THE CUBA REVIEW 



17 



Young Men's Christian Association 



I During an intensive drive for funds, 

 I lasting only four days, the local branch of 

 the Y.M.C.A. secured not only the de- 

 sired $15,000 but also pledges for a fair 

 amount in excess of that figure, thus insur- 

 ing them sufficient funds to carry on work 

 for the ensuing year and to make many 

 necessary improvements. The Y.M.C.A. 

 in Havana is growing rapidly and in- 

 creasing in popularity with the Cuban 

 boys and young men. The association is 

 filling a long-felt want in the community 

 for recreation of a helpful nature in whole- 

 some sport for the younger generation. 

 Mr. W. B. McDonald was successful in 

 i securing the highest amount of individual 

 ! contributions, $1,400 during the drive. 



The accompanying photograph of the 

 I Y.M.C.A. Campaign Committee who suc- 

 j cessfuUy raised the desired quota of $15,000 

 ' with which to carry on the work of the 

 association in Havana, was taken following 

 a banquet at the Hotel Harding, in celebra- 

 tion of the success in raising the money 

 within the exceedingly short time limit set. 

 • The personnel of the committee, com- 

 I posed of the leading business men of the 

 j city, follows : 



I First row, left to right — W. E. Todgham, 

 proprietor of the Hotel Harding; Enrique 

 Berenguer, vice-president of the Y.M.C.A.; 

 , C. W. Ricker, asst. general manager Ha- 

 I vana Electric Ry. Light & Power Co. ; L. 

 i E. Brownson, president of the Purdy & 

 I Henderson Company; W. L. Piatt, cloth- 

 I ier, president of the Havana Branch of 

 ■the Y.M.C.A.; Clark Walter, Walter & 

 Cendoya Company; M. Goddfrey Haggard, 

 Charge d'Affairs, British Legation; W. B. 

 McDonald, manager for Havana, Munson 

 Steamship Line; F. A. Morris, Lykes 

 Brothers Company; F. J. Tromph, secre- 

 tary American Club. 



Second Row, left to right — Earl A. 

 Ward, boy's secretary Havana Branch 

 Y.M.C.A.; C. H. MacDonald, physical 

 director Havana Branch Y.M.C.A.; E. E. 

 Garst, President Garst & Dana Construct- 

 ing Co.; F. L. Campbell, Campbell Deco- 

 rating Company; W. G. Woodside, man- 

 ager of the Cia. Gregg de Cuba; W. G. 

 Ames, president Smith, Ames & Chisholm 

 Engr. Co.; H. F. Bray, Havana manager 

 the Coca Cola Company; C. T. A. Mc- 



Cormick, Havana manager United States 

 Rubber Export Co.; J. L. Roberds, editor 

 The Evening News; F. E. Lykes, president 

 Lykes Brothers Company; C. G. Kates, 

 Kates Bros. Diamond Merchants; F. M. 

 Gibson, manager Canadian Bank of Com- 

 merce; William Vickers, manager Mari- 

 anao Branch, National City Bank; T. P. 

 Turull, president Casa TuruU; T. F. 

 Holmes, Havana Coal Company. 



Top Row, left to right — R. Bermudez, 

 asst. physical director, Havana Branch 

 Y.M.C.A.; E. J. Simonds, gen'l secretary 

 Havana Branch Y.M.C.A.; E. Bratzel, sec- 

 retary Cuban Army Work; K. L. Houlder, 

 Chaplain Marine Branch Y.M.C.A. 



The United States and Cuba 



"Geographic Factors in the Relations of 

 the United States and Cuba" is the title 

 of an interesting article written by D. S. 

 Whittlesey, University of Chicago, pub- 

 lished in The Geographical Review for 

 April, 1922. 



The author of this article approaches the 

 subject from a unique standpoint, which is 

 expressed in a statement by President John 

 Quincy Adams: 



. . . there are laws of political, as well as of 

 physical gravitation; and if an apple, severed 

 by the tempest from its native tree, can not 

 choose but fall to the ground, Cuba, forcibly 

 disjoined from its own unnatural connexion 

 with Spain, and incapable of self-support, can 

 gravitate only towards the North American 

 Union, which, by the same law of nature, can 

 not cast her off from its bosom. 



It has been contended that this princi- 

 ple has a universal application, and for it 

 has been coined the term : "politico-geo- 

 graphical law of gravity." 



In summarizing the discussion of the 

 problem, the author says: first, that the 

 United States always has desired to control 

 Cuba; second, that during the years when 

 it was too weak to seize the island outright, 

 it effectually prevented any other power 

 from filching it from Spain; third, that 

 then followed a period when the tempting 

 morsel would have been snapped up, had 

 not internal division in x\merica nullified all 

 efforts to that end; fourth, that after unity 

 was once more established, no conditions 

 within Cuba stirred her neighbor to action 

 until American economic interests in the 



