The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1941-10-20
MEMORY OF JOSE
MART PERVADES
GJBA'S FEELINGS
PRESIDENT OF CUBA. Full
GENcIo BATISTA. STUDENT
AND DEvoUT ADMIRER OF
GREAT PATRIOT

classic figure in the liberation of
Cuba, takes on an ever holder re-
lief among the immortals who
liberated America and gave the
peoples of America a concept of
freedom as yet ungrasped to those
who inhabit the other continents.
In Cuba Marti is at once a doctrine
and shrine His teachings, his
sacrificial death and his memory
pervades the thinking and feeling
of all Cuba's people and had
sweep and grandness deeply sig
nificant to all Americans but es-
pecially to Spanish-Americans.
From his early childhood the
present President of Cuba, Col
Fulgeneio Batista, has been a stu
dent and devout admlrer of Marti,
Marti's prolific writings have sup
Piled the suggestions for many or
most Of the projects Colonel Ba-
tista has launched for the better
ment of the lives of the people of
Cuba; they have provided the an
Swers to most of the problems he
has faced, and they have inspired
and directed most of his thinking.
his acts and his enthusiasts.
Several years ago Colonel Ba-
tista expressed his deep admira-
ton Of Marti in a proposal that a
grander monument than any yet
built or to be built in Cuba be
raised to perpetuate the living cult
of Cuba toward the apostle and
martyr of Cuba's liberation. The
grandeur of the proposal met the
popular desire to honor ATaFti fit
tingly and became a part of the
viii of Cuba
Recognizing the steady growth
Of Havana and the certainty that
such growth is to continue, Colonel
Batista also realized that the
future spread must be principally
toward the south and west and
that the new center of Greater
Havana would naturally lie in the
area to the south of the UniveT-
sity of Havana. 1t SO happens
that this area is still almost vacant.
although it IS surrounded by
heavily built-up residence sec
tons and crossed by the principe.
east-west and north-south ave
nues of traffic.
To Include Library
Accordingly, this site was
chosen for the Marti monument.
A commission was named. several
hundred thousand dollars were
contributed and substantial prizes
were offered for the best designs
and for the best literary works to
make Marti and what he stood for
better understood The mOnu-
ment itself, to be at once a library
and museum of the most prized
relics of Cuba's long struggles for
a place among the free nations of
the world. is to be the center of a
great central plaza with avenues
radiating from 1t toward each
part of the great capital city of
Cuba which. with its surrounding
suburbs. already has more than
TOO. 900 inhabitants.
The very magnitude of the prof.
ect has made it necessary that It
progress slowly and other prob
lens of a bread-and-butter nature
have also held it back Last week,
however. another important step
was taken with the signing OF a
presidential decree authorizing
the appropriation Of the lands
required for the monument and
plaza.
This great project Is not how
ever. the only demonstration OF
President Batista's enthusiasm to-
ward the memory of MART. Only
a few days ago ne formally de-
Iivered "a ALartfs, surviving sis
ter the dads and keys to a beauti-
full home. built and furnished by
-him-with the help OF generous
friends-that she might have a
proper home and its donors the
satisfaction of contributing to
such a gift.
After the ceremony of the pre-
sentation dona Amelia Marti-who
had shared the thoughts and
dreams Of her illustrious brother
from childhood on-told news
papermen she felt that President
Batista was inspired by the same
desires toward Cuba her brother
had died for, adding that she had
mixed tears with her prayers that
the president be spared to Cuba
long enough to carry into reality
her brothers plans and dreams.