Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-07-30
MACHADO BECOMES
TARGET OF UNREST.
Current Troubles Blamed on
President as in Cuba'S
Past.
BY WILLIAM II. FORT.

BY Cable to The Star.
HAVANA, Cuba. July 30.-Ever since
Cuba began its national existence as
free republic, there have been inter-
mittent disturbances on the Island
riots, killings, political brawls about
this and that, and cries of down with
so-and-so!" The name depending on
who happened to be president at the
moment.
Right now the cries are against Gen.
Gerardo Machado, occupant OF the
presidential chair since 1925. But 1t
might just as well have been any one
else had that some one else held Gen.
Machado's title of president. For COM
planning against the existing political
order is one Of the Cuban's two favorite
I Dastimes, and preparing for revolu-
ton has become bv now an old Cuban
custom. Mostly the Cuban exhausts
his ire in talk, and it is only when
urged to it by some precipitate move
On the part OF the students that this
resentment takes an active form. It is
such a move that Mechado fears at
present and which has led him to
fortify the presidential palace with
machine guns militariZe the Havana
police force and order mounted bands
of rurales to patrol the roads for
radius Of several miles surrounding
the city.
Reflection Of Discomfort.
Much of Cuba's political unrest is
merely a reflection of the country's
economic discomfort. and it is more
than probable that under similar con-
would have been evidenced no matter
who was president.
1t is considered doubtful that a
change of administration, which the
people are so loudly demanding, would
do anything but quiet for a time the
murmurs of discomfort. 1t merely
happens that President Machado made
several moves which proved to BE- gen.
orally unpopular. and which. because
of this unpopularity, served to call
attention to certain facts and actions
which in normal times might have
passed ttnnoticed.
The recent change of government of
the City of Havana from a municipality
| to a federal district is one instance Of
th!s-one action which President
Machado's opponents seized upon as
excellent material for criticism. The
reason given for the change from a
municipality to a federal district was
to save expenses. The city administra-
ton costs, according to advance notices,
being directly under federal supervision
would be less than before and thus
money would be saved which the gov
eminent could use for other useful
purposes.
The Presidents adversaries. however,
maintain that the change was made
with the one thought in mind to get rid
of Miguel Mariana Gomez. ex-Mayor of
Havana. President Machado had OPP
posed the election of Senior Gomez from
the start. He was too young, he said,
and too inexperienced to be tntrusted
with such high office.
Kept Election Promises.
Despite the Machado opposition, how
ever, Senior Gomez was elected-and he
proceeded to prove himself an excellent
administrator. He kept all of his cleo
ton promises-something unprecedented
in Cuban politics. He cleaned up the
town. cut down graft. put through vari-
Gus improvements, and virtually elm
mated open prostitution.
His popularity mounted, and he came
to be looked upon as one of the strong
leaders of the island. AS Mayor he re-
fused to accept dictation in any OF his
actions from the presidential palace and
insisted on running the city IN his own
way
Whether or not there is truth to the
contention that President Machado en-
tempt to end the career Of q political
opponent who might later prove dan
gerous to his own plans, it is certainly
true that the change did not bring
about a lessening of administrative ex-
pense. After the change to a federal
district the administration. which
wanted to cut expenses Immediately,
voted the sum of $4,000 year to be
available to the new district govern
ment for entertainment purposes, an
other $4,000 was voted for an official
automobile and the expenses OF the
dis riot" immediately mounted to three
times the expenses Of the same section
when it was a city.
Now Wide Open.
It had also been the announced in
tention of President Machado to keep
the district of Havana free from vice
and make of it a model of moral
cleanliness. Evidently these intentions
were forgotten Immediately. for it would
be difficult to find another city in the
world more wide open" than Havana.
Gambling flourishes openly all over
town and the city has numberless pros
titutes who ply their trade openly and
without interference both on the streets
and in the. open-air restaurants and
| bars.
| Perhaps this is not entirely the fault
of President Mechado, and perhaps the
! same conditions would exist under any
other administration. Yet it remains
| true that these conditions do not exist
in other sections OF the Island And that
they did not exist in Havana while
Miguel Mariana Gomez was mayor be-
| fore it was transformed into federal
! district.