Gente
Magazine
American Edition 1958
[GENTE DE LA SEMANA, Vol. 1, Havana, January 5, 1958, No.
1 American Edition]
[Index is not part of this publication]
Index for this issue:
What's True About Cuba (Editorial) page 3
Batista, the Man General Fulgencio Batista page 4
Foundation and Objective of the O.N.D.I. page 8
Havana Crossroads of the World page 11
Cuban Art Center page 20
The Growth of Investments in Cuba page 22
Cuba's National Sports Commission page 27
Possible Contenders in next Presidential Elections
page 33
The True Life of Rebel Castro page 34-A
$14,000,000 Havana Riviera page 34-F
Religious Beliefs of African Origin page 35
New Public Works Projects of the Batista Regime page
43
Brief History of the Cuban Labor Movement page 59
Social Policy Since 1952 page 64
Havana's New Tunnel Two Cities Connects page 66-A
The First Cuban Hydro-Electric Plant page 66-F
How Many Millions of Dollars Do Cubans Spend on
Cigarettes? page 70
Varadero page 83
The Havana Dry Dock page 88
The Clinical-Surgical Hospital page 91
The Plaza of the Republic page 95
Page 1
Cover
Page 2
Advertisement
- Hotel Comodoro
Page 3
GENTE DE LA SEMANA
Vol. 1 Havana, January
5, 1958 No. 1
Jose Suarez Nunez, Editor in Chief
Hiram L. Nunez & Theudis Israeta, Assistant Managing
Editors
GENTE is published weekly by "Gente de la Semana. S.A." in
635 Ayestaran St.
Havana. Entered as second class mater at the Post
Office, Havana, Cuba.
GENTE – American Edition
WHAT'S
TRUE ABOUT CUBA
PHOTO - Jose Suarez Nunez, Editor in Chief
As I am writing for the American people, I must of necessity
review
what American newspapers and magazines have published about
Cuba during
the past year. I chose this medium of expression as
one which
represents the balance of public opinion.
And, I believe that the solemn magazine "Time", with the
unexplainable
and persistent assistance of Jules Dubois has attacked my
country
harshly during this time, selecting as its prime target the
figure of
President Batista.
I will not indulge in fancy or phantasy in this piece; that
would bring
only discredit and the accustation [accusation] of levity of
purpose to
the journalistic profession. But in my country
it is widely
assumed that a great plot has been formed against us, and
that it is
centered in the hotel chains which derive their income from
the steady
streams of American tourist who visit our shores. They
come, mind
you, to admire our tropical climate, our lovely women, the
natural joy
and Latin traditions of our people, and the beautiful
spectacle or our
beaches and sky.
This special edition has as its sole purpose to show, with
facts, why
attacks have been launched against our country, guilty only
of
increasing the benefits of its men and women, respecting the
rights of
citizens of other nations, like the United States, and
protecting their
investments.
The President of Cuba, instead of preparing demagogic and
political
slogans, has faced up squarely to the concrete problem of
"reforming
the economy" and promoting his social and human program.
The whole insidious program carried on outside of Cuba has
been backed
by a disbanded group of corrupt politicians. Instead
of remaining
here on our own soil, where free and constitutional
elections are held
regularly with the participation of opposition political
parties, to
discuss the issues of the day, these men have fled the
country to
defame their own country, Cuba, from abroad.
Batista is a much-discussed man, as well as a beloved man, a
fact well
recognized by those of us who are abreast of events.
When the
huge nation of the north was beginning to shake itself and
to grow,
later to become the largest and most powerful country in the
world,
there emerged a group of men such as Astor, Carnegie, Du
Pont, Morgan,
Vanderbilt, Rockefeller, Ford and many other who today are
called
titans and gigants [giants], but who during their own times
were
referred to as bandits, rogues and villains.
But history, an inplacable [implacable] judge, has shown
their true
value and has placed on pedestals of honor these men of
force and
vision who helped forge the strength of t heir nation.
They must
be ranked only slightly below such men as Washington,
Lincoln and
Jefferson who wrote with their lives the first pages of
their nation's
story.
Therefore, this special edition of GENTE will not roam into
the realms
of fancy and imagination. It is only interested in the
facts, the
projects, the realities. There are many other
achievements in the
fields of social legislation, investments, justice, culture
and
medicine. Cuba has gone on advancing and these
achievements are
of such magnitude that they can only be appreciated fully by
viewing
them in our country itself.
I am write this for those of you have not seen Cuba.
For those
who have wanted to come but, dissuaded by bad publicity of
the poorer
type Cubans, have unpacked their bags and gone elsewhere.
