10 



THE CUBA REVIEW 



GENERAL COMMENT ON CUBAN AFFAIRS 



DOCTOR DESVERNINES EXPECTATIONS 



Cuba expects to make a lot of money out of 

 the war — not bj'' supplying war needs of bel- 

 ligerents, but by selling raw sugar at the 

 prices to which the market has risen, and per- 

 haps at higher figures. Dr. Pablo Desver- 

 nine, the Cuban Secretary of State, in a recent 

 interview while in New York, says the price 

 of raw sugar has jumped in Cuba, and that 

 the next crop is expected to realize $250,000.- 

 000. 



"We expect that Cuba will soon be very 

 prosperous," he said. "The high priceofsugar 

 will be a boom to our country. Our last crop 

 is the biggest we have ever made, amounting, 

 I believe, to a little over 2,300,000 tons. 



"The effect of the war has not been felt 

 in Cuba except that there has been difficulty 

 about exchange, which is about settled now. 

 It has been very high against Cuba. We may 

 feel some stringency for a little time, but con- 

 ditions will soon be improved. As for tobac- 

 co, our cigar manufacture may have been 

 checked, but things will ultimately come out 

 all right, and I believe such factories as have 

 closed will re-open. In the matter of reve- 

 nues, we may have a small check, but there 

 has been none as yet, and it will not take long 

 to recover. 



"Cuba is rapidly building highways and 

 importing automobiles. The main source 

 of our importations is the United States, and 

 these imports will increase considerably, as 

 we may not be able to get anything from 

 Europe. 



"There is nothing new in Cuban politics. 

 Of course local politics interest people, but 

 then; is no danger of any disturbance of the 

 peace in Cuba, and no talk of such a thing. 

 Not a shadow has ever been cast on the per- 

 sonal integrity of our President and his Gov- 

 ernment." 



AMERICAN MONEY NEEDED 



The Havana Post says that Cuba is now 

 suffering an economic crisis so severe that 

 the government is suggesting this and that 

 means to tide the country over until times 

 become better. Why not, it asks, estabhsh 

 American money at once as it was established 

 nearly 16 years ago in Santiago? Why not 

 save the pubhc that exchange the banks and 

 exchanges are making off the prople every 

 day? Thousands of dollars are taken from 

 the people daily by this exchange which 

 they would not have to pay if there was only 

 one" kind of money used. It would cause a 

 few hardships at hrst on a few people, but 

 it is the good of the great majority that must 

 be taken into consideration, and the country 

 would quickly adjust itself to the change. 

 American money has been for the last six- 

 teen years the official money, and the govern- 



ment will take no other for customs and 

 taxes. Many business houses now make all 

 their prices in American money and pay their 

 employees in it and the rest could do so just 

 as well as not. and the coimtry would be 

 much better off. But now is the time of all 

 times to make the change. 



FOREIGN OWNERSHIP OF SUGAR ESTATES 



Mam' of the sugar plantations in Cuba 

 belong to citizens of one or the other of the 

 fighting nations, and in some cases they are 

 owned in pai't by both Germans and English. 

 Sugar has been transported mainly by British 

 and German ships with a sprinkling of Nor- 

 wegian vessels. 



The president of the rej^ublic has issued a 

 neutrality proclamation, but how is the little 

 nation, which has no navy, to enforce its 

 proclamation? The unprecedented rise in 

 sugar is largely caused by locking up the 

 Cuban supply. The question arises if sugar 

 jDroduced on a plantation owned jointly by 

 English and Germans is captured on the high 

 seas, how will the matter be adjusted in a 

 prize court? In many cases financiers of 

 the warring nations are interested in the same 

 enterprise in the island. W^ill that result in 

 the dissolution of partnerships? Taken alto- 

 gether it is a muddle that no one knows how 

 to clarifv. — Omaha (Neb.), World-Herald. 



MORE CHANCES FOR MANUFACTURERS 



"I observed that a number of stores in the 

 principal shopping districts of Havana are 

 closing because they cannot secure goods in 

 their special lines from European centers. 

 Many of these Havana concerns were 

 branches of English, German, Austrian and 

 French houses. These branches also handled 

 a large proportion of the trade in other Latin- 

 American countries, which New Orleans 

 houses might also secure if they would but 

 make the effort, according to information 

 given me by Central American agents of our 

 company." — James L. Wright, Secretary Pa n- 

 American Life Insurance Company. 



AN ENGLISH OPINION 



Although the last Cuban sugar crop was 

 something of a disappointment it was, never- 

 theless, a very good one, and those investor 

 interested in the railways handhng it will not 

 have much cause for complaint. The United 

 of Havana Company will be making its divi- 

 dend declaration in a few weeks' time, and 

 in the ordinary course of events the main- 

 tenance of the 5';c dividend would have been 

 assured. But it is quite on the cards that 

 the payment may be postponed if the war is 



