10 



THE CUBA REVIEW 



GENERAL COMMENT ON CUBAN AFFAIRS 



A PHILIPPINE GOVERNOR'S OPINION 

 OF THE ISLE OF PINES 



After twelve years spent as Governor of 

 the mountain Province of Luzon, in the 

 Philippines, William F. Pack has settled on 

 the Isle of Pines, which he believes is the 

 ideal spot of the world. 



In a recent interview with a representative 

 of the New York Times he said: 



"When I was campaigning down i i Cuba 

 I paid a visit to the Isle of Pines, and I then 

 made up my mind that some day I would go 

 there and live. Some time later I bought 

 a place down there, and when I tell you 

 that I managed to ship about 7,000 cases of 

 grape fruit between September 1 and Thanks- 

 giving Day, you may guess it was not a bad 

 investment. 



"I don't suppose it is generally realized 

 at home that we have about 2,000 Americans 

 on the island throughout the year, and about 

 7,000 through the winters, most of them 

 landowners. There are about 3,000 natives 

 — a pretty good class they are — and, of 

 course, the officials are all Cubans. Once 

 in a while there is a little misunderstanding, 

 but it is always promptly straightened 

 out. 



"We have a model and modern colony. 

 There are good little hotels in every town, 

 and automobile roads lead all over the 

 island. About 200 automobiles are owned. 

 Then we have American stores, and American 

 automobile stages, and freight trucks. The 

 great mass of Americans down there are 

 people rather advanced in life, who have 

 wished to retire in the winters to a little 

 place of from ten to twenty acres and plant 

 it in grape fruit, or oranges, or lemons, 

 calculating that when these came into bear- 

 ing they would have a nice little bungalow 

 to live in, and could spend their days in 

 peace and comfort. 



"Bungalows dot the island, and there are 

 some residences that are really very am- 

 bitious. Taxation is low and the island is 

 easy of access from Havana. 



If we examine the life of a workingman in 

 Cuba we shall find that it is impossible for 

 him to properly buy food, pay the rental 

 and dress his wife and children with his 

 salary which fluctuates between a dollar 

 and a dollar and a half a day. From this 

 condition the result is that childi-en are poorly 

 fed and are easy victims of disease and other 

 miseries which befall them. 



In Juan Guiteras, director of sanitation at 

 Havana, Cuba has a guardian of its health 

 who is one of the world's greatest experts in 

 pernicious fevers. 



Dm'ing his ten years of activity with the 

 United States Marine Hospital Service, Dr. 

 Guiteras became famous as a specialist in 

 the yellow fever epidemics that occurred 

 in the South; he enhanced his reputation 

 in Havana when co-operating with American 

 army surgeons, he demonstrated that the 

 mosquito was the carrier of the fever germ. 

 Since 1900 Dr. Guiteras has been professor of 

 tropical diseases at the University of Havana. 



WHY THE GOVERNMENT IS STABLE 



Base-ball has had its part in subduing the 

 rebellious instincts of the Cubans. American 

 professional teams have visited the island, 

 and today Cubans are in competition with 

 American Indians for places on big league 

 teams. The Government of Cuba has been 

 more^stable since the introduction of base- 

 ball. Why should the discontented Cuban 

 sit in the shade of an afternoon, contemplat- 

 ing revolution, when he can be just as com- 

 fortable watching a clash between the 

 Santiago Giants and the Havana Sox and 

 relieve his pent-up feelings by "panning" 

 the unfortunate pitcher who allows a home 

 run. And how much moi'e effective is his 

 shout "Take him out " which "yanks" the 

 the offending "hurler" and sends him "to 

 the shower" than any of his past maledictions 

 against his Government. — Boston Globe. 



MORTALITY OF CHILDREN 



No less an authority than Dr. Juan 

 Guiteras, Director of Health for Cuba, says 

 that the child mortality in Cuban cities and 

 especially in Havana is astounding, and 

 exceeds 40% of the births. 



One cause of the increase of deaths among 

 children is caused, says La Lucha, "by the 

 crowding of the poor in the so-called tene- 

 ments. Another reason is the misery affect- 

 ing the laboring classes whose salary has not 

 grown with the increase in the cost of living, 

 which does not permit them to properly 

 maintain their family or to give the mothers 

 the proper attention." 



THIRTEEN YEARS OF NATIONAL LIFE 



Thirteen years have elapsed since the first 

 American intervention in the island, an 

 occupation having for its sole purpose the 

 guidance of my people to a staple govern- 

 ment. During those years you will agree 

 with me that my countrymen have shown 

 commendable examples of good judgment, 

 tenacity and self-control. Many were the 

 prophecies of those who had no faith in the 

 Cuban character or who judged it by super- 

 ficial appearances that the island would 

 become a hotbed of disturbances and i that 

 the patriots who had fought so heroically 

 would constitute themselves in marauding 

 bands, menacing life and propertj' in the 