I do not wish to write a line more. I only hope that
in the
coming year this magazine will reach a worker, a
businessman, an
industrialist or a newspaperman of the powerful land of the
north so
that, with the photos of actual achievements, they may
understand how
Cuban's Case has suffered at the hands of such fellow
countrymen of
ours as former President Prio, a frivolous, corrupt and
fraudulent man
who has not yet learned that to plot and conspire against
his adversary
Batista in such a base manner has merely been one way of
damaging and
bloodying his own nation.
This special edition has as its sole purpose to show, with
facts, why
attacks have been launched against our country, guilty only
of
increasing the benefits of its men and women, respecting the
rights of
citizens of other nations, like the United States, and
protecting their
investments.
The President of Cuba, instead of preparing demagogic and
political
slogans, has faced up squarely to the concrete problem of
"reforming
the economy" and promoting his social and human program.
The whole insidious program carried on outside of Cuba has
been backed
by a disbanded group of corrupt politicians. Instead
of remaining
here on our own soil, where free and constitutional
elections are held
regularly with the participation of opposition political
parties, to
discuss the issues of the day, these men have fled the
country to
defame their own country, Cuba, from abroad.
Page 4
PHOTO CAPTION - WITH ONE OF HIS four sons, George,
joins
Batista in playing with pet boxer, "Boy".
BATISTA, THE MAN
GENERAL FULGENCIO BATISTA, Cuba's chief of state,
is happiest, he says,
when he gets a chance to relax with his family at his estate
just
outside the capital.
Here, on the "finca" (farm) mid the pet animals and the
mementoes of
his heroes and his career, Batista seeks to get away from
the many
problems and the etight [eight] officials schedule that
otherwise
account for most of his waking hours.
Candid pictures taken exclusively by International News
Photos reveal
Batista in these rare moments on his estate. They show
another
facet of this man –much discussed yet little known–who rose
from a bare
shack on a remote Cuban sugar plantation to become the
strong head of a
nation whose six million people have close historic, defense
and
economic links with the United States.
President Batista first came to power at a time when he was
an Army
sergeant. That was in 1933, when he first became
President.
He knows vividly his time as a soldier and the days of the
long march
and the struggle. And it is from his early career as a
soldier
that he developed a liking for outdoor cooking.
Today, when entertaining intimate guests on his estate,
Batista likes
to prepare food himself– outdoors. But he admits that
he has had
time enough only to develop a talent for broiling steak or
frying eggs.
His fondness for the outdoors and for sports has also made
him an avid
base-ball fan, as are many Cubans. But on his state, he
makes the most
of the opportunity to vie with
Page 5
PHOTO CAPTION - AT HIS ESTATE, Cuba's President Gen.
Fulgencio Batista plays shuffleboard with his son,
Robert.
Here, a few miles from Havana, the nation's head of state
relaxes from the many
problems
and the tight schedule of his office.
Page 6
PHOTO CAPTION - ONE OF THE CRANES, for which Batista
has a special fondness,
comes
to him as he calls, its name, "Panchito".
PHOTO CAPTION - FROM BUSH on grove of his farm,
Batista samples a lichee nut,
one
of the exotic fruits he likes to grow.
his four sons in a friendly game of shuffleeboard
[shuffleboard] or to play together with the pet animals on
the farm.
The pets on the farm, which is known as Kuquine, range in a
wide
variety from the native hutui (an animal resembling a large
muskrat) to
deer and cranes for whom he has a long-time attachment.
At the time, Batista first became Cuba's President in 1933,
a friend
presented him with a pair of new-born cranes. One
died, but the
other crane became a household pet. One day, this
crane was run
over by an automobile and suffered a broken let.
Batista, as the story is recalled, ran to its aid, performed
surgery on
the spot and had a carpenter make a wooden leg for the
bird. The
crane stomped about on its pegleg, became something of a
household
pet. But when Batista departed from Cuba in 1944, it
languished
and died.
Today, Batista has many cranes wandering about his farm and
there is a
statue of the "pegleg" crane as another sentimental
remembrance.
The Cuban President finds a favorite parable in the behavior
of his pets.
On the farm is another statue, a monument to three of his
dogs –Piqui,
a Pekingese; Churre, a dachsund, and Blaqui, a Newfoundland.
After he returned to office in 1952, Batista said at a
banquet:
"I an always impressed by the generosity and greatness of
the large one
in contrast with the ferocity of the smallest. The
goodness of
Churre lies in between. These dogs could be a great
example for
men".
Another special place on the Batista estate is reserved for
the statue
of Abraham Lincoln, for whom he professes a deep
admiration. In
his library, there is a special section on the American
President. But today, occupied with his tasks as
Cuba's chief of
state, he finds it difficult to keep up even with the latest
books on
his favorite American.
