Evening star., 1949-08-25
Bafisfa Conducting
Amazing Comeback
Drive for 81 Election
H Bert Collier
Written for the Chicago Dolly News
Foreian Service

Written for the Chicago Dolly News
Foreign Service
MANZANIILO, Cuba, Aug. Is.
There is ferment in Cuba and
its name is Fulgencio Batista.
The one-time chief of this is
land republic is campaigning
again for the presidency. Three
years in advance of the election,
his amazing drive is In full swing.
reaching into remote villages that
no presidential candidate has
touched before.
For four days on one Of these
sweeps, we covered the southwest
ern tip Of Oriente. most eastern
and largest Of Cuba's six prov
inces. We Travelled by plane. sta
ton wagon, boat, truck, gas
buggy, train and q number OF
miles on foot.
Everywhere people seemed to
pop out of the ground to scream
greetings and fight for q chance
to touch Col. Batista. It took
the combined strength Of four
sweating bodyguards to get him
through the mobs. Even 50, his
clothes were torn, his arms were
scratched, his hands were swollen
from thousands of enthusiastic
handshakes.
Business Of Sheer Emotion.
This is politics in Cuba. Q busi-
ness of sheer emotion.
Col. Batista landed in Man
zanillo before dawn at hilltop,
cowpasture airport. Beyond. mo-
path exists except the air and the
sea. We transferred to boat and
for five hours sailed the blue Gulf
Of Guacanayabo.
Niouero Is small and remote.
But thousands of people lined the
rotting peir, flowed like wave as
Col. Batista set foot among them,
and swept him through the muddy
streets to the plaza.
Only when he spoke of cuba's
needs did the bowling bedlam
become the quiet Of q chapel.
From Niquero we went by boat
to San Ramon, q sugar mill In
a wilderness of canehelds. Here
we transferred to truck, in
stantly swamped by half a hun
dred screaming supporters.
Laden beyond belief. the rick
ETY. vehicle set out through the
mud of the village. accompanied
on foot by all the people who
could not find q handhold, by
all the dogs, pigs, chickens. by Q
troop of vaqueros on their tiny
ponies. The truck splashed
wildly across creeks. over bumps
and ruts. 1t made no difference
that q drenching tropical rain
began. Not drop of enthusiasm
was washed away.
Use Toy Gas Trolley.
From San Ramon, we went
by toy gas trolley on tracks
through a jungle Of cane, so lush
that the rails were hidden by
green underground. and the
waving leaves slapped the pass !
engers with wet fingers.
At Campachuela- a full-dress
political rally was held. with
marching units of vaqueros,
bands of joven-Cuban youth
music, bon fires, popping rockets
and Q speech in the plaza.
There the party split. part
returning by boat to Manzanillo
to prepare for Col. Batistas
entry the following day.
II there had been excitement
before, here was frenzy. AL
night this sizable town prepared
for the day ahead. conga units
practised in vacant lots. the beat
of drums driving the dancers to
sweating madness. They writhed
through the night and into the
dawn, then converged on the
dock where Col. Batista's boat was
to land before noon.
The sun was like q ball Of flame. |
That made no difference. The
dancers whirled through the
streets picking up recruits until it
seemed the whole crowded town
was moving to the "titty-tum"
rhythm of the drums.
Arrival of Batista High Mark.
The arrival of Col. Batista was
the high mark. He and his guards
fought through the packed mob
to their war veterans head |
quarters and through a round Of
visits and functions leading to the
rally tn the park that night.
This was the pattern followed
at all the cities and towns
visited at Yara and Veguitas, |
historic villages - at Bayamo,
second city of Oriente where the |
people turned out in horse-drawn
coaches.
II this emotion Is stirred up
three years before election, what
will be the state Of this republic
when the time arrives for voting? |
There is a method In this early
start. Mid-term elections for |
mayors, governors and other |
municipal and provincial ofices
are just year away and Batista
supporters hope to capture a good
portion. They are running now
on q Batista ticket, flying the
banner Of the new progresista
party which Col. Batista is organ
izing. II
Politics In Cuba is always q
hectic business. But this is |
something new. This is something |
the politicians Of Cuba say they /
have never witnessed before.
They say the next three years
will be the most exciting In Cuba's |
exciting history.
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