THE CUBA REVIEW 



11 



ALL AROUND CUBA 



KEY WEST HAVANA FERRY 



Nine great railroads of the country made 

 traffic arrangements whereby on January 6, 

 1915, they sent their loaded freight cars across 

 the straits of Florida from Key West to 

 Havana, on the first great sea-going car barge 

 ferry boat ever launched to ply between the 

 United States and a foreign country. 



The seagoing ferry boat Henry M. Flagler 

 of thirty freight cars capacity, and making 

 the trip in less time than it takes to load and 

 unload freight after its transportation in the 

 hold of steamships, was at that time placed in 

 commission. 



The announcement of the Nashville, Chat- 

 tanooga and St. Louis railroad on the new 

 service was to the following effect: 



"Aimouncement is made of the establish- 

 ment of a new fast freight service to Cuba to 

 be known as the Cuban allrail route and in 

 which some nine railroads operating in the 

 South, Southeast and Southwest are partici- 

 pating. The service offers to the shippers the 

 without having to reload into Ijoats at Key 

 West, as arrangements have l^een made for 

 steamships which have a capacity of handling 

 thirty freight cars a trip. Offices liave been 

 established in St. Louis and in Havana for 

 the service and the roads participating are the 

 Nashville, Chattanooga and St. Louis railway, 

 the Atlantic Coast line, the Cincinnati, New 

 Orleans and Texas Pacific, the Southern, the 

 Central of Georgia, the Havana railway, the 

 Florida East Coast, the Seaboard Air Line 

 and the G. S. and F. Rv." 



WAR SERIOUSLY AFFECTS CUBA 



"I think it is certain that the trade between 

 Cuba and the United States will increase at 

 once and for some time to come. But if the 

 European war continues, and not only on 

 account of it, but also, for many other reasons, 

 and especially because we Cubans are losing 

 from day to day our ability to produce and 

 acquire, I am afraid that this trade will de- 

 crease until it may seriously injure our very 

 economic existence." — Views of Enrique Jose 

 Varona, Vice-president of Cuba, on the Euro- 

 pean wars effect on Cuba, in the New York 

 Sun. 



SINGERS FOR CUBA 



The Sigaldi company singers have been 

 engaged to open the Havana Opera House 

 next February. The Cuban government is said 

 to have offered the singers a bonus of $25,000. 



The offer from Cuba came as a climax to 

 fourteen months' successful touring of South 

 and Central America and in Mexico. 



Their repertoire includes "Aida," "Lucia," 

 "Madame Butterfly," "II Trovatore," "Rig- 

 oletto," etc. 



CUBA PRODUCTS ON EXHIBITION 



Ldo Guielermo Patterson, sub-secretary of 

 state, has addressed a circular letter to all the 

 consuls representing Cuba abroad, stating 

 that it is the intention of the government to 

 establish exhibitions of Cuban products in 

 the principal Cuban consulates. 



The products to be exhibited, besides a full 

 line of tobacco and cigars, includes hemp and 

 linen products, mosaics, tiles, porcelain, min- 

 erals, varnishes, seeds of different native 

 plants and trees, and the many beautiful 

 woods for which Cuba is famous. 



The Havana Post endorses the idea, but 

 iu"ges the exercise of great care in the selection 

 of consuls, because, "if anybody with a politi- 

 cal pull is appointed consul regardless of 

 whether he has anj' qualifications for such a 

 position, then we predict that the Havana 

 cigars that are sent to consulates as samples of 

 what the island can produce will be smoked 

 inside the consulate by the consul himself or 

 in company with his chief understudy, while 

 grapefruit and other products which are sent 

 to him for the purpose of exhibition, if not 

 consumed much the same way will be dis- 

 tributed among friends and the worthy object 

 of the government will have been defeated.' ' 



FOR LEGATION AT HAVANA 



A message urging an appropriation of SlOO,- 

 000 for purchase and improvement of the 

 American legation building at Havana, Cuba, 

 was sent to Congress, December 22d, by Presi- 

 dent Wilson. 



BASEBALL IN CUBA 



Cubans are fond of baseball, and have many 

 skilled players. It is reported that the St. 

 Louis Federal League Baseball Team will go 

 to Havana, Cuba, for preliminary practice 

 sometime in February. 



TWO CENT POSTAL RATE TO THE WEST 

 INDIES EXTENDED 



Post ]\Iaster General, Burleson, has issued 

 the following statement : 



"The domestic letter rate of two cents an 

 ounce or fraction thereof is now in effect be- 

 tween the United States, Great Britain and 

 Germany, and in the western hemispheres 

 with Canada, Newfoundland, Mexico and 

 Cuba. The addition of the Bahamas is 

 considered important commercially. 



The 40-foot motor boat Priscilla has been 

 sold for J. A. Penny to the United Fruit Com- 

 pany for use on Nipe Bay, Cuba. 



