26 



THE CUBA REVIEW And Bulletin. 



UNITED STATES TRADE WITH CUBA. 



In the nine months end- 

 Exports ing with September, 1907, the 

 to latest perjod for which fig- 



Cuba. ures have been received by 



the Bureau of Statistics of 

 the Dcpartmtnt of Commerce and Labor, 

 the total value of the exports from the 

 United States to Cuba is, in round terms, 

 $40,000,000. against a little less than $35,- 

 000,000 in the same months of last year, 

 and the total imports from the island, $84.- 

 000,000. against $75,000,000 in the corre- 

 sponding months of last year. 



It is estimated that the figures for the 

 calendar year 1907 will be $50,000,000. as 

 against $46,500,000 in 1906 and $44,500,000 

 in 1905. The increase occurs in tlour, lard, 

 coal, bacon, hams and pork. Corn, milk 

 and boots and shoes. Vegetables sent to 

 the island in this same period are valued at 

 $1,181,035, against $618,755 i" tli^ corre- 

 sponding months of 1906. 



The increase in imports 

 Imports occurs in sugar while leaf 

 from Cuba, tobacco shows a marked de- 

 cline. ij.000,000 pounds in 

 1907 as against 18,750,000 pounds in 1906. 

 Cigars, cigarettes and cheroots also show 

 a slight decrease, likewise bananas. Oranges 

 show a marked falling off, but it is generally 

 understood that the decrease in exports 

 of this fruit fn.m Cuba is due to a rapidly 

 growing home demand and to the effects 

 of the drought which decreased the crop. 

 The total value of the imports from Cuba 

 for the nine months ending September 1907, 

 was $84,221,713 as against $75,118,420 in 

 1906, and the total value of the exports to 

 Cuba in the same period were $39,627,673 in 

 1007 and $34,746,670 in 1906. Cuba took in 

 1906, the latest year for which statistics are 

 .11 hand, 48.6 per cent, of her imports from 

 the United States and sent to us 84.8 per 

 cent, of her exports, chiefly, of course, sugar 

 and tobacco. 



NEW BOOKS ABOUT CUBA. 



AC. McCLURG & CO., of Chicago, 

 ♦ have issued "The Campaign of San- 

 tiago de Cuba," by Captain Herbert 

 H. Sargent, U. S. A., in three volumes of 

 about 250 pages each. The author has des- 

 cribed other campaigns, notably Napoleon 

 Bonaparte's first campaign, and the cam- 

 paign of iMarengo, adding his own com- 

 ments as also in the Santiago campaign. 

 He has seen much service in Cuba and in 

 the Philippine.^. as colonel of the Fifth U. S. 

 Volunteer Infantrj', during the Spanish- 

 American \Va.-, and as lieutenant-colonel of 

 the 29th U. S. Infantry during operations 

 in the Philippines. 



The three volumes under discussion are 

 r.ccompanied with twelve valuable maps il- 

 lustrating the various operations of the 

 land and naval forces during the campaign. 



The volumes begin with the first Cuban 

 ii.surrection in the nineteenth century, that 

 of October 10, 1868, when Carlos Ccspedes, 

 at the head of 140 Cubans, raised the stand- 

 ard of revolt in the province of Santiago 

 and proclaimed a republic. The author 

 narrates the facts dispassionately and then' 

 gives his comments which are of unques- 

 tioned value to all seeking an answer to 

 tlie many peculiarities of the struggle. He 

 outlines the errors of the combatants, point- 

 ing out where each failed to take advantage 

 of the weakness of the other. As a speci- 

 men of his clear, concise criticism we 

 quote a portion of his comment on the 

 conditions which prevailed at the very 

 beginning of the outbreak: 



"The cavalrv force of the Spaniards was 

 much too small. The oppressive heat of the 

 island made active campaigning there very 

 d(-bilitating for dismounted troops. Mount- 

 ed troops would have been much more suit- 

 able for aggressive warfare. Cavalry was 

 needed to scout the country thoroughly to 

 hunt out the insurgents from their hiding 



pL'.ces and to attack and crush them when 

 found. It is plain that if Spain had pos- 

 sessed twenty or twenty-five good cavalry 

 regiments in Cuba, and had energetically 

 taken the offensive and overrun the rebel- 

 lious parts of the island, she could hardly 

 have failed to conquer." With his experi- 

 ence with the United States cavalry, and 

 liieir activity under similar conditions, he 

 does not hesitate to add that "there never 

 was a time during the insurrection when the 

 insurgents with their lack of organization, 

 poor discipline and disinclination to con- 

 centrate and fight could have prevented a 

 single brigade of United States cavalry from 

 marching victoriously anywhere on the is- 

 land." 



The first volume deals with the begin- 

 nings of operations of the land and naval 

 forces and the blockade of Havana and San- 

 tiago harbors. The second volume begins 

 with the sailing and disembarkation of the 

 Fifth Army Corps under orders to capture 

 ll.e garrison at Santiago and assist in cap- 

 turing the harbor and fleet, and follows 

 vith a description of the fight at Las 

 Guasimas, the operations and battles of El 

 Caney and San Juan and the destruction 

 of Cervera's squadron. The third volume 

 opens with the siege and capitulation of 

 Santiago de Cuba, and some interesting let- 

 ters are printed betw'een ^lajor-General 

 Shafter, U. S. A., and the commander-in- 

 chief of the Spanish forces, relative to the 

 surrender of the citv. General comments 

 fellow on recent changes in the military art, 

 tne military policy of the United States, 

 and the army and navj-. There are numer- 

 ous appendices, giving correspondence and 

 figures regarding the Spanish and Cuban 

 forces engaged, statistics of casualties, etc., 

 and best of all, a very full index. The 

 volumes are handsomely printed in clear 

 type on fine p.iper with generous margins. 



