The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1934-04-17

SITUATION m Cuba. Just beginning TO re-
cover from the Machado terror and sub
seaueat revolutions.
BY CHESTER NJ WRIGHT
written for scripps- Howard Newspaper
Allisnce)
1 have Just come from Cuba.
where I talked with President Carlos
Mendieta, with labor leaders, polit-
icsl leaders, cabinet members, bust
ness men and just plain people.
Cuba today is puzzle with no
immediate solution in sight.
There is amazing poverty There
are bomb explosions every day.
There is all of the old beauty, all
the old enchantment. There are
many things that look contradic-
tory.
Imports from the United States
are increasing, but stores don't seem
to be selling much. Hotels are
empty, or nearly so. There is a
certain order and one goes about
town as usual, but-bang! there
goes bomb. There's a certain or
der about that, too, for mostly the
bombs are aimed at definite persons
and institutions.
I sat in the midst of a carefree
and merry crowd in a sidewalk cafe
that stretches for two hilarious
blocks opposite the front entrance
of the new capitol, built by Mr.
Machado. It was after midnight.
An explosion was heard. Nobody
paid the slightest attention. Next
day the newspapers described the
effect-damage to the main post
office. So it goes-and so it will
go, probably for long time. Every
body knows how to make bombs
now" one Cuban told me- Years of
training in the guerrilla warfare
against Mr. Machado developed a
great many youths who have formed
the habit, what with their years out
Of school and no jobs to draw them
into orderly life. Bombs are set
ting old scores against Macha
distas today Tomorrow they may
settle other and newer scores.
Tyranny Under Machado
But let us get just a bit of per-
spective. Gerardo Machado was
elected president in 1925. He was
popular then. Within two years he
had so concentrated a program of
oppression that few humans have
been more hated In February, 1927,
I went to Cuba to see what might
be the truth regarding reports of
oppression. graft. assassination and
Imprisonment that had been COM
ing to the Pan-American Fedora
ton of Labor.
1 wrote for this newspaper the re-
suits of that investigation. I had
found more than 200 labor leaders
killed, sixty of them in one horrible
burst of determination. I found an
absolute tyranny, linked with Wall
Street 1 found an American am
bassador, General Crowder, blind to
the whole fostering evil. l found
men afraid to speak in the open. but
able to tell a shocking story of ter
ror in secret to properly identified
friends. The coming revolution was
in the making, as certain as the
swing of the stars.
Today I am not sure whether an
other can be avoided There has
been a succession of presidents, of
whom only two really count, these,
of course, being Ramon Grau San
Martin and Colonel Carlos Men,
dieta, both exceptional men about
whom the whole truth probably has
not been reported to President
Roosevelt. There is a vast suspicion
in Cuba that the American Presi-
dent gets lop-sided reports about
that country and its affairs.
Mendleta Honest, Patriotic
Mr.. Grau, as Cubans know the
first of these two, is in Mexico City.
An affectionate throng watched him
sail away. He was no politician. He
refused to take much of the advice
of Sumner WelleS. He wanted to
force wage increases and do many
things for the Cuban masses and he
wanted to do them in hurry. Out
in the Havana harbor great gray
cruisers swung at anchor - inter-
vening. Mr., Grau went away and
then came Mr.. Mendieta. fine and
honest character to whom Cuba
owes much for his downright affec-
ton for his country.
But a word about those gray war
ships The United States has not
landed an armed man. But if any
one thinks there has been no inter-
vention, let him stand at the Ha-
vana waterfront and watch those
great warships flying the stars and
stripes. The feeling that those great
guns could turn Havana into dust
between dawn and sunset strikes in
with the impact of a blow. Then
imagine the feelings of Cuban.
Somehow it is very interesting to
look first at one of those fine big
ships and hent at old Moro. with
Cabanez just beyond, where so
many went to a Machado-Gicta
doom. Let Mr.. Welles have his little
joke, but they don't believe it in
Cuba.
Face DiscOura ging Task
Not all Cubans oppose interven-
ton. of course. Some think it would
be their shortest route to recovery
and they think an open Intervention