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



last yoar—wliicli, of course, will eflfoct the price that is to maintain f<»r this crop. 

 When it is rciiuMiilienxl, however, lliat many centrals liave heen purcliascnl since the 

 tirst of tiie year V.r20 and hiuli prices have Ixcn iiaid for the properties in onler to 

 enable them to meet their ol)liKalions a ;,'ontl price will have to he ohtaineil for their 

 snj:ars. For instance, machinery for making; additions to mills and for first installa- 

 tion sold at its highest fignre this si)ring of 3920. Tliis machin(>ry is to l)e paid for 

 out of earnings of the 1920-1!»21 crop, and if the ]»rice of sugar is iml a fair one funds 

 Mill not lie available for meeting oliligalions due and hard times are lilvely to be 

 <'nc()nntered. Another thing that lias materially tended to unsettle conditions is the 

 ciu-tailmcnt of credit tliroughout the T'nited States and the Island of Cuba as v.ell. 

 "Whereas last year <redits were fairly easy to obtain, this year the banks liave tightened 

 up and many holders of sugars are being forced to make sales now against tlieir conung 

 crop to meet their obligations which are now falling due. The beet sugar crop of the 

 United Slates is estimated at 200,000 tons more than for the year past. The European 

 be«'t sugar crop will show an increase of between 700,0(X> and 800.000 tons over last 

 year, and these large increases in production are now going to spell, we IteUeve, 9 and 

 10 cent sugar for Cuba this year. When prices went up last year sugars from all 

 over the world came to the United States. Java, whose sugars have always been 

 Consumed in the Orient, sent oOO.OCM) tons to the United States, winch was attracted 

 by the lugh prices paid there. Then, too, tlie canning industries of the United States 

 liave used less sugar this year than ever before in the history of the industry. Fruits 

 wliitli were formerly preserved with sugar are being dried or only partly sweetened, 

 anil the canning imlustry has frankly gone on record as being opposed to the liigh 

 prices which mainiained the first part of this pre.sent year. When the hou.sewife in 

 the United States becomes aroused over a situation and sets herself to the task of 

 righting matters, something usually happens. Thus it was with sugar; housewives 

 refused to buy and as a consefiuence the large dealers have found themselves with 

 large stocks of sugar nii luuul and no possil)le sale for same. 



POLITICAL NEWS: Tilings have conH> to a strange pass in Culiaii politics. The 

 Cons;-rvative party has chosen Dr. Alfredo Zayas, former Liberal leader, as its standard 

 bearwr for the I'residency and tlie present Conservative Vice-President of the Republic 

 lias Joined forces with the Liberals in tlie coming elections to lie held in Cuba. 



The Mayorship of Havana, considered the most desiralde i»olilical plum in Cuba, 

 excepting the I'residency itself, is to be hotly contested, it would seem. Dr. Varona 

 Suarez, the present Mayor of the City of Havana, has stood firm in his recent declara- 

 tion that he would not be a candidate again for the position, and both Liberal and 

 Conservative jtarties have given considerable attention to their aripointee for the 

 jiosition. Sr. Marcelino Diaz de Villegas, the Liberal candidate for Mayor of Havana, 

 has a better chance of success than Sr. (Justavo I'ino. Hie Conservative candidate. 



The Anieriiaii government amiounced that it would not interfere in the elections 

 this year, but strong rejiresentations have been made to the American Government to 

 reconsider its deiision, as the Liberal party seems to deem its cause lost unless the 

 United States (iovernmeiit oversees the elections. 



HARBOR NOTES: On August .'Ust the Black Star Line steamer "Kanawha"' arrived 

 in the harltor from Norfolk, Va., bringing .''.4 passengers and a cargo of potatoes and 

 onions. Tliis is the fii-st vessel bringing passengers to arrive for this company. 



The Transmarine Corporation is the new line which has estaljlished a line of 

 steamers from Italian iiorts to Havana. The first two steamers to be placed in this 

 service are the "Sunalesco"' and tlie "Italia," and it is claimed that others will be 

 added to this fleet as the business develops. 



Advice from the American Charge d' Affairs that American merchants were com- 

 plaining bitterly against the amount of stealing that was being done to merchandise 



