The Washington times., 1936-04-24
NOW
SenOr Gomez
And Sonora
INTERESTING
By HELEN ESsARY

BY HELEN ESSAhx
Senior don Miguel Mariana
Gomez, President-elect of Cuba,
who has been visiting washington
for the last three days, balanced
the budget" of Havana every one
of the seven years he was the
city's mayor.
And-this is the remarkable
part of my Story-Senor Gomez
left a surplus in the city treasury
Of two million cash when he fin
ished his term Of office!
It isn't. surprising that Cuba
wanted Mayor Gomez to become
President.
Senior Gomez did not achieve
economy by way of stinginess. He
built the many hos-peettalS ana
the many homes for the ladies
who are about to become the
mothers. And the fine new schools
and the government buildings.
And. as I said before, he bal
anced his city budget yearly ana
1S4b . OL1I P4u0 bCAAAAN @AA'
Cube expects big things OF this
young man when he takes over the
national government. He IS ex'
tremely intelligent looking, with
keen eyes and straight features.
At Oxon Hill at dinner he was
renewing his old friendship with
Under Secretary Sumner Welles,
who used to be American Ambassa'
dor to cuba. A remarkably hand
some pair of public men-Senor
Gomez and Mr.. Welles!
Sonora Gomez is a beauty, with
skin as fair as camellla, ana
black hair. She looks like young
girl. But she has daughter II.
LatinS marry early.
Sonora Gomez was Is when she
married. She began her married
life in the midst of revolution.
One month exactly after their we'd
ding day, Senior Gomez was thrown
into Jail for some governmental
difficulty. He remained there for
eight months.
Being the wife of Cuban
patriot naturally is exciting. And
in Sonora Gomez'S case, obvlouSl..'
becoming.
The Sonora has the manner Of q
languorous Latin. For many years
she has managed her husbands
private business.
Senior Gomez has been in public
office so long that he has had lit
tie time to conduct his own az
fairs. So Sonora Gomez has sub
stituted for him very protitably.
Senior Gomez is the son OF the
late General Gomez, the second
President of the Republic OF Cuba.
I have a memento Of General
Gomez in a special box in my sit
ting room cupboard.
It is a choice and fragrant
cigar. One of the special brand
General Gomez had made in
honor of George V of England, at.
the time of his coronation.
General Gomez sent some of the
cigars to the 70. s. Secretary OF
state, Philander c. Knox. Mr..
Knox gave a few to friends.
Now another story about Sen
ora Gomez. A romantic one. Ger
tain newspapermen who accom-
panied the late President Coolidge
to the Pan-American Conference
in 1928 found themselves unable
to enjoy the noble speeches on
Pan.American friendship and pros
perity because of the presence in
the balcony4of; the Conference Hall
of q raviShingly beautiful girl.
Who was this exquisite crea.
ture? No one seemed to know.
She appeared only once. Her
beauty was unforgettable.
At the delightful party given
Wednesday by the Ambassador Of
Cuba, DR.. Guillermo Patterson, in
honor Of Senior and Sonora Co
meZ, one of the newSpapermen
who had gone to the Pan-Amer-
lean Conference clapped his hand
to his head.
"There she is," he exclaimed.
'"After all these years! The Pan
American beauty! found out
her name too late. It's Sonora
GOmez!"
That Wednesday party at the
Cuban Embassy suggests the
thought have often had about
other Latin parties.
They have a special kind of gay
ETY..
An afternoon reception in an
Anglo:Saxon Setting-En1baSsy or
house-may have orchestra and
champagne trimmings and emerge
stiff and dull.
People stand about the ballroom
and say, what, ME dance the
yhumba. The idea is absurd"
But at the Cuban Embassy and
in other Latin environments,
everyone who crosses the thresh.
old of a ballroom springs up and
dances with ardor and possibly
abandon.
Commercial climax to the TO-
mantle theme: Cuba, so Senior
Gomez told me, is enormously
prosperous.
Last year its exports were sixty
million dollars more than ever be.
fore.
A special card of admittance
IS being issued for afternoon and