28 



THE CUBA REVIEW 



anticipated, some of the experts even goins 

 as far as to i)redict a 3,000,000-toii cro}). It 

 will undoubtedly he somewhat larger than 

 that of 1914-15. The good jirices have 

 stimulated an increase in acreage to sonic 

 extent. Less fertilizer has been u.sed on the 

 crop maturing, it is stated, than heretofore, 

 owing to difficulty in obtaining the proper 

 constituents, and this will tend to make the 

 profits somewhat larger where this has l)een 

 the case. 



Until the end of April, 1915, sugar wa? 

 quoted at so many reales (Spanish) per airoba 

 (25 pounds), but since the first of May, the 

 quotations have been in centavos, or cents, 

 per pound and will continue to be so quoted. 

 Many of the centrals and ingenios have 

 taken advantage of the good prices, and easily 

 obtained money to replace antiquated ma- 

 chinery with more modern equijimcnt, thus 

 Iwing able to efTect economies in jjroduction 

 and at the same time increase the output. 

 Owners of these up-to-date mills feel sure that 

 even when there is a return to low jirices after 

 the European war, operations will still be 

 profitable. 



Big Orders for Machinery from United States. 

 The quantity of new sugar machinery al- 

 ready imported or contracted for is something 

 tremendous, and all of it coming from the 

 United States. Great efforts arc Ixnng made 

 to get installations complete for the season, 

 which begins next month, and manufac- 

 turers in the States are rushing the work as 

 rapidly as possible. Indications are that more 

 equipment will be purchased during the com- 

 ing year, the newer mills forcing the older 

 ones, in self-defense, to bring their equii)mcnt 

 up to modern standards. Rmnors of new 

 organizations to go into sugar making may be 

 heard. 



The tobacco gi'owers have sutTered con- 

 siderably from the war. Germany was a 

 large customer, taking $1,109,506 worth in 

 1914. That market is practically eliminated 

 as also is Austria-Hungary. England has 

 cut down importations. But the dejjression 

 in tobacco is confined to certain areas and 

 does not play a very important jjart in the 

 general business situation. Exportations to 

 South Ameiica and to Spain have increased. 

 The tourist season has opened up very 

 favorably at Habana and the winter race 

 meet is expected to bring a largely augmented 

 crowd of winter visitors. Taken altogether 

 business conditions in the island are good and 

 the time is opportune for the opening of new- 



lines and i)ushing estaljlished ones. — SjKcial 

 Afjen' Garntnl Harris. 



CUBA WANTS DESIGNS FOR "MAINE" 

 MEMORIAL 



The Cul)an Maine Memorial C'onmiission, 

 of which Gen. Emilio Nunez, Secretary of 

 Agriculture of Cuba, is chairman, has called 

 for international designs and bids for the 

 Maine memorial which will be erected by the 

 Government of Cul)a. The presidential de- 

 cree on the subject in part reads: 



The i)lans and bids must be in the hands of 

 the Secretary of Agriculture, ])resident of the 

 commission, l)efure 11 o'clock on the morning 

 of Fcl)ruary 1, 1916, and on February '.i the 

 plans will be ()])cncd jiublicly in the order in 

 which tlicv have Ix'cn received, and wUl be 

 exposed to the i)ut)Uc for 15 days. 



The moiunnent will be raised in the Vedado 

 on a triangular i)iece of gi-ound formed by 

 streets 17, 19, C, and the Calzado de Vedado. 

 The artists may plan the monument in the 

 form and ])ositi()n which they desire, but it is 

 indispcnsal)le that the relics of the battleship 

 which were iH-(>sente(l by the United States 

 to the Cuban Government —namely a turret, 

 two cannon, an anchor, and a chain — should 

 be the motif of the monument. 



The plans and bids must be original. The 

 total cost, without including that of plac- 

 ing, may not exceed the sum of .S3.'^,000. Two 

 prizes will be given, one of $1,500 and the 

 other of $500 for the best two plans, which will 

 become the ])ro]ierty of the State. 



Admirable Site Chosen. 



The Calzado de Vedado is a wide, paved 

 avenue which skirts the sea from the Malecon, 

 opposite Morro Castle, to and through the 

 Vedado, the most beautiful residential section. 

 The plot of ground is not 400 feet from the 

 water, so the monument will look out upon 

 the entrance to the harbor and be seen by all 

 ships apj)roaching and leaving. Thousands 

 of people pass the spot each day and a more 

 beautiful location for the memorial could not 

 have been selected. 



In a few days I will forward a complete set 

 of photographs showing the exact location of 

 the memorial, the surroundings, etc., and 

 photographs of the guns, turret pieces, chain 

 and anchor l)eing placed on the ground. 

 (Upon their arrival these photographs may 

 be inspected at the Bureau of Foreign and 

 Domestic Commerce, or its branch offices. 

 Refer to file Xo. 780.) Unofficially, I have 

 gained the impression that a design embracing 

 the names of the men who died will make a 

 favorable impression. These names may be 

 obtained from the Navy Department at 

 Washington. — Special Agent Garrard Han-is. 