Page 7
PHOTO CAPTION - During the States Chiefs Conference,
at Panama City, Panama, President Batista talks
with
U.S. President Ike
Eisenhower. At rear, President Batista's son, Ruben,
and his
private M.D.
Ramiro Lopez de Mendoza.
Page 8
PHOTO CAPTION - A view of the Central Hospital
Foundation and Objective of the O.N.D.I.
This organization was formed through the initiative of the
First Lady
of the Republic of Cuba, Mrs. Martha Fernandez Miranda de
Batista in
order to give medical assistance to all poor children.
The National Organization of Children's Dispensaries was
created by Law
No. 279 of July 30, 1952. This law specifies that each
bottle of
beer manufacture din Cuba or imported, should pay one cent
tax.
Through these means the Organization collects nearly
$3,500.000 yearl
[yearly]. This represent its working capital.
This organization function with the collection of $3,500.000
yearly,
which amount is distributed approximately in the following
way:
Hospitals.........$1,850.000 53%
Dispensaries......1,000.000 29%
Central Office......100.000 3%
Annual
Reserve............555.000
15%
--------- ----
$3,500.000 100%
Its Units: The National Organization of Children's
Dispensaries is made up for :
A: A Central Office located at Havana, the Capital of Cuba.
B: Four
Hospitals located at Guane, Havana, Santa Clara and Santiago
de Cuba,
respectively. C: Twenty-six Dispensaries, opened 24 hours of
the day,
located throughout the Island, in rural districts.
Of the Central Office: Headquarters of the Superior Council,
the
Director and leading group of the Organization. This
Superior
Council is technically
Page 9
PHOTO CAPTION - A side view of the Central
Hospitals.
PHOTO CAPTION - This modern X-ray device is in use
for the N.O.C.D. the protective organization presided
by the Cuba's First Lady, Martha Fernandez Miranda de
Batista. A
mother gets medical
advice
at N.O.C.D. office.
PHOTO CAPTION - This pharmacy is typical of the
N.O.C.D. hospitals.
advised by a Consulting Commission, and dietates
[debates] its
directives through and Executive Commission –head the
Organization.
The decisions taken by these Superior Organisms are executed
by:
A) A Technical Director, who is a doctor of medicine and who
handles all technical-scientific matters.
B) A General Secretary, who is a lawyer who takes care of
all personnel and legal matters.
C) A General Administrator who supervises the supply of
medicines,
medical equipment and other material to the Dispensaries and
Hospitals.
Approximately 10% of the yearly working capital is reserved
for any economic emergency that may arise within the
Organization.
Miscellaneous Data: At the present the Organization takes
care of 6% of
the child population (less than 12 years old) of the Island
of
Cuba. Being a relatively new Organization, still in
the process
of formation, it is calculated that when fully organized and
operating,
it will take care of about 15% of the children of Cuba.
All the personned [personnel] of this Organization is highy
[highly] technical. When possible
Page 10
PHOTO CAPTION - The National Organization of
Children's Dispensaries, under the special supervision
of
Cuba's First Lady, provides all kind of attention for poor
children.
PHOTO CAPTION - A mother gets medical advice at an
N.O.C.D. office.
PHOTO CAPTION - Mothers from the poorer classes
receive addecuate [adequate] medical attention
for
their children.
PHOTO CAPTION - A Negro baby recives [receives]
dental care at an N.O.C.D. hospital. All services
are
at
hand poor children, without racial prejudices.
PHOTO CAPTION - Excelent [excellent] dental devices
are in use in all dispensaries.
PHOTO CAPTION - A blood test conducted at an
N.O.C.D. laboratory.
the medical staff is selected from the Cuban Pediatrical
[Pediatrician] Society and are, therefore, licensed
Pediatricians.
This Organization is self-governed and is economically
independent. Its main objective is to aid those human
beings who
being children poor and living in rural districts, most of
the time are
unable to have the proper medical care.
The Hospitals and Dispensaries work closely with a team of
Social
Workers whose duties are to investigate and classify the
economic means
of those attending the Dispensaries. Medical services
is
absolutely free although limited
(Text Continued on Page 98)
Page 98
PHOTO CAPTION - N.O.C.D. Hospital at Cienfuegos, now
near completion.
PHOTO CAPTION - The Arroyo Arenas dispensary of the
N.O.C.D. is part of this big official public attention
chain.
