THE 



CUBA REVIEW 



ALL ABOUT CUBA" 



Copyright, 1907, by the Munson Steamship Line. 



Volume VI. 



DECEMBER, 1907. 



Number i. 



POLITICAL. 



LIBRARY 

 NEW YORK 

 BOTANICAL 



GARDEN. 



Political 



Factions 



Quiet. 



The political situation is 

 quiet and there were no new- 

 developments during the past 

 month. At no time since the 

 intervention has political dis- 

 cussion been so uninteresting. As previ- 

 ously reported the Miguelistas, as that fac- 

 tion is called which favors Jose Miguel 

 Gomez for president of Cuba, immediately 

 upon the completion of the census, clam- 

 ored for early elections, indicating Febru- 

 ary, 1908, as the best time. This demand 

 was not favored by the press nor by the 

 other political factions, who denied that 

 the petition for early elections represented 

 the true sentiment of the people of Cuba. 

 That they really favored permitting ample 

 time for preparing the registry lists and 

 having the elections sometime in the fall. 

 These objections and criti- 

 Early cisms had their effect on 

 Elections General Gomez, who later 

 Unpopular, stated that he saw no harm 

 in a continuance of the pro- 

 visional government for six months longer. 

 Observers think that he at last sees a 

 growing popular sentiment in favor of pro- 

 tracted American rule. 



The Conservative attitude is 

 The Con- still undefined, but the dis- 

 vatives' sension in the Liberal party 

 Opportunity, affords them an excellent op- 

 portunity to place some strong 

 man in nomination for the presidency, who 

 can command the respect of the country. 

 General Mario Menocal is spoken of as a 

 man who would win votes even from 

 Gomez and Zayas. Could he be prevailed 

 upon to accept the nomination he might 

 win under the present disruption of the 

 Liberals. It is said, however, that his busi- 

 ness interests command his constant at- 

 tention. 



The census of Cuba while 

 The a compilation of the inhabi- 



Completed tants of Cuba is also an en- 

 Census. forced registration of every- 

 one entitled to vote at the 

 coming elections, to the end that the elec- 

 tions may truly represent the wishes of the 

 people. An unofficial estimate gives the 

 population of the island at 2,000,000, as 

 compared with 1,572,797 at the last cen- 

 sus in 1899. Of the population 400,000, it 

 is estimated, are foreigners not entitled to 

 a vote, but they may hold the office of 

 councillor, if in business and residing in 

 the country five years. According to the 

 1904 registrations Pinar del Rio Province 

 held 42,037 voters; Havana 81,300; Matan- 

 zas 29,043; Santa Clara 84,309; Camaguey 

 14,079, and Oriente 49,925; a total of 

 300,693 voters. 



The pro- Cuban sentiments 

 To Appeal expressed by President 

 to Cuban Roosevelt in his message to 

 Patriots, the Sixtieth Congress has 

 brought encouragement to the 

 conservative and earnest citizens of Cuba, 

 who now feel a real confidence in the re- 

 establishment of the Republic. 



For the first time appeals will be made 

 to the Cuban people irrespective of their 

 political affiliations and only quoting Mr. 

 Roosevelt's strong statement as a rallying 

 cry for all patriots and extolling the sin- 

 cerity and good faith of the United States 

 as the basis for a new organization. 



While _Mr. Roosevelt's message contained 

 but a brief reference to Cuba, what he did 

 say attracts the widest attention and cre- 

 ates favorable discussion everywhere, al- 

 though there remain doubters who do not 

 believe that the Republic will be restored 

 next year. 



