Evening star., 1934-07-08
BY GASTON NERVAL.


THOSE who labeled the recent
embargo on arms exports to
Cuba "a, new expression of
Il the good-neighbor policy"
showed little acquaintance
with conditions in the island republic
and even less knowledge of Latin
American politics and psychology.
Official spokesmen and editorial
writer's who have praised the presi-
Dental embargo-which allows only
the Cuban government to buy arms
in the United States-have given
two reason for it: First, that it is
going to bring about internal peace
in Cuba and end several months Of
constant political unrest, and, second,
that, because of that, it will enhance
the prestige of the "good-neighbor'
policy and increase Cuban and Latin
American good will toward the United
States.
When Grau San Martin was forced
out a few months ago and Col.
Mendieta installed in Office, with OBJ
vious Washington support. the claim
was also made that Mendieta's hasty
recognition, despite its evident par
tiality, was to result in the conSolida-
tion of domestic peace in Cuba. 1t
did not, of course, and neither will
the embargo.
Cubans Not Satisfied.
What Washington observers over
looked then, and what they seem to
;e hn Cr1honc
themselves are not satisfied with the
conservative Mendieta regime. The
Cuban masses not only dislike the
Mendieta government for its reac-
tionary character and its inability to
bring immediate economic relief, but
they are particularly bitter against
it because they realize that it stands
in the way of the completion of their
revolution, the revolution they
started last year by overthrowing
Distator- President Machado.
In the eyes Of the Cuban masses,
Col Mendieta, like Senor de Cespedes
before him, is stealing their revolu-
ton. Both are trusted, honest men,
but they are of the old guard, who
have never sympathized with the new
aspirations and the new trends OF
the younger Cuba.
The Cespedes regime, which fol-
lowed Machado's fall, was the usual
stopgap liberal coalition and it was
born with the original sin of almost
undisclosed Washington Endorsement.
1t could not have lasted long. And
it did not. The situation soon proved
too big for it, and a coup of young
intellectuals and non-commissioned
officers. in the army which surprised
every one abroad, and Washington
more than any one, but which could
not have surprised the Cuban people,
gave new hope to the masses.
Fear that the new government
might go to far to the left and
create international complications,
the pressure of American business in
terests in the island and certain per-
sonal influences, however, kept the
Washington administration from rec
ognizing the Grau San Martin
regime. The fact that it maintained
internal order for four months and
kept all its foreign obligations was
not sufficient to convince skeptical
and interested foreign observers.
Quick Recognition.
Yet when Col. Mendieta succeeded
Grau San Martin, few hours was
all the State Department needed to
find out that the Mendieta govern
ment had popular support and could
preserve domestic peace. Col. Men
dieta was Immediately recognized,
but only to confront, of course, con-
tinued unrest and increasing violence.
It seems appropriate here to re-