(Text from Page 10)
exclusively to the poor. Thus the Organization does
not interfere
with the private practice of other doctors within the zone
of the
Hospital or Dispensary. The aims of the Organization
are mainly
directed towards Preventive Pediatrics, but done due to the
social
sphere wherein it operates –the lower classes– it is also
forced to
cope with a great amount of Pathologic Pediatric nutritional
deficiency
syndromes, dental caries, intestinal parasite, infection
respiratory
and digestive diseases, etc.
Page 11
Havana Crossroads of the
World
Page 19
PHOTO CAPTION - Mass meeting of Cuban Artists –
Plaza de la Cathedral, Led by Sepy Dobrony
Page 20
PHOTO CAPTION – Native drums carued [carved] of
solid blocks of Cuban wood–
one
of the great attractions of the Art Center.
PHOTO CAPTION – Group of primitive art Diablitos,
made by natives
CUBAN ART CENTER
Artist's Cooperative
No. 59 Plaza de la Cathedral, ML 0746
Cable Address-Cenartcuba
*An expression of Cuba's art heritage
*One hundred and fifty-seven artists are represented by the
Center
*5,000, items in stock at all times, from Pre-Columbian to
contemporary arts.
*Director and founder Sepy Dubronyi welcome visitors at any
time.
Page 21
PHOTO CAPTION - General view of the Cuban Art Center
PHOTO CAPTION - Group of artists working in the
studios of the Art Center.
Cuba, "Pearl of the Antilles", has long been a crossroads in
the
exploration and development of the Americas. From the
Spanish
conquests to the present day, every current and
countercurrent of
culture and tradition that has been a part of its growth has
left its
imprint upon the Island republic. Today, the Cuban Art
Center is
an expression of that cosmopolitan heritage, as it reveals
itself in t
he art of the island people.
The Cuban Art Center was conceived in 1951 as a cooperative
attempt to
provide a broader audience for the artists of Havana and the
island and
to stimulate the sale of their works. It was hoped
that such an
enterprise would vitalize the efforts of the artists, and
prove an
energizing force in the life of the art community.
Subsequent
events have proved that the center was well conceived.
One
hundred and fifty-seven artists, from eminent painters and
sculptors to
primitive basket weavers, are represented by the center,
which carries
an inventory of some 5,000 items in stock at all times.
Here the visitor will find everything that is good and vital
in the
arts of Cuba, from the newly rediscovered. Taino
designs of the
pre-Columbian Indians, through the primitive Afro-Cuban and
Voodoo art
forms, to the best of contemporary art in the traditional
and modern
modes. In nearly every medium-wood, stone, metal,
ceramics, oils,
watercolor, and all of the graphic forms-the art of Cuba is
represented
with a completeness that can be found nowhere else.
From a one-dollar witch doctor's charm to sculpture,
paintings and
jewelry valued in the thousands of dollar, the products of
truly native
talent are brought together under one roof in an effort to
centralize
the market for the benefit of the buyer and the stimulation
of the
artist.
The second story of the art center houses La Galeria de la
Plaza, a
collection of abstract work representing the most advanced
productions
of the top-rank painters and sculptors of the modern
school. In
using these colorful, vibrant designs, artists are
encouraged to
combine with them elements of the Afro-Cuban tradition, in
an attempt
to create a new, lively mode truly indigenous to modern
Cuba. The
results of this experiment, along with the creative products
of the
rich and varied cultural heritage of the island, are
displayed at the
center where members of the staff are always prepared to
conduct the
casual visitor as well as the prospective customer through a
tour of
the treasures to be found there.
Founder and director of the center is Sepy Dobronsi, noted
Havana
jewelry designer and internationally-famous sculptor, whose
studio is
also housed in the art center. Visitors are welcome at
any time
to watch the workshops.
Page 22
The Growth of Investments
in Cuba
Page 27
PHOTO CAPTION - A view of the big "Sports City"
already in construction. At left is the "Sports
Palace"
which looks like a
flying saucer, due to its modern design.
CUBA'S NATIONAL SPORTS COMISSION [COMMISSION]
The Greatest Sports Institution in Latin-America
Page 28
PHOTO CAPTION – General Roberto Fernandez Miranda,
dean of all Cuban athletics talking with ex heavy
weight
champion Rocky
Marciano. We can conclude that no other single
person has
done
as much for Cuban
athletics as Colonel Fernandez Miranda.
The creation of the National Sports Commission was
highlighted by the
appointment of General Roberto Fernandez Miranda as its
president. As such, General Fernandez Miranda became
dean of all
Cuban athletics.
Cuba has always been further advenced [advanced] in sports
than the
majority of the nations of this hemisphere, and even in
competition
with athletes of nations which have enjoyed marked economic
and
population advantages, Cuban athletes have turned in an
astounding
number of triumphs.
