Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1922-10-16
CUBA VOTES
In Zig-Zag Style Say
Forecasts
November Elections Assume In.
portant Proportions-WouId Ask
Nominees to Resign

scenery arranged from the view
point OF the uninitiated after a jig
saw puzzle pattern. the stage has
been set far in advance for the par
tial elections to be held throughout
Cuba on November /. Already pow
der smoke has swirled about some Of
the back stage props which repre-
sent rural districts, and the action Of
! the election play promises to be as
exciting as the presidential election
drama staged in November, 1920,
when Alfredo Zayas took the leading
role and General Jose Miguel Gomez
called in the United States on the
| claim that the theatre had been
packed by his successful rival.
| In the coming elections half of the
membership Of the national house of
representatives: OF the Havana city
council, and of the six provincial
councils will be renewed, and new
mayors for all Cuban cities and new
governors for all the provinces will
/ be selected.
! Party lines are drawn without
rhyme or reason for no political is
sues, outside of patronage, govern the
organizations. Speaking generally,
seven parties will have candidates in
the field: The Liberal, Popular, Con-
sentative, National Socialist, Good
Government, Nationalist and Rcpub-
lican. The last named four are new
| organizations. and a great deal Of
their support will be split among the
first three parties. Of these three,
the Liberal only shows united front.
In the last presidential elections. the
Conservatives and Populars united
to form the National League, and
they elected President Zayas But in
the year following their victory. the
efstwhile coalitionists again drew
| apart. They have come together on
only two important candidates. Ben-
ito Lagueruela for mayor of Havana,
and Euliogio Sardinas. for governor
o. Havana province. Both are mem
bors of the house of representatives
Various other factors. including the
financial difficulties Of the govern
ment. have helped to complicate the
situation. The federal election
board has declared that the
100000 appropriated by the
government is insufficient for
registration and election purposes,
but despite congress neglect to adj
vance the 100000 additional which
has been requested, the election
boards throughout the republic arc
proceeding with their duties.
AS on other occasions, when polit-
ical elements who believed they were
not treated fairly have sought to en-
list the aid Of the United States gov
crnmcnt to support their claims, at
tCmpts have been made this year to
bring Major General f.. II. Crowdcr.
the special American representative
into the fray. The grounds for this
appeal, and the American ENJOYS
stand, are clearly set forth in letter
written by General Crowdcr and re-
Gently made public.
The theme and the arguments adj
duced might we'll be applied to the
general situation, national as we'll as
municipal" the general said in ref
crcnce to a report submitted to him
on the municipal (Havana) electoral
situation. More important than all
which is dealt with in the memoranda
is the condition of the registry lists,
according to the report of the MI
nic!pal Junta, as approved by the
provincial Junta. This last phase Of
the electoral situation has been the
subject of moro than one conference
with the Executive president Fay
as). Several communications have
been written in regard to it. The
to- ic in nf
Central Electoral Junta.
"Of course it is to be lamented
that the Election Code GRAINED by
General Crowdcr in 1919 should
have been amended as it was by the
law of Jan. >. 1922, known as the
Law of Nom Reorganization which
has had the effect of delivering the
faculty of making nominations for
the next election to the executive
committees of the various parties.
MANY complaints have been made
to the Legation, stating that the
nominations made this year by the
executive committees are of very
inferior quality and. this would have
been obviatcd in great part had the
parties been reorganized this year in
else p:ecepts of the Election Code as
proclaimed in 1919.
1.-THE memoranda recommend that
all candidates nominated to the pres
cnt time be asked to resign, and that
the parties. after being reogan-
lied, make new nominations, post
poning the election for the necessary
time to carry out these measures and
extending the present municipal
term until the date fixed for the new
elections.
1T is possible. although hardly
probably, that this suggestion will be
carried out. We can say nothing
until negotiations have gone a little
further"
The attitude Of President Zayas in
the face Of the split in the Popular
Conservative coalition which elected
him, also is causing concern and
complcating the situation. 1t is re-
ported that the president, in view Of
the impossibility of satisfying the
demands of the Conservatives, Cad
herents of eX-president Mario G.
MenocaD and the Populars (former
Liberals who followed Zayas from the
parent organizations) is considering
the feasibility of re-entering the Lib
cral ranks. if they sweep the No
vember elections.
The storm which has centered on
the administration because OF the
countrys financial difficulties and the
recommendations of General Crowdcr