10 



THE CUBA REVIEW. 



Mr. Bryan 



in 



Havana. 



William Jennings Bryan ar- 

 rived in Havana Dec. 27. He 

 was met l)y the United States 

 Minister. Edwin V. Morgan, 

 and other prominent men, and 

 went immediately to Hotel Ingleterra. To 

 a Havana Post reporter he said : 



"One strange impression which I had on 

 my former visit was that the water here 

 was not of the best quality and I shuddered 

 to think of the days on which I should be 

 obliged to partake of some brand of bottled 

 water, a thing which I hate. But when I 

 saw the wonderful spring from which Ha- 

 vana's water conies, all my fears were dis- 

 pelled. Instead of poor water, I found the 

 city furnished with one of the best and 

 purest supplies that 1 ever knew of. The 

 purity of its water supply is one of the 

 things on which Havana may cotigratulate 

 itself." 



The only function the visitor attended 

 was a breakfast given by the United States 

 Minister. A large number of Havana's 

 prominent citizens were present. Mr. 

 Bryan made a brief address, expressive of 

 the cordial good wishes ot the people of 

 the United States towards Cuba. After- 

 wards he was presented by Minister Mor- 

 gan "o President Gomez. 



President Gomez signed a decree Dec. 

 15 extending for one year the period al- 

 lowed to William E. Knight to install 

 an electric plant at Holguin, Oriente. 



New 



Year's 



Reception 



President Gomez held a 

 New Year's reception January 

 1 which was attended by gov- 

 ernment officials, the Diplo- 

 matic Corps, and other prom- 

 inent persons. The American Minister, 

 Mr. Morgan, spoke in eulogistic terms of 

 the government and Cuban conditions, 

 which, he said were satisfactory, thanks to 

 the activity of the people and the fertility of 

 the soil. 



Plans for the construction of a bridge 

 over the bay of Havana, connecting the 

 city with lands adjoining the Cabana 

 and Moro fortresses, were approved Dec. 

 22 by the harbor authorities. The approxi- 

 mate cost is $5,000,000 and work is to be 

 commenced within six months after the 

 concession has been granted. 



The department of public works of Cuba 

 on Dec. 22 suspended the public letting of 

 the franchise to construct an electric rail- 

 way in the city of Matanzas, because the 

 concession was not advertised in the official 

 bulletin of the province. Proper advertising 

 will now be done. 



Returns from Banes and rural districts 

 showed the election rn Dec. 26 of the Con- 

 servative candidate for mayor, city coun- 

 cil and school board by a large majority. 

 The elections were peaceful. 



Scene on the Yumuri River, Matanzas Province. Loading a Lighter with Bananas. 