Already fully aware of this fact, General Fernandez Miranda
has made
even more fully available to Cuban athletes the training
fields and
equipment necessary to practice their form and rounds out
their
training.
A synthesis of the sports program so ably carried out by the
commission
president during the five years in his present post shows
the following:
That Cuba has attended all of the main international sports
contests.
The leading instructors in all branches of sport have been
invited to come to Cuba to teach in their specialty.
And that Cuban athletes have been awarded the opportunity to
see in
action the most reputable athletes of the world in their
respective
fields. Examples of this are seen in the Gran Premio
de Cuba,
during which t he world's leading racing drivers were
presented here:
and the 35th World Star Class Championship, held recently in
Havana,
which was attended by leading yachtsmen of this hemisphere
and Europe.
Many other sports events held in Cuba in which leading world
athletes
have taken part come readily to mind. For example, the
World
Boxing Convention was held in the Sports Palace, to mention
but one.
Page 29
PHOTO CAPTION – General Fernandez Miranda delivers
sports equipment to a group of young athletes.
PHOTO CAPTION – This huge construction is the new
Sports Palace building. This big resort for sports events
had been made entirely under President
Batista's
administration.
Page 30
PHOTO CAPTION – Yachting, one of Cuba's big sports,
had been improved under Colonel Fernandez Miranda
administration
of the National Sports Comission [commission].
PHOTO CAPTION – A beautiful yacht win a race.
Thanks also to the support of the National Sports
Commission, private
sporting clubs and organizations have been given the
opportunity of
developing their talents in international competitions,
among them
softball, tennis, baseball, basketball and swimming.
In light of the proceeding, it is easy to conclude that no
other single
person has done as much for Cuban athletics as has General
Fernandez
Miranda in the acquisition of sporting equipment, the
creation of many
sports academics, the bringing to Cuba of foreign sporting
events, the
maintenance of athletic benefits and the presentation on
Cuban soil of
leading world sports figures.
But over and above these facts is what might be termed the
culmination
of a man's dream of obtaining the best in sports for his
country, and
that is the huge undertaking which is the construction of
the Sports
City.
The Sports City is positively the greatest undertaking of a
sporting
nature ever tackled in Cuba. It is truely [truly] a
paradise for
the athlete. On its two "caballerias" of land are
provided
facilities for all types of athletic competitions,
Page 31
PHOTO CAPTION - Juan Manuel Fangio world champion
driver, in a competition for Cuba's Great Prize.
PHOTO CAPTION - Orestes Minoso: Cuba's most top
baseball player. Left fielder of the Indians.
including the Sports Palace itself. And in this palace
are also
included comfortable quarters for numerous sports
delegations as well
as large dining halls. Everything imaginable for the
care and
comfort of the athlete has been included in this monumental
project
which owes its existence not only to the president of the
sports
commission but to the enthusiasm of President Batista
himself.
Few sports plants in the entire world are as complete as
Cuba's Sports
City which will be inaugurated in the first part of
1958. Inside
its large confines the athlete will be able to outfit
himself, train
and live without having to step outside of the palace
itself. The
ample sports fields around the palace will permit the
presentation of
all the events on the sports calendar. And in the huge
arena
itself, a whole series of sporting events will be held
including
boxing, wrestling, fencing, weight lifting, gymnastics,
etc. More
than 200 athletes may also be housed in the palace
dormitories as well
as both national and international sports delegation which
will take
part in the programs to presented there.
Cuban Base-Ball Stars
Page 32
PHOTO CAPTION - Juan Manuel Fangio chats with the
great English driver, Stirling Moss,
during the races at Havana.
PHOTO CAPTION - CAMILO PASCUAL: "Washington's"
pitcher. One of greatest Cuban baseball players.
PHOTO CAPTION - EDMUNDO AMOROS: Right Fielder of the
Brooklyn's dodgers. Another great Cuban
base-ball player.
Cuba is a little country with a big athletic tradition: is,
within the
Latin-American countries the only one with two baseball
players in the
Big Leagues of the United States.
Page 33
Possible Contenders in
next Presidential Elections
Page 34-A
The True Life of Rebel
Castro
Page 34-F
PHOTO CAPTION - In the photo the striking shape of
the Havana Riviera Casino.
$14,000,000 Havana Riviera of Cuba;
Opened past December 10th.
HAVANA, CUBA – Tourism, with its always unabashed expectancy
for the
exciting and the novel, is enjoying one of the titans of
modern day
resort splendor. The Havana Riviera hotel is the name,
and it
cost $14,000,000. Not since the Nacional Hotel was
constructed
here in 1927 has there been such resort excitement in Cuba
and
elsewhere, because of the many facets, that make the Havana
Riviera a
self-contained orbit for the pleasure-seeker. Already
it is being
envisioned as "The Riviera of the Caribbean".
