"Slow and Easy. . . .

(See front cover)

More than any other time of year it was Cuba-time last week--time to sail into Havana Harbor and remember the Maine, time to watch Corona Corona cigars being made in a factory across the street from Cuba's presidential palace, time to tennis, golf and swim at La Playa de Marianoa ("Cuba's Monte Carlo"), finally time to go down and see "Cuba's Mussolini," President Gerardo Machado y Morales, who has just locked 1,000 smart, socialite, yacht-owning Cubans out of their own Havana Yacht Club because a potent member of the Dictator's cabinet was "snubbed" by a minor member of El Club.

To the Cuba-conscious last week passed thus in brief review:

National Affairs. Cuba's polite, distinctively uniformed English-Spanish speaking "tourist police" had the tourists well and safely in hand; but President Machado was jumpier than ever about what Cuba's excitable citizens would do next.

He was not much worried, for a wonder, about the students of the National University, revolutionists to a man. The students had just blown off steam, staged a "surprise protest against Machado" in the heart of Havana's commercial section. Surprised businessmen were quietly fitting new plate glass into their shop and office windows.

What made the President jump was a despatch from British Nassau to the Cuban State Department, later "confirmed by the War and Navy Departments" to the effect that two schooners loaded with munitions were racing for the Cuban shores. Promptly the entire Cuban Navy (19 vessels) put to sea, and every Spanish-language newspaper in Havana was suppressed. Finally by executive decree, Dictator Machado conferred "upon all members of the Cuban Army and Navy, including officers, soldiers and sailors regardless of rank and whether on active duty or not, full powers to pursue police investigations and to make arrests."

Foreign Affairs. Cubans take little or no interest in British, French, German or Italian affairs, were passionately concerned last week about whether King Alfonso XIII is soon to be dethroned and a Spanish republic proclaimed. Edward of Wales will shortly arrive in Havana, but Cuban newspapers (until suppressed last week) were apathetic toward H. R. H., unstirred even by red-hot British despatches that Edward of Wales' Argentine tango is now almost perfect.

Cuba's danzon tune of the minute is Suavecito. Suave excerpt:

Carola, how you love

When there's no light

To dance close,

Slow and easy

Slow and easy. . . .

Business. Chevrolets, Buicks, Packards are favorite Cuban cars, but with business 60% below normal Cubans are pinching their gasoline pennies, watching anxiously to see whether the national sugar industry on which everything depends will be "saved" by the Chadbourne plan now being negotiated in Berlin (TIME, Dec. 15 & 29). Plan: Cuba and all other leading sugar countries would restrict output, hope thus to raise the price of sugar (now scraping bottom at 1.4 cents per lb.).

Religion. Although urban Cubans are mostly Catholic, Voodooism flourishes in small towns and "up country." Within the fortnight Mayor Miguel Quintana of Pueblo Nueva has confessed that he and three other Negro townsmen recently sacrificed eight-year-old Martin Perez to Voodoo Goddess Chantong.

Purpose of this child-murder: "To cure with his blood the ailments" of Josefa Quintana (brother of the mayor) who was not cured but died the same night.

Cuba's Department of Interior reacted to the outrage by announcing "a crusade against Voodooism in the towns of Candelaria, Artemisa and San Cristobal," all in Pinar del Rio province some 150 miles from Catholic Havana.

Education. All high schools, normal schools and the National University continue "closed indefinitely." Cuban parents who want their children to study (instead of playing revolution as most Cuban students do) are sending them to Europe, especially to Paris.

Sport. Newsreels have shown to millions of U. S. citizens the lightning-fast Cuban handball game jai alai (pronounced "hy aly"). Unknown to U. S. sport addicts is "Cuba's Babe Ruth," $2,000-a-month Jose Gutierrez, No. 1 handballer.

The Cuban National Lottery will be made bigger, better under a proposed law, is expected to net the Cuban treasury a profit of $10,000,000 next year. At the National Casino in Marianao, Havana, roulette (with two zeroes), Baccarat, Faro, Craps and almost every other gambling game known to man are played, are legal for both sexes. But women are not allowed to attend the better burlesque shows in Havana.

Smartest Havana hotels: the National, just completed at $6,000,000 cost; the Sevilla-Biltmore and the Presidents.

Most famed bar (not smart): Sloppy Joe's. Naughtiest night club: La Verbena. Smartest shops: El Encanto and Casa Grande.

Books. Anyone who reads Spanish should read these outstanding Cuban .books: Novelist Cirilo Villaverde's Cecilia Valdes; Poet Jose Maria Heredia's Niagara; Scientist Carlos de la Torre's Historia Natural de Cuba.

Machado. Tremendously resolute, sagacious and most calm, President Gerardo Machado y Morales has probably suppressed more uprisings than any other living chief of state. Characteristically he did not allow last week's news of munition running to spoil his week-end plans. After ordering out the entire Cuban Navy he went fishing, as usual.

Born in Santa Clara province, Sr. Machado fought in the Cuban War of Independence, rose to the rank of brigadier general--as did many another--but when peace came he left the army, went into business. At this time he danced the danzon at least as well as Edward of Wales tangoes today, was in fact, a noted cavalier.

In 1902 he organized an electric power corporation in Santa Clara, built up the property, sold it to U. S. interests at a fat profit. Sugar was his next interest. Buying a mill near Santa Clara he started grinding cane, considered himself almost rich just before the 1920 Cuban sugar panic.

The panic turned Businessman Machado's bent to government. He decided that only state regulation could save the sugar industry. In 1924, to the surprise of many, he was elected President of Cuba. Within 20 months his Government had paid off a fifth of the foreign debt. Before his term was half over he seemed to have done as much for Cuba as Mussolini has for Italy, whipped Government services into shape, pushed roadbuilding at an unprecedented rate, fostered school and hospital construction, put through salutary sugar legislation. The price of sugar rose.

But as the end of President Machado's four-year term neared, he determined to remain in office. This was flatly contrary to the Cuban Constitution, to the platform on which he had been elected, and to his personal pledge, "I will never seek re-election!", a pledge he had made to mass meetings throughout the land.

Nothing can extenuate the fact that Sr. Machado is still President of Cuba today --except the fact that he was re-elected as the candidate of all three political parties in 1928, having outmaneuvered all opposition.

Despite this proven skill at "dirty politics," Director Machado is probably less corrupt, certainly much more able, than any previous Cuban President. He is fighting now not a political battle (he could win that) but a long-drawn economic struggle, a campaign to suppress nation-wide unrest due primarily to the world fall in the price of sugar--a collapse too titanic to be stemmed by a single nation or statesman. Besieged by a revolutionary mob some years ago the Dictator bluffed them successfully, roared: "What, me resign? Never, never!"

Cuban Navy officers startle visiting officers of other navies thus: "Nearly every night our President sleeps in Havana Harbor on a warship."

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