Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-08-23
CUBAN PRESIDENT
REPORTED BARRING
FREE ELECTIONS
Havana Paper Says Machado
Has Reasserted Personal
Control Despite U. S.
NEW COMPLEXITIES
FOR GUGGENHEIM
Ambassador Faces More Converse
tions on Guarantee for
Opposition Party
BY WILLIAM HARD.

Advices reaching here today from
Havana, purported to show that the
Cuban President, Gen. Gerardo Ma
chado, has firmly reasserted his per-
sonal control of Cuban affairs in the
face of efforts by the United States
Ambassador, Harry r. Guggenheim, to
negotiate between President Machado
and the leaders Of the opposition to
him an arrangement which would re-
store free elections In Cuba In accord
ance with the governmental liberty
guaranteed In the ''Platt amendment -
Thus the complexities caused by the
'Platt amendment" In the relations
between the government at Washing
ton and the government at Havana
have come to another new stage.
The Havana newspaper FL Pals con-
tains complete statements by Antonio
Gonzalez de Mendoza regarding what
he claims are the reasons for the COLI
lapse of the new proposed Cuban law
whereby free elections, with the par
ticipation of all political groups, would
have been put into force in Cuba IN
harmony with prospects made known
by Ambassador Guggenheim TO the
Cuban press.
Responsibility Of MachadO.
It has been understood at the State
Department In washington that this
pruposed law. after having been recon-
naer1ded to the Cuban Congress by
President Machado, was rejected by the
Congress- Of its own motion and by its
own will. This was thought surprising,
in view Of the previous perfect control
exercised by President Machado over
the Congress In all Its actions. Mr..
Mendoza, at the end of his final con-
yersations with President Machado IN
the course Of his attempted reconcilia-
ITO NOT President Machado and of Car
los Mendieta, the principal opposition
leader. now states to FL Pals that Presi-
dent Machado assumes fun Responsible
ity for the free elections law defeat.
president l1hchadO, accorliHE 70 Mr..
Mendoza, who visited him at the presi-
DENTAL palace, asserted that there was
4 complete agreement between himself
and the Congress and that the Congress,
In rejecting the new law, had behaved
In fact in strict compliance not indeed
with the presidential message to it.
but with the actual presidential wishes.
NL.
Mendoza and n Pals to have added
that he was entirely finished with any
erideavors to placate the opposition
party called the Nationalist Union
and that from now forward there would
be no concessions whatsoever toward
admitting that party 70 the ballot. II
the Nationalist wished to resort to
arms and to try to start revolution,
Il was for them to make the decision;
a. 10
as openly set forth In 81 Pals, there
is not the slightest chance that the
Nationalist and their party win be
permitted TO vote.
Trouble for Gusgenheim.
This development. If correctly re-
ported in the Cuban press, which has
been under strong governmental watch
fulness, was thought here today to indi-
cate considerable complications for AM
hassador Guggenheim upon his return
from the United states to Cuba. Mr.
Mendieta, the Nationalist chief. has
given to Cuban newspaper correspond
ents statement of the negotiations
which took place, as he asserts, between
President Machado and Mr.. Mendoza
and Ambassador Guggenheim at the
time when projects for free elections
were under discussion. MIR. Mendieta
relates that after these negotiations
Mrs Mendoza approached him TO con-
yey to him their results and said:
THE United States Ambassador
wishes me to tell you that Gen
Maci1ado win restore the electoral Law
drawn up by Gen. Crowder while ne
was representing the United States in
Cuba and that q new electoral register
win be made and that Gen. Machado
will guarantee to you the liberty OF Inn
partial elections"
II Ambassador Guggenheim did in
deed send such a message to Mr.
Mendieta, 1t would have been In Tine
with all known facts about the negotia-
tions, but 1t Is seen to afford large
grounds for new conversations between
the Ambassador and President Machado
who is now thus reported to have frus-
trated the Ambassadors expectations
and who Is on his full way to conduct
ing the Cuban congressional elections
I'm November without the help Of any
imported American electoral ideas.
fConvriaht 1901