The 400-room, 19-story, air-conditioned hostelry is the
epitome of
resort-construction, and it is certainly one of the more
costly hotels
in Cuba. Each room has a view of the Golf of Mexico,
with the
hotel itself within sight of not only busy Havana but also
the quiet
splendor of the residential Miramar and Country Club
sections.
The marine outdoor atmosphere has deftly been captured by
Igor Boris
Polevitski, who designed the hotel's decor and two of Cuba's
great
artists, muralist Rolando Lopez Dirube and sculptor
Florencio Gelabert.
President of the hotel is Harry Smith, prominent hotelman
from Toronto,
Page 34-G
PHOTO CAPTION - The marine outdoor atmosphere has
dettly [deftly] been captured by Hotel's Artists.
Canada. T. James Ennis, who is well-known in Cuba
hotel circles, is the managing director.
The spacious feeling of capturing the outdoors and framing
it in the
luxurious interiors characterizes t he entire hotel.
The vast
color-accented lobby as been conceived and designed as an
open
promenade. From the promenade, bridges over sunken
gardens lead
to the L'Elegante cocktail lounge and the L'Aiglon dining
room.
Extensive and practical use has been made of tropical trees
and plants,
thus enhancing the outdoor aura. The Al Fresco dining
terrace
fuses into the pool and cabana club, and adjacent gardens.
Striking is the Casino's elliptical shape. It is
perfect
half-dome is like a great inverted golden goblet. (The
Casino's
exterior Malecon-Blue tile roof rivals the fair Havana
sky.) From
an unusual suspended ceiling hang seven out-size specially
designed
crystal fixtures. The gold-leaf Casino walls are
embellished with
large-scale designs reminiscent of Mayan jewelry.
The rich color accents of the entire hotel are generously
carried into
the hotel's elaborately designed night club, the Copa
Room. The
stage, of full theatre [theater] proportions, is an
electronic marvel
equipped for any maneuver deemed necessary in the production
of the
spectacular and what used to be known as the
extravaganza. Star
of the show had been movie star Ginger Rogers, who did her
café
debut in a Jack Cole produced extravaganza.
Most of the hotel's decor projects a narrative quality, and
this is
true in the main dining room (L'Aiglon), where the murals
contribute a
tropical note by telling the story of the Cubans at carnival
time. Yet, there is also a strong air of
sophistication in this
room.
Page 34-H
PHOTO CAPTION - The main cocktail lounge: capacious
and intimate
PHOTO CAPTION - Hotel's magnificent halls are the
best of its kind in the World.
The main cocktail lounge (L'Elegante), while capacious is a
strong
center of interest because of it intimate quality.
There is a
dance floor which will have Latin music and casual
entertainment.
Behind suits and sports attire are the "formal dress" for
the Al Fresco
sidewalk café terrace, which overlooks the pool and cabana
club. And the Primavera coffee shop has a leisurely,
yet colorful
informality that is consistent with the fun-loving aspects
of the
entire hotel.
The Havana Riviera, of course, has its own elaborate bakery
in which
breads and pastries are prepared with a flair to delight the
most
discriminating palates.
As for the cabana club and pool area, the pool is 100' x
55', –largest
in Havana, Cuba– surrounded by 75 cabanas, each of which has
two
dressing rooms and telephones among other features.
Outdoor dining and dancing terraces are also key features.
Among a host of other conveniences for the vacationer are
private
dining and meeting rooms. All corner suites have wide
balconies
overlooking the Malecon (shore drive.)
Page35
Religious Beliefs of
African Origin
Page 42
ADVERTISEMENT - Casino International in Hotel
Nacional de Cuba Hotel Nacional de Cuba
Page 43
New Public Works Projects
of the Batista Regime
Page 58
ADVERTISEMENT - Rose Alligator Goods Factory
Page 59
Brief History of
the Cuban Labor Movement
Page 64
Social Policy
Since 1952
Page 66
ADVERTISEMENT -
H. Upmann, Havana Cigars
Page 66-A
Havana's New Tunnel
Two Cities Connects
Page 66-F
The First Cuban
Hydro-Electric Plant
Page70
How Many Millions of
Dollars Do Cubans Spend on Cigarettes?
Page 83
PHOTO ... PHOTO
..CAPTION -
Varadero's
famed "Blue Beach" offers recreation for thousands of
tourists
annually
from all corners of the globe.
VARADERO
Twenty-five years ago Varadero was merely a dream.
It was then the same miracle of nature that it is today –
the sea, the
beach, the golden sands and the deep blue of the Cuban
sky.
