Seward daily gateway., 1925-05-21
General Machado Took Presidency Yesterday
 Of Cuban Republic

HAVANA, May 21.--(P)-Gene Gerardo Machado Morales, fifth president of Cuba, and the first Ma son to be elected to that position, who takes the oath of office today, comes of family known for it's sac rifices in the course of Cuban inde- pendence. His recent election was a landslide for the Liberals, and also the first time the nations next pres ident could be predicted with cer- tainty by midnight of election day. For the first time election day was practically free from disturbances. Gerardo Machado was born in Vil- laclara, capital of the province of Las Villas, now Santa Clara, Sep tember 29, 1873 His father, Colonel Gerardo Machado Castellon, mar ried Lutgarda Morales. Both of them were devoted to the ideal of Cuban independence.
 The father saw his son on rare oc- casiOns when a child, because he was in arms against the Spanish colo nial rulers. But, in exchange, he constantly heard his mothers patrio- tic propaganda, for an her had de- veloped all the duties of the home where the separatist movement was daily preached.
 At P years of age, young Ma chado was in the field against Spain. He joined the revolution of 1895, and took part in many combats, display ing in all of them extraordinary cour- age and coolness. He won the title of general and enjoyed an enviable reputation among the Cuban army of liberation
 The war ended, General Machado resumed his business activities, for he is one of those men who fight for an ideal, and afterward become private citizen without asking or expecting any reward. Tn the organ ization of the first rural guard, he was appointed Lieutenant Colonel with headquarters at Santa Clara, a post which he resigned on being elected mayor of Cillaclara. General Machada, a far-sighted statesman, accepted all the doctrines preached by Jose Marti, and labored to rees- tablish cordiality between all the in habitants of his province.
 He devoted himself to commerce the breeding of cattle, and the cul- tivation of sugar cane. He never abandoned politics, believing that every citizen should contribute with his work and his vote to the govern ment of the country
 The Liberals, in 1908, chose him candidate for the governorship of Santa Clara, but the party became divided, and he lost by r votes.
 In that same year General Ma chada labored for the triumph of General Joes Miguel Gomez, the Lib- eral presidential candidate, and when thelatter was elected, he ap- pointed Machada Brigadier-General and Second Chief of the Cuban stand ing army, creating afterward for his special benefit, the office of Inspec- tor General of the Army Forces of the Republic
 President Gomez then appointed Machada Secretary of the Interior, post which he held for two years, solving many difficult problems, among which was the negro rebel lion
 The racial question led him to re- sign the secretaryship and devote himself to organizing great nat ural party, which he deemed neces sary at that critical period of the re- public's history. The Liberal Union ist party was the result. In 1912 many of his followers were elected to congress and provincial govern ment offices, he being the unsuccess- ful candidate for governor of the province of Havana.
 When the Liberals became reunit- ed in 1916, General Machado labored especially for the success of the vice presidential candidate, Colonel Men dieta, supported by Orestes Ferarra and other unconditional partisans of General Gomez. After the election, disastrous so far as the Liberals were concerned, General Machado was invited to rise up in arms against the government, but the troops failed him, and he had to start the movement with prominent civilians of Santa Clara, among