The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1920-03-26

HAVANA, Feb, 2S.--Cuba may be
said TO have lost millions Of dollars this
year by reason of her failure to please
the ladies,
She does not cater TO her visitors of
the homelier sex as skIlfully as she
might, either, but good many of the
men who came here this winter and
stayed only few days would have
fingered on to have another drink and
another look at the races II their wom-
enfolk would have let them. large
percentage of the women become bored
after Il few days, and want to go back
to Florida.
Early this month It was reported that
nearly ninety thousand passports for
cuba had been issued in the United
States IL seems not improbable that
during the whole winter the number
who have journeyed hither will reach a
hundred thousand, which is certainly a
large percentage OF the population to
visit single winter resort
And all of these migrants braved Sc
rious difficulties to get here. They
starved on tho trains, which never car
ry more than one dining car where
three are needed. They stood in line
at Key West for hours on end to make
the purely perfuhctory statement that
they had paid their income taxes be-
fore leaving home, and they paid the
outrageous price OF about twenty dol
lars each to travel the ninety miles be-
tween Key West and the island.
This enormous crowd OF people, there
fore. came to Cuba impelled by a
strong prediction in It's favor And
yet Havana il not crowded and mas
not been crowded at any time this win
ter. II is far easier to get room here
aV palV, aIlnFh Miami DnN OF
the other leading southern resorts in
the States. Havana hotels are said TO
he able TO accommodate only twenty
thousand visitors, so presumably there
have never been that many visitors
here at one time this winter This
means that most of the persons who
have come here, instead of staying for
the season, have stayed only about a
fifth Of the season By the same to-
ken, Havana has made only fraction
of the money out of her visitors when
she might have made,
This failure OF cuba to hold her
guests as long as she might is not due
to any indifference on the part OF the
Cubans. They are eager for American
visitors and American money, II has
been charged that they are mpolite and
suspicious toward Americans. No evil
0enCe of this could we find. The Cuban
on the contrary seems to he the most
polite, good -natured and tolerant OF
men. He meets you with smile on
all occasions. the polished surface al
his courtesy literally never cracks, and
he has the highest respect for persona
| liberty, allowing you to do Just as you
| please, insofar as he possibly car.
What Cuba lacks Is not friendly ant
| hospitabe attitude toward her guests
| but the mechanism necessary for theii
entertainment, especially for the better
| half of them, The American who goes
| to a resort expects 10 be amused. H'
expects his hotel to provide him mo-
only with food and shelter of the kirC
| he likes, hut also with golf links anC
| tennis courts and a bathing beach ant
| a place TO dance anc eonRental soCl
! ETY. II he wants tc go fishing or hunt
| Ing or horseback riding, he expects
merely TO mention the fact at the dcsl
| to be assured that It will be arranged
| He does not care to exercise his inge
| uulty in amusing himself. He expects
! the hotel management 10 suaplS tht
| ingenuity palm Beach Is a typica
product OF the rich Americans desires
| There every minute Of his time Is pro
vided for and every day printed pro
gram Of the things he may do 1
| placed in his hands,
Now the Cubans will give you foot
and lodging and the run OF their city
and that Is about all. You can have
drink any time you please, Of course
but the man with money does not lacl
for drink wherever he may be, Their
| is also rubherneCk wagon to shoN
you the city. and few regular excur
\ sioss into enc SSuNsTy. Vor the puepos
of seeing sugar mills and the like, al
races and Jai Alai afford splendid op
portunitles for gambling, but the race
are not as good as some that may b
seen IN the United States, and 1ai Ala
seems to be little patronlEed by Wis
itorS
This is not an attempt TO disparag
Cuba which is really n charming plar,
One with an eye for the picturesque an
a taste for roaming may amuse himse
there almost indefinitely, But the tyr
zeal American tourist Is not accustome
10 amusing himself, that way, and HI
wife and daughters are still less =,
Every hotel lobby in Havana is dee
grated with American women who loo
bored There are not even any con
fertahle balconies where they may $
and watch things go by. So they gath
or in the Hobbies and gossip and kn
and remark to each other that II iAla
much OF place after all. And . fe
days later they pick w and depar
| dragging possibly reluctant hubt
after them. Where the American won
en- won't stay the American man can
stay.
Even so, the visitors were at lea
| ninety per cent masculine, and III
shortage OF feminine society is also