Evening star., 1933-09-18
WELLES' PARLEYS
!. CLOSELY WATCHED
Grau San Martins Confer
ences Fail to Reach an
Agreement.
BY COL. FREDERICK PALMER.

HAVANA, September 18 tN.AN-A).-
The all-day conference between Presi-
dent Grau San Martin Of CUBA. and
the leaders of the opposition factions
came to no decision and adjourned.
Every move of Ambassador Sumner
Welles of the United States is being
closely watched. and his personal con-
ference of two hours with Grau san
Martin was accepted as a s.gn that ne
is actively using his good offices Win
the president of the provisional gov
ernment in this critical negotiation
Prof. A A. Berle. jr.. who was sent
here on an economic mission more tnan
a month ago. and who had alreaoy
talked to Grau San Martin as one col
lege professor to another, continues MS
modest part as an adjutant Of good Will
The Cubans regard him as belng CLOSE
to President Roosevelt.
Widow Lends Home.
His talk with Ambassador WelleS
fresh in his mind. the head OF the new
Cuban regime proccc ded to renew ms
discussions with the leaders OF the
various political groups. The widow OF
the famous tobacco king OF Havana hao
loaned her house for the occasion. :,
Downstairs were few aides ana
suppo1ters of the different factions,
with a member of the student dlrec-
torate acting as doorman. while upstairs
Grau San Martin again faced the men
who had told him it was fo- the gooo
of Cuba that a oaition government
should be formed. and the sooner the
better. as his government coulo not lasI
and. ii he insisted on holaing OUT
American Intervention might oe III
evitable.
The President had his persistent
answer-that the three cardinal points
of the Platt amendment we're not being
violated. Sanitation was excellent
order was being kept. with American
lives and property in no donger, anu
the present government was not IN,
curing debts that its revenues coulo
not bear.
His opponents insisted this was plain,
" a temporary condition that couIo
not endure the present gove1nmens ganea.
with all the powerful mnuences
against it. and that the only salvation
was union of all the groups.
Merchants Close Stores.
The merchants during the day had
Welded to the idea of closing their
shops for one Gay in protest against
the provisional government. inen
attitude is as significant as that OF tne
lmDOTLCTS WIlO dllOhCd 6OSNo w ANAN-e>-
on the docks rather than pay 1mpost
duties. and the disinclination OF Leading
business men and bankers to call on
the new secretary of the treasury as
usual. =.
In the backgrounds of the minds OF
marv of the confereeS was the attl-
tude of former Sergt. Batista, now COM
mander Of the army.
The fact that conferences nave De-
comes as much a passion at this PERIOD
as the chase of the porristas after
Machado's overthrow Is consloerea Dg
optinists as a sign of the approaching
return to sanity. The line of cleavage
for and against the Grau San Martin
Regime. however, has become more
definite. You might also hear more
street talk about the need OF bringing
former Provisional President De Ces-
pedes. or a man of his type, back.
A taxi driver expressed the street
view when he said Business was pet
ter under De Cespedes. More people
left their homes
But didn't you drive your car in
the parade of taxi drivers past the
presidential palace honking your horn
as a tribute to Grau San Martln?' he
was asked.
Yesterday-Long Ago.
yes" he replied but that was yes
terday'-a long time in Cuban politics.
Making the most of the fluctuations
of opinions against the Grau San Mar
tin government. as the leaders increas-
inglv sought American advice, Ameri-
can diplomacy official and private.
continued its efforts to bring out OF
the conference of the President and
the factions a representative govern
ment of all the groups which might be
stable enough to warrant American rec
ognition.
Although they we're not abed until 3
in the morning. the leaders were up
early to meet the members Of their
factions and discuss what concessions
posts they would insist on. Not one
of them wanted the negotiations with
Grau San Martin to fail. but none
was certain he would yield or that
counter proposals would be acceptable.
President Grau San Martin himself
was at the palace in the morning con-
ferr.ng with his supporters and men,
bers of his cabinet. If some of the
cabinet members are ready to make
concessions by resigning the attitude
of the group of students, some of them
not yet 20 years old, many slender and
undernourished. was still that of un-
compromising zealots with flaming
eyes.
At every focus of this student-Soldier
government these groups of stuSents
appear Some of them always are at
former Sergt. Batista's headquarters,
and they are ever in evidence, talking
to the soldiers.
Strange Solidarity Seen.
Since the sergeants and soldiers now
rule the army, 1 make it my business
to talk with a number of privates.
When l referred to the possibility OF
the students alienation from their COM
rades of the revolt. the soldiers said
this was impossible and in several cases
knit the fingers of their hands to-
gether, saying: we are like this.
TIL students hold the same view.
1t is a strange combination and a
stranger solidarity. However. having in
mind the taxi drivers that was yes
terday." this unity may be broken to-
morrow
Grau San Martin complains that too
much attention is being paid to the
deposed army officers at the Hotel Ma
tional But there is no escaping the
thought of their unusual and pictures
Que position Batista has attracted
further attention to them by drawing
his siege lines tighter around the hotel
to make sure the officers are Kept COM
pletely incommunicado.
All traffic was suspended for the
first time along the Malecon sea drive
in front of the hotel. Water having
been cut off from the hotel. the officers
must have recourse to well in the
grounds. Some had evidently improved
their last opportunity. Their Washlng
was hung on cords stretched across an
onen window A new placard put at
the street turn on the edge of the hotel
Urounds where everybody could see it.
said: geological Park Land and
Marine Beasts" which would not ap-
near to be a hospitable invitation to
return to the army. although Batista
saws he wants the good" officers back.