Evening capital., 1907-03-18
THE TOURISTS PARADISE.
FEW OF THE MANY ATTRACT
IONS IN HAVANA.
Places And Points OF Historic Interest :
Fort cabanas of Appalling Repute
Old MORO CastIe-The
Palace Ancient
Cathedrals.
ITS PARKS AND NARROW SHOP
PING STREETS.
Special Correspondent to Evening Capitl

the Plaza de Armas, (place of arms.
The Palace is the most imposing of a
group of buildings facing a public
square, once used as drill ground
for the soldiery.
The Palace was built in 1884. and
occupies an entire block with richly
carved marble entrance, the central
feature of the decoration Of which is a
cartouche bearing the Spanish Arms.
The patio is large and contains statue
of Columbus in the centre surrounded
by beautiful shrubs and flowers and
tropical plants. Above and below are
galleries AMI arcades after the fashion
of Cuban houses.
The Palace, formerly the palace OF
the Governor General and later the
official residence of President Palma,
is now occupied by Governor Magoon.
1t was our privilege and pleasure to
attend the last of series OF official
receptions at the Palace given by
Governor Magoon, at which functions,
his sister, Mrs. Bates, is hostess, as
sisted by representative society wo-
men. Mrs. Powell Clayton, wife of
Captain Clayton, u. S. A., poured
tea. Captain Clayton is aide TO Gov
ernor Magoon and his private secre-
tary.
Governor Magoon is man of com
manding presence. He is over six
feet and proportionately well built.
He at once impresses the visitor that
he is n big man in every sense of
the word. He is quite good looking,
is easy of approach and has pleasing
manners. He is such busy man
that it is necessary 10 make an ap-
pointment for a personal official IN
terview three days in advance. He
is always full of engagements for at
least three days ahead. While mani
fest man of physical strength the
casual caller is not impressed with the
fact that Governor Magoon is man
of any great degree of mental strength.
Indeed 1t is generally understood in
Havana that the Governor is a mere
figurehead here, and that the real
head is at Washington, Secretary of
War Root directing and controlling
affairs at this end of the line, and
manipulating the governmental policy.
The Cubans-the best OF them are
dissatisfied with their unstable form
of government, and would like some
definite, settled administration. They
freely admit they do not want the
United States troops withdrawn from
the island, as these offer protection to
their rights and best interests. Indeed
the better class of Cubans do not hes
itate to proclaim the fact that they
want TO be annexed to the United
States, knowing that by such course
of procedure they would be assured of
a stable government. The Palace is a
massive building, the heavy doors
and frame work being of handsome
native wood. The broad marble stair
ways lead to three State reception
rooms magnifisently furnished and
beautifully decorated. One of these
rooms iS-Iurnished in white and blue,
the largest one in crimson, and the
smallest room was the Throne Room.
In the old Spanish regime the throne
chair stood on dais in this room.
Escutcheons of Spain and Havana are
over the doors and windows and
the upholstered furnishings are in
keeping with the palatial surround
ings. The Palace was the fitting
scene of the final surrender of Span
ish domain of Cuba, for it was here
that Lieutenant General Castellanos
yielded up his Office to the represen-
ment ON January |, 1899, and Spain's
sovereignty was relInquished after
four centuries, a momentous ending
of Spain's tenure in Cuba. A little
more than three years later the palace
witnessed another memorable event
the establishment of Republican
form of government, the transfer be-
ing formally made through a docu-
l. Da1s "a
from President Roosevelt i'll the main
room of the Palace, after which the
American flag was lowered and the
Cuban flag was raised. The Palace,
besides heing the Provisional Cover
nor's residence, contains the hall of
civil government and various civil
offices.
Beside the Palace, other places of i'm
terest on the Plaza de Armas are the
Templete, Fuerza, Cathedral and the
shopping streets of Obispo and O'Reil-
ley. El Templete, or little temple, is
built upon the spot where the first
mass was celebrated in Havana in
1919, when the town was established.
It's dedication. March 9, 1928, the
Queens birthday, commentaries the
event of three hundred years before
ana Simple IHOlldlulcHt DcAIS a bIOnLe
tablet telling the story and consecrat-
ing the spot.
La Fuerza is an old Spanish fortress
where the archives are kept, is called
the corner stone of Havana. 1t was
begun in 1883 and antedates Morro
Castle by a half century and goes
back TO the days of de Soto, the dis
coverer of the Mississippi. 1t was un-
der de Soto's direction that La Fuerzs
was built and it was the first fort con
structed as adefense against pillsagings
of French pirates, freebooters and sea
rovers, at whose mercy at that time
was the infant town of Havana. 1t was
from here that de Soto set sail for Flor.
ida and TO discover the Mississippi,
leaving his wife in command of the
fort. For four years she watched and
waited patiently for his return, but
he never came. and the Americans
brought her tidings Of his fate--ht
had died and was buried in the great
river he had discovered. His wife
died of grief.
la Fuerza means ''the fort Be
sides being the defense of the city, i
was for long time the residence o
the governors and captain general o
r. n.