T II E CUBA REVIEW 



Between Matanzas, Jovellanos, Colon, 

 Santo Domingo, Santa Clara and Cientue- 

 gos, there are men engaged in erecting 

 Doles and stringing the wires which will 

 open commucination between Havana and 

 three cities. Another gang is working 

 at Cienfuegos. installing the local system. 

 Avhile westward of Havana connection is 

 being made between Marianao and Guana- 

 jay, a distance of 35 kilometers. 



GERMAN MANUFACTURERS WARNED 



"We are advised from Havana," says 

 the Deutsche Export Revue, Berlin, Ger- 

 many, of August 11, 1911, "that the 

 French Chamber of Commerce of that 

 ■city recently established there a collection 

 •of French products in the form of a com- 

 mercial and industrial museum, in which 

 French merchants for a small fee are 

 allowed to display their samples. The aim 

 is not' only to ca"ll the' atterrtron of the 

 members of the French Chamber of Com- 

 merce to the French manufactured articles, 

 but also that of the Cuban commercial 

 world, and interested parties in Cuba are 

 urgently invited to visit the exposition. 

 After the arrival of an article for display 

 the museum of commerce makes it its 

 business to recommend to the exhibitor 

 suitable representatives for the securing of 

 trade. 



"We have also been informed," says the 

 Revile, "of the intention by the French 

 Commercial Museum to buy products other 

 than those of French manufacture, and 

 which enjoy a preference in the Cuban 

 market, or samples of such merchandise, 

 which with full description are sent to the 

 manufacturers in France, giving them an 

 ooportunity to examine articles favored in 

 Cuba and enabling them to compete more 

 successfully with German exporter. 



"This, it says further, "may be con- 

 sidered a very laudable sten from the 

 French point of view, but it should induce 

 o'T industrial firms, especially those in the 

 textile industry, to warn their representa- 

 tives in Cuba to be extra catitious and to 

 prevent samples and detailed information 

 regarding prices, cost of manufacture, 

 composition, etc., of good German prod- 

 ucts to get into the hands of French com- 

 netitors." 



$50,000,000 FOR CUBAN LANDS 



Four powerful syndicates with a com- 

 bined capital of $.iO.Ono,000 for investment 

 in Cuban sugar mills and sugar lands, have 

 their representatives in Cuba obtaining 

 options on valuable properties, sa3's the 

 Havana Post of September 29th. The ut- 

 most secrecy is being observed by the rep- 

 resentatives, but so many properties are 

 being examined, and offers made and re- 

 fused that the facts are beginning to leak 



out. Local authorities admit that in all 

 probability $ll,00i),0i!() will be actually 

 spent here within 90 days. (Jne company 

 is in the market for 22 sugar mills. 



Two syndicates represent .\merican cap- 

 italists, one English and another Dutch. 

 One of the Amsrican syndicates is repre- 

 sented by Miguel Tarafa of this city, 

 another syndicate, said to be l)acked by 

 John D. Spreckels, has its own representa- 

 tives here personally examining sugar 

 mills. The English syndicate is represented 

 by Fowler Bros, of Cienfuegos, who ob- 

 tained an option on the Caracas sugar 

 estate at Cienfuegos for $4,020,000. The 

 Hollanders are going through Santiago 

 Province looking over raw sugar properties. 



The two x^merican syndicates are only 

 looking for sugar mills with large quan- 

 tities of land. As a rule they demand that 

 a mill can show by its books a profit of 

 at least 18 per cent. If a mill cannot do 

 this they as a rule refuse to consider it. 

 Broken-down mills which show conclu- 

 sively that by putting in a reasonable 

 amount of money the}' can be made to pay 

 large profits are also considered by these 

 two American syndicates. 



The Central Union, near Jovellanos, was 

 sold a few days ago for $1,400,000. It was 

 bought by English capitalists and is be- 

 lieved to have been one of the purchases 

 of the English S3mdicate now here. 



The syndicates are working by means of 

 options. When a mill is offered for sale 

 an option of 60 days is asked and a thor- 

 ough examination is made of the company's 

 books. If the mill and the profits prove 

 to be as represented, the terms are cash. 



The Dutch sugar men who are operating 

 in Santiago Province are accompanied by 

 expert agriculturists and engineers. They 

 are not buying now, but are taking careful 

 note of properties for sale and will return 

 to Holland, where they expect to dispose 

 of them. Where they can do so they are 

 obtaining options. 



iAn option was given to an American 

 company on September 21st on the sugar 

 mills Perseverancia and Aguada in Santa 

 Clara Province, says the Havana Post. 

 The price agreed upon is $4,400,000 Amer- 

 ican money. The option expires on Xo- 

 vember 1st. The terms of the payment are 

 $2,500,000 down in the signing of the deeds 

 and the rest within one year. A large sum 

 has been posted as a forfeit if the prop- 

 erty is not • bought. 



Several other mills are being considered 

 by the syndicate represented by Mr. Miller. 

 Among these are the Alerceditas and the 

 Covadonga mills. All that has prevented 

 the sale of these mills being closed before 

 this has been the failure to agree on the 

 price. 



