The Washington herald., 1916-04-24

4 S~~hNSA HALtA<st /
Special Correspondent Of TIE wash 4
tnEt0n Herald.
icopyrisht lsh b. the Mccims Newspaper
Il synG1c~Iss
Havana, Cuba, April 1.-THE ouaran-
tine regulations OF the various Gulf and
West Indian ports OF call are about a.
complicated and contradictory a. a poH-
tician's conscience. II traveller obsyed
the spirit and intent OF all these reFula-
tions don't see how he would ever be
able 10 get away. He would simply go
from one quarantine 10 another, follow
ing a yellow flag around IN an endless
circle Of medical examinations. which. by
the way are only a form and not mucn
more than q pnetense at an examination.
IT. however, he follows only the letter
OF the law he can set all the quarantine
rules at nsught He can evade nearly
every one Of them. So all this quarantine
russ they 90 20 down here amounts to
iittle more than an annoyance 10 trav-
elers and lot Of expensive and useless
red tape.
Quarantine Complication.
Take the ports Of Havana ana Nassau.
Tor instance. They are two important
ana shining examples Havana has a
qusf fahIne against Progreso. but none
I A
lhe reason for that II should be Just
the other way about Il there is 70 be a
quarantine at all, for at PrOEreso there
y no contagious disease al present. while
AZ vera Cruz they are afflicted with
black smallpox and yellow fever.
sun IT'S OF no great consequence, aF
any one wishing to go from Yucatan "a
cuba has only 10 go to Vera Cruz and
there take the boat to Havana He can
land without any Difficulty. al the shin's
doctor enters him as having come from a
free port.
NOW at Nassau there is a quarantine
against all Mexico. but none AGAINST
Cuoa- IL 3 easily nullihed. All the trav-
eler coming from Tsmpico, Vera Cruz or
Progreso has 70 do when he arrives al
havana is to tsnship to another boat OF
the same line bound for Nassau He
may catch one sailing the very dsv OF
his arrival At the longest. he will not
nave to wait more than two or three
days. Arrived at Nassau, he lands with
out any Questioning, as he is listed As
having come from Cuba
II at Havana he elects 70 20 to Flor
ida. he can laugh at the Cuban health
authorities by not going ashore at All
and trans-shiDping in q small boat from
the steamer he is on 10 one hound Fo-
Key West.
Quarantine lodging is favorite sport
among travellers down here Several
passengers on our boat did it in one
way or another
Havana Is revelation TO any one who
has not been here for a number OF
years. Judging from what hear and
from the general looks Of the place. I
should say that most everybody in the
United states had been here this past
winter; not only been here. but left a
lot OF money behind them when they
went away. In consequence. Havana Is
happy and don't mind letting everybody
know it
In the old days Of Spanish dominion
Havana was shabby bedrsggled. dirty
and unhealthy city. Today il is clean.
prosperous and happy. II seems 70 wear
a new dress and TO have renewed its
youth There is no poverty or suffering.
Everybody is doing well, and there seems
to be general content.
Thanks TO the United States. Cuba has
made good. and revolutions are things
Of the past. The Queen OF the Antilles
is an object-lesson for Mexico for Mex
leo is Infinitely bigger and richer. II
Cuba can DO so well. why can't Mexico
do even better
talked with a number Of Havana
business men and merchants, and they
al edlu the same IhlnE-lmAt ConQluOnH
generally were excellent and business all
they could ask for.
on account Of the European war. the
island has been filled with American
tourists during the past winter Through
force Of circumstances. wealthy Amer
leans have now learned that il Is not
necessary to 90 TO Italy or the Riviera
to find a delightful winter climate Nov
that they have found Il and sampled the
halmy breezes OF the American Medi-
terrsnean. there is every likelihood that
they will go there again.
The Sea Front EspIsnHde.
There are few pretticr hsrbors in the
world than Havana can boast or and
know Of no city that has such q Won
derful ses front drive starting Al the
old Spanish fertilization al the foot or
the broad and palm bordered Prado. II
stretches along the ocean front for about
a mile. a broad. concrete driveway. with
handsome residences on one side and on
the other a sea wall over which the
white surf IS continually sprs wing a
spin along there is much more eNhilars'-
ing than driving up Fifth avenue.
Then there are fne hotels, beautiful
plazas and an opera house that would
put the Metropolitan among the dis
cards On top Of all this the city is
kept clean and there is no end OF good
stores block after block Of them, we'll
stocked with everything YOU can want
and lots OF things you don't.
The new money in Havana Is typics I
OF the condition Of the city. The little
nickel one-Cent pieces are bright and
crisp while the twenty and fo-ty-cent
silver coins are all new and shiny With
the exception Of this small change.
American money is used exclusively.
! expected to hnd prices eHorhitsnt,
for I imagined that the American in
vasion had run them up until they were
on a par with prices at other fashionable
resorts. That's not 60. Prices are not
Cheap-far from it-bw they are not
Palm Beach or Monte Carlo prices by
any means found the meals IN the
hotels quite reasonable and the goods
in the stores about what they are IN
any American city.
Horse cabs and automobiles are plen-
tifUl and reasonable. A cab is only ten
cents for a short course and a dollar
an hour. I paid only twenty-five cents
head for an automobile 10 80 from
the docks up TO the main plaza
Havana has been crowded all winter
Il has been almost impossible t0 get a
room in a hotel unless Il was engaged
far In advance. The experience Of Mr..
Benjamin P Niidgley, OF the Equitable
Life, is typical OF hundreds Of others
He tslegraphed a week ahead for a room.
thinking that vas ample notification.