Evening star., 1933-10-03
HAVANA STRUGGLES
ITO RESTORE ORDER
News Sought of Missing as
City Is Swept by Rainstorm
and High Wind.
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Continued From First Page)
throughout the city. Police Chief Ul-
ciceno Franco said he believed the fir
ing was between A. B. G. adherents and
Communists.
About 200 shots were fired near the
United States Embassy. some striking
the front of the building.
Franco gave as a reason for the out
break Of the long-expected battle at
the National that the officers were
daily provoking unpleasant incidents
and their defiant attitude made show
down necessary
The officers. about 500 at one time,
owned hotel with the accession of Grau
and had since maintained defiant at
titude towards his administration, re-
fusing to accede to his demands to
come out.
The American, Robert G. Lotspeich
OF London. Ohio. manager for Swift In
ternacional. was shot fatally in the
chest as he stood watching the battle
from an apartment building. A shot
meant for the hotel hit the Ford Motor
Co. plant adjoining the battle-ground.
the American Embassy with fearful ap-
peals to Ambassador Sumner Welles
for action. They said Mr.. Welles in
formed them that only President Roose-
welt had authority to order American
Intervention.
At the presidential palace it was
learned Marquee Sterling, Cuban am
Dassador at Washington, had informed
the Cuban government the American
administration had not changed its at
titude on intervening.
newspaper man who entered the
hotel during the lun in fighting said
he found the place a shambles, with
every window shattered. floors covered
with mud. blood and water, and the
walls gaping with a dozen shell holes
Soldiers who occupied the hotel kept
lights In its three upper floors bril-
liantly lighted throughout the night.
Cafes, restaurants and similar busi-
nesses were closed, for the most part,
despite troops attempts to open them.
Palace Fired Upon
short time before the white sheet
was run up yesterday two rife shots
were fired at the presidential palace.
which had been under heavy guard
since early yesterday morning when the
shooting began. Soldiers inside the
building began unlimbering machine
guns for action. but a government Of
fetal said the shots had been fired to
see whether the palace guard was on
the alert
A 75-millimeter gun was drawn up
to the front entrance Of the hotel prior
to the declaration of the truce. blocking
the roadway. Student members of the
so-called Caribbean Army, formed some
ha 81
President Ramon Grau San Martin
cruised in motor cars about the hotel
grounds surveying the situation.
Victor Mendoza and Antonio Con-
zalez de Mendoza, recently appointed
as political mediators by the various
political factions, attempted to arrange
the surrender Of the officers during the
truce
1t was learned that Col. Batista con-
sented to allow the officers to leave
the hotel in unarmed groups of five.
WIN the provision they be arrested and
held pending final disposition of their
cases.
Meanwhile the clatter of machine
guns and firing of rifles was heard in
the Vedado suburban section. many
blocks distant from the National
Hotel
The Chibas Apartment Building was
the target OF many machine gun bull
lets, but number of Americans living
there escaped injury.
Americans Removed.
The truce to allow for the remoya,
OF the Americans came after represent
atlves OF the United States consulate
maoe their way to the headquarters
which Col. Batista had set UP earlier in
the DAY within the battle zone. The
group was accompanied by armed
guards
The damage to the Ford Motor Co.
Building was not immediately ascer-
tanned, due TO the scenes of wild confu-
sion which prevailed in a wide area
surrounding the hotel The building
was struck by an artillery shell from the
field pieces which were dragged by the
soldiers after the initial outbreak of
firing.
Many bullets from the machine guns
and rifles. fired both from the hotel
and outside. ripped through the apart
ment buildings nearby where the Amer
leans lived. but apparently Lotspeich
was the only American struck.
The region for many blocks on all
sides OF the hotel assumed a wildly
warllke appearance as the lombard
ment proceeded throughout the day.
The Red Cross set up first-aid station
half block from the hotel
Army tanks rumbled awkwardly
through the streets, directing their ma
chine guns against the hotel building.
Cuban gunboat wallowed in the heavy
surf in the harbor but its crew appar-
emily was unable to train their guns
upon the building.
One shell screamed through a win
dow of the hotel and smoke soon poured
out, indicating a fire had been touched
on. A few hours later, however, the
smoke ceased, leading to the belief the
officers had extinguished the flames.
All of the shells. however, did not
f1nd their mark. Some exploded in the
air. adding to the spectacular scene
while others exploded after hitting the
ground, blowing huge holes in the earth
One shell almost reduced to ruins the
main entrance of the hotel Guns also
blazed from the roofs of buildings on
the Havana University campus, three
blocks away from the hostelry.
Rescues Wounded Officer.
Marino Rodrigues, a chauffeur, res
cued a wounded onlcer, Capt. Tomas r.
Yanez. Falling prone upon the first
burst of shot, he escaped injury and
then arose, picked up the captain and
drove away from the hotel under ire to
q hospital.
A sergeant in charge Of the guard at
the dock estimated 80 soldiers had been
killed and 100 wounded. exclusive Of the
oficer and civilian victims.
The crowd cheered the soldiers and
ieered the officers, some of them crying
Throw them to the sharks"
Alfredo Bofil former chief of police,
was among those killed on the hotel
lawn in the second outburst
The wine cellars of the hotel appar-
emily were completely sacked. One
huge, broad-shouldered private emerged
carrying so much wine he had to ask
q civilian to carry his rife.
One person who entered the hotel
when the firing began reported that
Lieut.. Cosio, former paymaster, and