The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1934-04-19
BY CHESTER VI. WRIGHT
Written for the Scripps- Howard
Newspaper Alliance

the ABC held its meetings in that
club, the club of the Nation City
bank. Strange. too, that the leader
Of the ABC, DR.. Joaquin Martinez
Saenz, was the lawyer for the Ma
tional City bank and that today he
is the finance secretary in the
Presidents cabinet. Strange, but
those are the facts"
So, that was a new light on the
famous secret society, the revolu-
tionary ABC. It's strength was
greatly over-rated," said my friend,
whose job has been to dig through
the archives of the fallen dictator
ship. Some day that man, when he
Is ready, will pepper Cuba and this
country with sensations.
l had been told, in 1927, of a
labor official who had been killed
and tossed into the harbor. An
arm had been found in the belly of
a shark. we have now the COM
plete records Of that case" he said.
General Crowder Complained
A letter comes to light, written
by General EnOch Crowder to Gen.
eral Machado, complaining because
sugar revenues were not coming to
him as regularly as they had been
coming. The records of Mr.. Macha-
dos personal "takings" are being
examined. Present estimates are
that he had about twenty-five mil
lion dollars safely cached outside
Cuba when he fed.
But the past is a matter of
secondary interest today. What of
today and tomorrow? Here is one
thing about today: The Cuban army
is probably larger today than it
was under Machado and it was the
Cuban army that kept Machado in
Office long after his normal time
had passed. If you ask Cubans why
they need so large an army they
probably will tell you they do not
know. The real liberals are diSap-
pointed. There is much feeling
that the army is maintained at such
strength because Colonel BatiSta,
that strange product of the hour,
wants it that way. And there is
much conviction that Colonel
Batista remains at the top of the
army because those who speak for
Uncle Sam in Cuba want him there.
In any event, Colonel BatiSta has a
mighty good army and he can get
the palace on the telephone when
he wants to and if he wants some
thing special for the army he can
get that, too One of the things
Grau wanted to do was to get rid
Of Colonel Batista.
Army Very Vigilant
The army is much in evidence.
There are plenty of soldiers on the
streets. The corridors of the CAPT.
tol are full of them. Body guards
are de rigeur. When you enter the
capitol you are frisked The
searching is thorough, too-no per-
functory affair. Add the sailors
and the police, and Havana has
the look of a very military capital.
AT $40 month and keep, an army
can eat up lot of the revenues of
a poverty-stricken country. There
is no pretense that the army is
being maintained for the purpose
of keeping men out of idleness.
The maintenance of this army
is a signal that all is not yet we'll
in Cuba. There is a fine army, but
the few schools are so expensive
that no worker can think of send
ing his children to be taught.
Meanwhile new political jobs are
being created. About one-hundred
student leaders have been sent
abroad, on salary, and the govern
ment gains surcease from their de
mandS. The outstanding leaders,
however, rejected the offer of these
missions" or junketS. A council Of
state is being created, on the sur
face to bring advice to the govern
ment. The cabinet does not have
portfolios enough to take in all of
the political parties. They can all
get into the larger council of state
1t is not to be expected they will
bring forth much advice.
Revenues Handled Honestly
But though there are these de-
vices of a purely practical nature.
there is. concededly, an honesty of
administration and an honesty in
the handling of revenues that is
new to the Cuba of this generation.
The coming Of Colonel Mendieta
to power probably has meant a
breathing spell for American in
vestors in Cuba. These same in
vestors or their banker representa-
tives. so far over-reached them
selves that they will be a long time
digging out, but a breathing spell
is that much to the good, in any
event.
Just now the sugar harvest IS on
and it is the rule Of this govern
ment, as it was of Mr.. Machado,
that nothing must interfere with
the sugar crop. A country whose
fate hangs on one crop comes to
stand in awe of that crop.
Whether it is to be a breathing
spell or a full pardon remains to
be seen. President Mendieta had
some things to say about that
about Cuba and land and crops.
Mendieta Has Disappointed
But I came away with the pro-
found conviction that the finest of
Cuba's patriots are deeply diSsatis-
fed. deeply disappointed. with the
Mr.. Mendiata who presides in the
palace, even though they have no
idea where they would turn for a
better man.
"Mendieta." they say, is good
man. He is honest. He looks for
ward. But he lacks the courage to
dominate a cabinet that has been
gathered from many parties and
that is filled with conservative and
reactionary men,"
They point to CoSme de la Tor
riente, secretary of state, as the
arch example. Mr.. De la Torriente
once was president of the League
of Nations and he has never re-
covered. He labors under the idea
FO,- l,s