Evening star., 1933-10-08
Former Washington Girl g
Tells of Shooting in Cuba
Miss Maria Mccormack Describes ATTACK
on National Hotel and Wild Firing il,
Streets-Praises Students and Troops.

Havana. BY then the soldiers who had
been at the National Hotel had either
gone to their barracks or were getting
their wounds dressed, and SO the city
was practically unprotected, except for
few soldiers and policemen scattered
about here and there But the soldiers
were promptly rushed back into the
city. bringing tanks. machine guns, car
bines and other implements of attack.
They have done splendid work 1t
Is entirely due to them and to the stu
dents that last nights shooting was
quelled without more bloodshed.
Two Were Shooting From Roof
1--WE at the TELEGRAPH had an anxious,
an exciting and rather a dreadful half
hour. Two Of the oppositionists were
hidden on our roof and were shooting
down from that hundred-foot height
into the street. Naturally, as soon as
the soldiers arrived they began direct
ing their fire toward our building. The
TELEGRAPH, formerly the leading hotel of
Havana, is built around patio courts
and has so many open spaces that there
seemed no safe place to hide from the
line Of fire. In addition to ourselves
and the usual occupants, the hotel was
thickly cOngeSted with huddles of
passersby who had darted in for pro-
lection. Fortunately We three girls
were unaware of our actual danger not
suspecting that all that outside firing
was being directed at our hotel.
I'VE realized that the bullets were
pinging by at what seemed uncom-
Portable closeness. They were splitting
against the walls in a steady rain that
was more like pelting hailstones. They
were ricochetting from wall to wall
HnontYn
one corner to another. But no one was
hurt.
Presently the troops come in, sur
prised, and carried away the two devils
who were still on the roof. Fortunately
the soldiers took them SO unawares that
there was no short-range shooting at
our place Of refuge.
Had Fears for Husband.
Meanwhile, Bertha was frantic about
the safety of her husband. She was
anxiously wondering where he was and
what had happened to him. He finally
appeared at $50, two and half hours
after the general outbreak Of firing had
started Although he was soaking wet
from his own experiences down at the
docks, he Immediately took the girls
| home, and at considerable general risk.
| as the street shooting had not yet
ceased.
He explained that when the shoot
| ing started he and the other boys from
our Offices were just about to leave the
pier when machine guns began 10 fire
from all sides. About 20 men dropped
/ into a lighter that was alongside the
dock their group being included. But
! huddled together in that small space,
their peril was too great. SO they
slipped overheard into the bay waters
and swan in under the dock and hid.
! You know these waters are infested
with big sharks, and if the choice had
been mine I should have preferred the
risk from the little bullets which can
miss you
This Tuesday morning Havana is
normally quiet again. Another victory
for the government and the troops
| They will think the opposition is really
broken. and we all like to believe the
worst is over.
THE capture of the army officers
who had fortified themselves in the
National Hotel has cleared the political
atmosphere. The opposltion's attempt
to start something has been quelled
Because OF. these developments I feel
that we are safer now than We have
been heretofore. So you can rely on
my being right here at my job in Ha-
vana all through the month of Oc-
/ tOber"