Visitors used to marvel at its curving beach carved from the
depths by
the warm and tranquil waters of the Atlantic, the fine sand,
the waving
palms and the beautiful lagoons.
Bit missing was the deft touch of man, the handiwork so
badly needed to
convert its charms into the year-around resort that it is
today.
Beside the sea and the beach, there was nothing then in the
graceful
Hicacos Peninsula to hold a tourist or a native Cuban
visitor.
The houses were of wood, the streets in disrepair and the
hotels in
run-down condition. Visitors who had abandoned
cosmopolitan
Havana for a visit to the beach resort returned to the
capital
dissatisfied.
Varadero in those days was like an orphan awaiting adoption.
Page 84
PHOTO CAPTION - The Varadero of yesteryear had
wooden shacks, decapitated and dirty hotels
and
streets with pot holes.
Twenty-five years later.
Today Varadero has been adopted. The man who did was
Cuba's
dynamic President Fulgencio Batista. After 25 years,
the
peninsula has finally blossomed forth as one of the
hemisphere's
leading tourist resort beaches, furnishing complete evidence
of the
miracles that can be wrought by nature and may combined.
On a visit to the are some three years ago, President
Batista viewed
the run-down condition of the beaches and the tourist
facilities.
Shortly after his visit, trucks, cranes and bulldozers began
to arrive
at the beach. They, in turn, were followed by an army
of
workmen. Machinery roared and hammers sang in the
tropical
sunlight. Soon roads were laid and houses built.
Dredges
deepened the lagoons and carved yacht basins out of the
sand. The
steady transformation of Varadero was under way.
Today countless thousands of visitors drive down broad
boulevards
lining both sides of the pencil-thin peninsula. Grandiose
hotels,
constructed to the most modern specifications, overflow with
visitors
from the New and the Old World alike.
Yachtsmen arrive at the beach resort aboard their own craft
to find
anchorage in the huge inner harbor, the most unique of its
type in the
Americas. Here they tie up at one of several hundred
piers and
slips at which they can completely reprovision their ship
stores, take
on fuel and receive the latest weather and navigation
information.
Whole blocks of building line the waterfront drive.
Havana
millionaires rub shoulders with office workers from
Pittsburgh and
Milwaukee; middle class Cubans t ry their luck at the
roulette tables
with wealthy Europeans. Harmony and good fellowship
prevail in an
atmosphere rich with the sound of many tongues.
In Varadero the great tourist resorts of the world have
found a worthy
rival. Biarritz, San Sebastian, the Riviera and Miami
could well
afford to look to their laurels, for Varadero is different
and
excitingly new. The fine-sand beach, the blue waters
of Hicacos
Peninsula have at last become exotically and internationally
famous.
The era of the rundown hotels belongs to Varadero's
legendary past, long since buried under concrete forms and
steel beams.
Today modern, imposing hotels facing seaward house the
world's great
and not-so-great in air-conditioned rooms and under beach
umbrellas
within a stone's throw of the water.
One of the largest of these is the gigantic Hotel
International which
adds a large dash of sofistication [sophistication] to the
peninsula's
resort activities. Trough its lobby parade outstanding
figures of
the business, art and diplomatic world.
Page 85
PHOTO CAPTION - Varadero today has wide avenues,
rounds bridges, majestic hotels and excellent sanitation
facilities all the result of a determined man
– Cuba's
President Fulgencio Batista.
Additional Caption - Points of outstanding interest.
Varadero is more than just beach, sky and sea. Its
typically-Cuban scenery and soil provide the visitor with a
well-rounded impression of the type of landscape found
throughout the
island.
A few kilometers along the beachfront to the west the
sumptuous Caguama
Hotel offers an unexcelled view of the sparkling waters of
the blue
Atlantic to visitors from all the Americas and Europe as
well.
And not to be outdone is the new Oasis Motel, a lovely
combination of modern and semi-colonial architecture.
More hotels of all categories, apartment houses, banks and
amusement parks throng the interior streets of the long
peninsula.
RESIDENTIAL DISTRICTS
But Varadero is not only hotel with their casinos and
luxurious
beaches. Along the tropical shores where
natives. It is
also residential zones built out and visitors find peace and
quiet
under the leafy trees or in hammocks slung for snoozing in
the
mid-afternoon breeze.
The quiet, family life prevails in the Dupont, La Torre and
Residential
Yacht Club areas. Add to the general peace and leisure
a dip in
the sea, a dive among the coral reefs with aqua lung
equipment or a
ride behind a fast motor launch on a pair of water skis, and
you have
the picture of vacation life in the famed Cuban report.
