Evening star., 1945-07-22

Cubas newest revolution Is bloodless,
bombless and bewildering. The 43-
year-old island republic is undergoing
swift change from militaristic strong
man government to infant democracy.
This is taking place under patient, ST.
year-old ex-family doctor, Ramon Grau
San Martin, Cubas 10Th President. DR..
Grau also was Cuba's 18th President
for four turbulent months in the revo-
lutionary year of 1888, passing to the
public SO major laws improving work
ing conditions. education, finances and
agriculture
Grau's second sojourn in the Million
dollar presidential palace has been
marred by Cuba's worst hurricane in Is
years, followed by eight months of
crop-killing drought, two abortive revo-
lutionary plots, rash of unsolved as
sassinations and severe wartime short
ages of food.
1t is attended by political quarreiing.
Grau's Autentico Revolutionary party)
adherents point pridefully to nine
months of financial reforms, graft sup
preston, elimination of gambling and
all-around public betterment.
Congress Opposes.
Political "outs" hammer away in Con-
gress-where they hold almost 2-to-1
majority-in the press and over the
radio, charging inefficiency, uncontrolled
imitation and all-around bungling by an
inexperienced, nonpolitical kitchen
cabinet"
They talk about the Presidents rela-
tives in high places Brother Julio as
sistant chief of Cuba's OPA; Nephew
Francisco Grau, undersecretary of agri-
culture; another nephew, Ramon Grau,
presidential secretary, and Cousin Jose
San Martin, Minister of Public Works.
Oppositionists also charge politics in
the arbitrary dismissal of $4,000 gov
ernment employees"
Autenticos accuse the oppositionists
Of hoping to slip shrewd ex-President,
ex-Maj. Gen. Fulgencio Batista back
into power. They refer to the period
OF Batista's rule-by-force as "the big
steal" alleging millions of public dollars
were wasted in graft.
Supporters of the self-styled strong
man in the Democratic, Liberal and
ABC (Abecedario) parties, eulogize the
accomplishments of Batista's tremen-
dous public works program, deny he has
sought self-imposed exile Che has been
travelling in the United States and
Mexico) and ridicule court charges
against him and his former public works
minister, Jose Mendiguitia.
Breaks Army Grip.
A Federal Court last December
charged that Batista and Mendiguitia
paid large sums to 500 workers hired
to dredge the harbors of Cardenas and
Isabella de Sagua, although no work
was done.
Critics blame government weakness
for food riots, labor strikes and sky
rocketing prices.
But, in the face of swelling chorus
of criticism, Grau has broken the iron
grip which Cuba's 8,000-man army held
on the government for IL years.
With the painstaking exactitude of a
physician, he has Strengthened out
Cuba's fractured financial condition and
started program to build 1000 rural
one-room schools and construct and re-
pair the road system at a cost of s25,-
000, 900.
He plans to spend s100,oo0,000 on new
waterworks systems in a dozen Cuban
cities, build s4,o00,00O worth of new
hospitals and offer aid to Cuba's 1,50O,-
600 low-income farmers
Workers wages have been boosted,
low-cost housing designed, seeds and
mechanized equipment loaned to farm
ers, huge tracts of idle land requisi-
toned for use by individual farm fami-
lies, and export markets cultivated.
The treasury minister, DR.. Manuel
Fernandez Superville, described Cuba S
financial condition as chaotic" when
the new government took Office. He says
the Batista government left Office "in
the hole" (The outgoing minister said
there was $14,00,0 900 on HANDY Treasury
records showed 100000 surplus on
January 1, 1945.