10 



THE CUBA REVIEW 



GENERAL COMMENT ON CUBAN AFFAIRS 



FIRE IN SUGAR FIELDS 



One constantly sees notices in the Havana 

 newspapers of fires in the sugar fields. It 

 seems that when the cane is set on fire, the 

 leaves burn, but the cane itself is not drawn 

 away from the field within about two weeks, 

 fermentation sets in, and the cane becomes of 

 very Httle value. A gentleman engaged in 

 raising sugar told me that he had a bad year 

 last year because a fire occurred in a part of 

 his fields at Chinstmas time, and for two 

 weeks he had found it im])0ssible to hii'e any- 

 body to do any work, consequently he lost 

 that portion of his cane which had been set 

 on fire. I was led to believe that if a work- 

 man were anxious to obtain work at any time 

 when the cane was not being cut on account of 

 the low price of sugar, he could compel the 

 owners of the field to give him a job in order 

 to save the cane which had been set on fire, 

 which was an easy inference from the remarks 

 of the gentleman above referred to. These 

 fires in my mind assume the position of 

 strikes to obtain work. 



There is no season when the cane must be 

 cut, and it can be left almost indefinitely 

 standing without injury. It, however, can 

 only be planted after the rains which occur 

 more or less periodically, before the height 

 of the rainy season, when the fields, after 

 showers, are plowed, and the cane is planted 

 in short lengths, when it very soon makes its 

 appearance above the ground. 



I was told that these showers were very 

 desirable as evidently they often increase the 

 size of the crop of sugar as much as 25%. — 

 Austin C. Dunham in the Hartford (Conn.) 

 Times. 



CUBAN AND BOSTON WOMEN 



Madame de Baralt was sent to the Boston 

 Food Fair by the RepubUc of Cuba for the 

 purpose of telling the people about the homes 

 and home life of our sister republic to the 

 south, and she talked with all the enthusiasm 

 which love and patriotism for the beautiful 

 island, which is her home, could inspire. 



Expressing her views of women's club 

 activities in Cuba, Mme. de Baralt said that 

 the Havana Woman's Club, of wliich she is a 

 member, has been organized five years. 



Its membership numbers 200 and is made 

 up of Cuban and American resident women 

 in the city. 



She said it has several departments, just as 

 the clubs of the United States, and is aUied 

 with the General Federation of Women's 

 Clubs of this country. 



Under the philanthropic department of the 

 club an employment bm-eau for women is 

 conducted, and fruit and flowers are dis- 

 tributed to institutions. Current events 

 classes, lectures on historical and art subjects 



and a class in Shakespeare are given, with 

 special lectures on varied subjects by men and 

 women who pass through Cuba when travel- 

 ing. 



Mme. de Baralt said further: 



"American people must not imagine the 

 Cuban women do not like to dress," she said. 

 "They know all the Parisian styles and follow 

 them closely. They have an artistic eye. In 

 my country, a husband will talk over with his 

 wife how and of what material his wife's dress 

 should be made. 



"A husband does not go ahead and buy an 

 expensive suit for himself and think that any 

 old thing will do for his wife. He takes real 

 pleasure in seeing his wife look well in her 

 dress. 



"You know, nothing is so pleasing to a wife 

 as to know her husband is interested in what 

 she wears. How many American husbands 

 just take a glance at their wife's new dress, 

 when she has spent days in planning and 

 thinking about it. 



"The Cuban husband is ideal in many ways. 

 He does not begrudge the time spent in study- 

 ing his wife's costume. If more husband's 

 would only talk dress to their wives and be 

 interested in how a dress should be made and 

 what color is most suitable to her complexion, 

 there would be fewer family jars in Ajnerica. 



"Except for a few women who go out very 

 early in the morning to early mass, the man- 

 tilla is no longer worn. You know we have 

 over 4,000 women teachers on Cuba, and be- 

 sides these om' young women even of the bes^ 

 families are fitting themselves for useful voca- 

 tions. In addition to their being beautifully 

 gowned, we believe the Cuban women possess 

 as much physical charm and beauty as those 

 of any other land." 



All of Mme. Baralt's lectures were profusely 

 illustrated. 



Mme. Baralt has Uved in Cuba sixteen 

 years, although a native of the United States. 

 She is a talented lecturer of international fame, 

 and has done noteworthy journalistic work 

 here and in Cuba. 



POLITICIANS MAY MAKE TROUBLE 



"Cuba will always remain free and inde- 

 pendent," declares one of the residents of that 

 island. He went on to explain that a strong 

 national feeling would develop in Cuba which 

 would maintain its independence. He may 

 be right, but the island may fall into the 

 hands of a set of politicians who will create 

 great disturbances and force intervention by 

 the United States. One reason why Cuba 

 has many chances to remain independent is 

 because the people of the United States do not 

 have that thirst for land which was said to be 

 the motive that brought about the war with 

 Spain. — Arthur W. Dunn, in Long Branch 

 Record. 



