Evening star., 1933-08-10
BY ROBERT J. CASEY.

By Gable TO The Star.
HAVANA. Cuba. August 10.-Havana
today was Verdun before the zero hour
Pompeii before the eruption. The mill
tary paraded the silent, empty streets
in quiet pairs who seemed to be some
what amused by the who,e proceedings
soldiers who had been paid yesterday
after months of waiting and therefore
were soldiers who, for the time being
at least, owned allegiance to the existing
government.
The citizenry had gone into hiding
behind the locked doors of shops or up
the country in regions whe:e one has
only to wait for the ia ling coconut or
reach out for the sugar cane that has
been the remote cause of Cuba's
troubles
Still Gen. Gerardo Machado, Presi-
dent of the republic seemed undecided
about what he was going to co. There
seemed to be no doubt that eventually
pressure from the United States in the
person of Ambassador Sumner Welles
would force him to go away.
Food Is Vital Problem.
The general strike. which has had
no purpose save an expression OF dislike
for President Machado. goes on and on:
with the result that today the last barrel
of -four on the island has been ex-
hausted and the feeding of the populace
must presently become matter of vital
concern. And none of the patriotic
slogans of two years ago persists. Ihere
is no longer fear about the meddling
of the United States in the affairs OF
this free republic Rather there is a
hope that American Marines may do
what armed rebellion and national dis
obedience movements have failed to
do--oust President Machado and all his
works.
The shooting of two more policemen
at the wharf yesterday resulted in
radio announcement by the government
to the people of Havana that at o'clock
a curfew would 60 into effect and that
any one on the streets after that hour
would be shot without further ques-
tioning,
Havana buried it's dead yesterday in
a silence broken only by the lelsurely
tramp of cavalry or the saunterlng step
of foot police. Street cleaners had wiped
away the red stains from the front OF
the National Palace, the Prado and
other spots where machine guns broke
up MONDAYS parade of celebrants and,
save for the scattering funerals and
the incredible emptiness of the streets,
one might have been led to believe
that today's quiet meant peace and
that the incidept Of the massacre had
been classed as one with the other az
fairs of the sort so numerous in Cubas
recent history.
Look for American Ships.
The ominous undercurrent. however,
was something that made itself felt in
stantly. The people Of Havana were
locking not toward: the scenes of Mon
days tragedy nor toward the palace,
where President Machado had just an
nounced his intention to maintain his
against all argument or IN
reference but toward the sea, where
out beyond MORO Castle they hoped to
discern the smoke Of American war
ships on the horizon.
President Machados impaSsioned
declaration of his faith ip Cuban
patriotism and the cries of his hackers
in the Joint session of the Cuban House
and Senate, that the island would meet
with force of arms any intervention
BY the United States. had failed COM
pletely in its planned effect.
The Congress failed to pass what
was virtually vote of confidence IN
the Machado government. because 1t
contained what the bitterly humorous
skulkers in the streets called virtual