THE CUBA REVIEW 



TO REORGANIZE THE ARMY OF CUBA 



The plan for the reorganization of the 

 Cuban Army, by which its efficiency will be 

 increased, is going into operation. The most 

 important feature is the extinction, as a sepa- 

 rate corps, of the famous Rural Guard. This 

 corps was organized as a mounted constabu- 

 larj^ force by Colonel Hubert Slocum of the 

 United States Army and based on the fine 

 body of men known as the Guardia Civil of 

 the "days of the Spanish domination. 



The Rurale will be merged in the cavalry 

 of the Regular Army which will be composed 

 of six full regiments, armed and equipped on 

 the model of the United States Cavalry, of 

 which five regiments will be assigned to service 

 as rural constabulary and one to regular 

 military duty. 



The numl^er of infantry regiments will be 

 reduced from two to one. The artillery will 

 consist of one regiment, inchuling batteries of 

 field and mountain guns and a corps of coast 

 defense artillery which will also be trained as 

 infantry. The machine gun force, which has 

 hitherto been a separate organization, will be 

 divided into squads to be attached to the vari- 

 ous cavalry and infantry units in accordance 

 with modern practice. There will also be a 

 general staff and the customary staff corps. 



The whole force will aggregate somewhat 

 more than 10,000 men of all arms, and the 

 President, for the first time, becomes the com- 

 mander-in-chief of the forces on land and 

 sea. Major-General Mendieta will be the 

 immediate commander of the army, and under 

 him Brigadier-General A valos, for many years 

 commander of the Rural Guard. Plans are 

 also in contemplation for the formation of a 

 reserve force and reorganization of the navy. 



DISCUSS PAPER MONEY ISSUE 



A commission is discussing the law proposed 

 by Dr. Ferrara authorizing the emission of 

 paper money to the value of ten million dol- 

 lars. 



The commission advised that the bills 

 should be 1.52 millimeters long by 82 wide oi a 

 special linen paper and bearing such symbols 

 and inscriptions as the executive may decide. 



Any bank that takes part in this issue must 

 place a corresponding sum in government 

 bonds — -bonds of the city of Havana, or stock 

 in a public utility company, with the national 

 treasury. 



MEXICO RAISES DUTY ON CUBAN TOBACCO 



The Cuban Charge D'affaires in Mexico has 

 notified the Secretary of State that the Secre- 

 tary of the Treasury of the Constitutionalist 

 Party in that country has issued a note in- 

 creasing the duty on tobacco, whether manu- 

 factured in the country or coming from 

 abroad. It is not stated how this will affect 

 the Cuban tobacco industry as the exact 

 amount of the increase has not been pub- 

 lished. 



PANAMA EXPOSITION 



Cuba's exhibit in the Palace of Horticul- 

 ture, beneath the great dome, has attracted 

 great interest and admiration; it comprises 

 mycrocycus 1,000 years old, royal palms, giant 

 tree ferns, tropical lUies, bamboo palms, bread 

 fruit and banana trees, mangoes,? guanabana 

 cocoanut trees and date palms in actual bear- 

 ing. 



CUBAN AVIATION CORPS 



The Military Commission in the House of 

 Representatives has approved of the proposal 

 to create an aviation corps as an auxiliary 

 branch of the Cuban army. The corps will 

 consist of three members, each of whom will 

 bear the rank of lieutenant. 



PUBLIC WORKS STOP AT PINAR DEL RIO 



The public works on roads and bridges 

 which were started a few weeks ago and which 

 gave work to many hundreds of men who, 

 without it, would have been reduced to the 

 worst poverty, have been suspended suddenly. 

 The laborers who are thus thrown out of em- 

 ployment have organized themselves and are 

 going to hold a great meeting of protest. 



JUCARO, ISLE OF PINES 



President Menocal has signed a decree 

 authorizing the establishment of a custom 

 house at the port of Jucaro. 



PORTUGUESE TREATY 



Senor R. Aegueles, president of the Union 

 of Tobacco Manufacturers, has addressed a 

 long note to the Secretary of Agriculture on 

 the subject of the proposed commercial treaty 

 with Portugal. 



The note says that it is the opinion of the 

 union that the establishment of a free port at 

 Lisbon, while it may benefit Portugal, will 

 be of very little advantage to Cuban com- 

 merce and none at all to Cuban tobacco. 



It is now thought probable that the govern- 

 ment will go on further in the negotiations of 

 a commercial treaty with Portugal, as its bene- 

 fits to this island are regarded as very doubt- 

 ful. 



CUBA AND PANAMA 



The Repubhc of Panama has informed the 

 Cuban Government that a law has been en- 

 acted by the National Congress granting a 

 plot of land to Cuba to be used for the Cuban 

 building at the projected National Exposi- 

 tion to be held in Panama. 



