THE 



CUBA REVIEW 



"ALL ABOUT CUBA." 



Copyright, 1907, by the Hunson Steamship Line, 



i-IBRARY 

 NEW YORK 

 BOTANICAL 



GARDEN. 



Volume VI. 



FEBRUARY, 1908. 



Number 3. 



POLITICAL. 







The Cuban political hori- 

 Political zon has cleared somewhat 

 Apathy since President Roosevelt set 

 Will Now a definite time for the restor- 

 End. ation of the Cuban republic. 

 His decision has stripped the 

 situation of much of its confusion and 

 placed the Cuban people face to face with 

 the problem of self-government, forcing 

 them to work out the solution. Among the 

 very elements that must eventually govern 

 Cuba have been, and in considerable num- 

 bers, those who, relying on the strong arm 

 of the United States to maintain law and 

 order, have quietly abstained from taking 

 any effective part in public affairs. As a 

 consequence there has been been thus far 

 no effort made to perfect another political 

 organization to succeed the moribund 

 "moderato" party and the badly divided lib- 

 erals have controlled the situation. 



As a matter of fact, Gov- 

 No Sign of ernor Magoon has not suc- 

 Political ceeded in reconciling the 

 Harmony, various political factions 

 which were at loggerheads 

 when he arrived in Cuba. The friction be- 

 tween the Zayistas and Miguelistas, between 

 conservatives, moderates and both the former 

 wings of the liberal party is still as bitter 

 as ever. These divisions in the parties from 

 which a president of the republic must be 

 chosen has not aroused much confidence in 

 the country at large, and the people are not 

 inclined to believe that defeat will be ac- 

 cepted submissively by the followers of a 

 defeated candidate. Governor Magoon in 

 his report voiced this opinion when he said 

 that neither Zayas or Gomez had sufficient 

 following or public confidence to insure a 

 stable government at their hands. There are 

 some possible candidates in the background 



and the necessity for a suitable leader may 

 force some of them into the light. Gen. 

 Mario Menocal is the most prominent men- 

 tioned thus far, but discussion of him as a 

 candidate has not brought out any very de- 

 cided expression in his favor except from 

 his friends. 



General Menocal's friends 



General say he cannot afford to be- 



Menocal's come a candidate for presi- 



Fears. dent of Cuba. He realizes, it 



is said, the impossibility of 



mending the political differences which 



will be much more in evidence when the 



new government is established. There are 



straws, however, which indicate a strong 



preference for him. Prominent merchants 



in Holguin heretofore identified with the 



conservative party have seceded and will 



form an independent party in favor of his 



candidacy. 



GENERAL MARIO MENOCAL. 

 A Presidential Possibility. 



