Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-08-11
Cuba's Critical Hour.

Throughout the past year and half
Of crisis and turbulence in Latin Amer
lea. Cuba has not escaped the con-
tsgious effects of the revolutionary cpl
demic. The ingredients for violent
overturn of the Havana government are
present in plenty. To date the strong
hand. not to say the strong-arm
methods of President Machado has
lodged the rod which his embittered
political foes have long had in pickle
for him. This week, not for the first
time, events have crowded to climax.
Havana dispatches, confirmed by ad-
vices to the State Department from
Ambassador Guggenheim. report that
Machado has the situation in hand.
But the history of Latin American
revolutions is always Kaleidoscope.
Yesterday President Machado, acting
on authority granted him by Congress,
again suspended constitutional guaran-
tees throughout Cuba. as the revolu-
tionary movement against his govern
ment gained in momentum. He signed
decree branding "the enemies Of the
present social system" as outspoken
foes of "the public peace and acknowl-
edging that certain elements of the re-
public's armed forces are now lin frank
revolutionary attitude" In the two
provinces seething with the greatest
unrest military supervisors" with dc
tatorial powers we're appointed They
will rule over the Havana region and
over the Province of Pinar del Rio, in
which grave clashes took place last
Sunday.
Apparently President Machado looks
upon his predecessor, former President
Menocal, as the arch-conspirator in the
present disturbances. Menocal's sons
and other adjutants were apprehended
and jailed, and Menocal himself is a
fugitive at sea. though unoficially re:
ported to have landed in Oriente Prov
ince with the purpose of leading a for
NAL military movement against Macha-
do and Havana. Evidently these are no
mere smoldering embers of hostility
that are coloring the Cuban horizon
with rudy glow,
The United States interest in devel-
opments in the island is enduring. be-
cause Of our rights under the Plat
amendment to intervene for the pres
ervation of law and order in Cuba. The
Havana government for two years has
been seeking to wriggle out of a finan-
cial crisis that always carried the men
ace Of political upset. Sugar, the
country's all-essential staple, has gone
the way Of other national crops through
out the world, and, because of demon
allied price and supply conditions. has
ceased to be the old reliable prop OF
the government treasury. In addition
to purely fiscal hardships, the Machado
regime has been under fire for high
handedness and dictatorial practices
which piled the fuel Of popular discon-
tent upon the fire of economic woe.
Machado has made numerous con-
cessions to the Nationalist and other
opponents Many political prisoners
have been released. constitutional re-
form promised, the first census since
1919 pledged and measures to provide
food and shelter for unemployed taken.
But all and sundry of these recourses,
or subterfuges, whichever they were,
have not served the purpose Of quieting
the nations maleontent forces. Ma
chado TO date has ridden storms that
upset other Latin American govern
ments under far less provocative cir
cumstances. 1t is hardly TO be doubted
that but for the shadow of Uncle Sam
which hangs eterna1Iy over the Pearl
Of the Antilles. matters long since would
have careened in Cuba TO the crashing
point.