THE CUBA REVIEW 



CUBAN GOVERNMENT MATTERS 



FOREIGN-MONEY DECREE IN CUBA 



The latest presidential decree in regard to 

 the monetary situation in Cuba is dated Nov- 

 ember 24, and is substantially as follows: 



1. From December 1, 1915, current ac- . 

 counts in Spanish and French gold will be 

 closed and considered in a state of conversion, 

 or hquidation, and new accounts will be 

 opened in the legal currency (Cuban or 

 American), returning the deposits in Spanish 

 or French gold to those who so desire. 



2. Until June 1, 1916, the Spanish and 

 French gold coins will be legal tender for de- 

 posits or mercantile transactions made pre- 

 vious to December 1, 1915, at the rate of 

 $5.30 for eachcenten, and $4.24 for each louis 

 or payment will be made in legal currency, 

 gold, at the rate of $4.82 for a centen or $3.86 

 for a louis, at the option of the debtor. After 

 June 1, 1916, the decree of September 11, 

 1915, will go into force. 



3. It is agreed that the substitution of 

 Spanish and French gold, which may be de- 

 livered by banking institutions through the 

 Banco Nacional de Cuba in the form and 

 name which may be arranged with same may 

 be effected at the rate of $4.82 official currency 

 for a centen and $3.86 for a louis. To this 

 effect the prohibition of imports of such 

 foreign coin is effective and ratified. 



4. The prohibition of the circulation of 

 foreign silver and gold coins after December 1, 

 1915, is also ratified, with the exception of 

 those of the United States. All pending trans- 

 actions in Spanish silver will be payable in 

 legal currency at the rate of the quotation of 

 same on November 30. 



5. This arrangement also extends to com- 

 mon-law obUgations contracted on the specific 

 basis of payment in Spanish or French gold 

 coin — Special Agent Garrard Harris. 



CUBA CONTRACTS FOR NEWSPAPER SPACE 



President Menocal has authorized Gen. 

 Enailio Nufiez, Secretary of Agriculture, Com- 

 merce and Labor to expend a certain sum in 

 advertising the Island of Cuba, and its atrac- 

 tions in the United States. A contract has 

 been signed with a Philadelphia newspaper 

 for display advertising of an attractive 

 character and reading matter, to run every 

 Sunday for two and a half months, beginning 

 in December. No further contracts are con- 

 templated at this time. Special efforts are 

 being made to bring the desirability of Cuba 

 as a winter resort before the public of the 

 United States. The tourist season has al- 

 ready opened with somewhat increased num- 

 bers of visitors. — Special Agent Garrard 

 Harris. 



GENERAL JESUS RABI 



General Jesus Rabi, a distinguished veteran 

 of the Cuban army, died at Bayamo December 

 5th. General Rabi was born in 1844, and he 

 took an active part in the revolt against 

 Spanish rule in 1868, and in all subsequent 

 revolutions he took an active part until the 

 independence of Cuba was achieved. 



METALURGICAL DEPARTMENT 



Owing to the increasing importance of iron 

 mining in Cuba, and the probability that this 

 industry will be greatly extended, the Gov- 

 ernment is considering the creation of a metal- 

 urgical department, primarily for investi- 

 gating more thoroughly Cuban mineral wealth 

 and aiding the iron industry in other ways. 



CUBAN LEGATION IN MEXICO 



As a consequence of the recent recognition 

 of Carranza by the Government of Cuba, ar- 

 rangements have been made for the opening 

 of the Cuban Legation at Mexico City, and a 

 new Minister from Cuba to Mexico will be 

 designated at an early date. The Minister 

 will probably be Sr. Ramon Pio de Ajuria. 



HAVANA CUSTOM HOUSE 



The collections for the month of No- 

 vember, 1915, were the largest recorded since 

 the inauguration of the Republic. The col- 

 lection for November, 1915, amounted to 

 $2,113,298.13. The largest monthly collec- 

 tion previous to this was some four years 

 ago when the collections reached a figure of 

 $1,800,000. The collections for November, 

 1914, were $1,532,556.25. 



BEGIN WORK ON BRIDGE ON GUANTANAMO 

 ROAD 



The commission which for some months 

 has been actively working to obtain the 

 construction of a road from Santiago de Cuba 

 to Guantanamo, has at last succeeded in 

 overcoming one of the greatest obstacles 

 which faced them, having obtained the com- 

 mencement of work on a bridge over the 

 Platanillo river. The bridge will cost $19,- 

 020.04 and the entire road to Guantanamo 

 will cost $680,000. 



