under way. 



The Isle of Pines is enjoying regular sailings from Tampa, Fla., by the auxiliary 

 schooner, "Halcyon," of 350 tons capacity, which is in this run regularly and is 

 affording great relief to the residents of the Isle of Pines and is also returning to 

 Tampa with considerable quantities of pineapples for Northern markets. 



GENERAL NEWS ITEMS: Much interest has been evinced in the research 

 work which has recently been completed by Dr. Hugh Cummings, Surgeon-General 

 of the United States Army, in connection with a discovery which it is claimed he 

 has made of a medicine which will cure leprosy. Although leprosy is neither con- 

 tagious nor infectious, much interest has been aroused by the statement of Dr. 

 Cummings' findings, since there is a leper colony here. The Central and South 

 American countries will be interested in the result of Dr. Cummings' experiment 

 since there are colonies of lepers in all these countries. 



Recent advices are to the effect that Japan is to depend in the future to a much 

 larger extent on the Island of Cuba for her supply of tobacco. Cuba enjoys a good 

 business with Japan at the present time, and indications are that this business is to 



