Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1912-09-23
Defeated Party May Not Submit to
Will of Majority.
BIG LOAN ENTIRELY EXHAUSTED
Improvements in City Of Havana Not
Half Completed.
GOMEZ SPENDS ENORMOUS SUMS
Present Political Outlook Justifies
Expectation that General Memo
cal VIII BE the Next
President.

HAVANA, Sept. 22-It is felt generally
here that Cuba is approaching crisis
IN its history as a reublic. Two serious
questions occupy the public mind:
Can Cuba survive the present state
of its finances? &
Can It hold an honest and successful
election for the presidency with a loyal
submission Of the defeated party to the
will of the majority?
That the treasury is empty; that the
last dollar of the $16,5Oo,0OO speyer loan
has been spent while the work OF sew
ering and paving Havana, the principal
nurposA for which the plan was au-
thorized by the United States, Is not
only not half finished, but in danger OF
interruption, If not of abandonment; that
the government is at its wits-end to
find money to meet its vast expenditures
while receipts from customs and the lot
tery have reached their lowest point
all this is asserted by the enemies OF the
government and most of it frankly ao-
mitted by all. Everywhere 1t is asked
how long can this state OF AFFAIRS
continue. s-*~
Bfu Paid with Difficulty.
Last month the government defaulted,
for the first time on the account due to
the sewering and paving contract office
for work done in July amounting to about
$4,000 The government declared II
found itself unable to meet the bill simply
because 1t had no more money. The con-
tractors appealed to the American legation
and sufficient pressure was brought to
bear to convince the government that pay
ment was imperative. The following day
the money was Forthcoming.
There has been much speculation as to
whether the government will be able to
satisfy the claims Of the contractors due
towards the end Of this month. but there
are Indications that President Gomez
realizing fully the peril Of another de-
fault, has made an extraordinary effort
and viii he prepared to meet the obliga'
ton to tide over the crisis for another
month sa
Enormous Sums Spent.
The press continues to be filled with
pessimistic articles bewaiing the finan-
cial and political perils that beset the re-
public. Careful estimates show that the
Gomez administration has spent during
It's two and half years Of power at
least sl4oOoeOOO Experts declare that
the only hope for Cuba lies in cutting
down Its expenses at least 80 per cent.
The present aspect Of the political
situation appears to justify reasonable
expectations that General Mario Menocal
can carry the election, especilly as ne
has lust formed an alliance with the wing
of the liberal party under the leadership
of General Ernesto Asbert, given OF
Havan province. The chances OF Vice
President Zaya's election apepar to De
diminishing, although his following Is
still strong.
Both conservatives and liberals ara
making strong bids for the negro vote
the former endeayoring to excite the an
nirnosity of the negroes against the
liberals on account of the fatalities to
men OF their race during the last insur
rection In Oriente, and the latter en-
feavoring to placate them by promises OF
unconditional pardon to thousands OF
negro prisoners now confined in jails.