A bit further out and you arrive in Caguama Beach, home of
wealthy
Havana families who weekend in Varadero when they cannot
come for
longer periods of time. Here the visitors can view the
home
chapels at which prayers are raised for the safety of those
who entrust
their lives to the sea.
ADDITIONAL PROJECTS IN VARADERO
Varadero is far from finished. Master-minded by a
determined
President Batista, the famed resort will keep on building,
expanding
and improving. In the President's office a list of new
projects
for eventual construction in Varadero awaits Batista's
approval.
Heading the list are several bascule bridges to span the
various
lagoons and inlets which dissect the peninsula in several
points.
The speed of construction is being stepped up. Private
capital is
being encouraged to spend in Varadero. Industrial
firms are
getting into the act as well, competing for office and store
space in
the downtown streets used by the growing numbers of tourists
and Cuban
visitors.
Already the Varadero market looms as a sharp competitor for
the
merchants of Miami and other nearby United States and Latin
resorts.
The majestic royal palm, Cuba's national
Page 86
PHOTO CAPTION - Yachts from all the Americas,
"rendez-vous" at
Varadero's new and gorgeous yacht basin, one of the
largest of its type
in the world.
PHOTO CAPTION - The Dupont Residential Area at
Varadero Beach provides
quiet living for Cubans and foreign visitors alike who
come to enjoy
the sea, sand and sun at the famed hemisphere resort.
PHOTO CAPTION - Beautiful landscape with beach in
foreground.
PHOTO CAPTION - Private swimming pool
PHOTO CAPTION - A subway communicate Josone Retire
Place with North Section of Varadero Beach.
PHOTO CAPTION - 100,000 gallons water tank.
Water springs of "Urra". DuPont, Varadero Beach.
tree, grows everywhere in fields of rich, green sod and
black soil.
The Jonsene Retreat, constructed by an altruistic Cuban,
provides a
refuge for quiet contemplation for the worshiper or seeker
for
peace. Also found on the grounds are several
richly-adorned
chapels, quiet parks and lunch rooms.
The natural and man-improved beauty of the glowing beach
resort can
best be described by one's own eyes. Varadero, the
dream of a
President, will soon be an universal dream.
Page 87
MOTEL OASIS, Varadero Cuba
PHOTO CAPTION - A view of the motel by the beach.
PHOTO CAPTION - Beautiful swimming pool surrounded
by cottages.
PHOTO CAPTION - Comfortable living room; air
conditioned.
Page 88
PHOTO CAPTION - Three electric winches will be
mounted to draw incoming ships into the dock chamber and
station them during
docking
operations. For fire protection the installation
will be equipped
with a saltwater
pumping system which will also be used for cleanup work.
THE
HAVANA DRY DOCK
For 400 years Havana has been one of the largest and most
important
ports in the Western Hemisphere. In its huge
fan-shaped bay the
Spaniards used to form their large Atlantic convoys of ships
from the
Viceroyship of Peru, New Granada and the Plate River.
The use of the convoy system was adopted by the Spanish
Admiralty to
assure the safe arrival in Europe of the large shipments of
gold and
valuable stones mined in Spain's American colonies.
The strategic
location of Havana with its easy access to the Gulf of
Mexico and its
equally easy approaches to the Atlantic Ocean on the east
justified the
use of its well-protected anchorage for such purposes.
In later years the British, who long had cast eager eyes on
Havana for
the same reasons, attacked and seized the city, converting
it for
several years into the logistical center of American trade
with Europe.
It was then that the importance of Havana as a great port of
trade was
fully recognized. As a result, Havana's vast harbor is
one of the
busiest and safest, ports in the world today.
One thing, however, has kept Havana from being one of the
world's truly
great modern ports. And that is its lack of a dry
dock.
That problem is being remedied now, however. Under the
leadership
of President Fulgencio Batista and with the able assistance
of the
Cuban Navy Chief of Staff, the construction of a dry dock in
Havana Bay
has finally begun.
The duck project is part of the vast commercial and economic
development program initiated by President Batista during
his term as
chief executive. Already well advanced, the 18-month
dry dock
project is moving steadily towards completion.
Supervision of the project has been entrusted to the Cuban
Public Works
Ministry, in conjunction with the Navy Staff, with financing
is being
handled by the "Banco de Desarrollo Economico y Social"
(BANDES)
through the emission of bonds.
The design of the dock which on completion will be one of
the
outstanding maritime installations of its kind in the world,
has been
completed by Frederic R. Harris, Inc., an American
consulting engineer
firm which specializes in this type of construction and has
collaborated in the design of many of the large dry docks,
now in use
in the United States.
Page 89
PHOTO CAPTION - On the photo President Batista,
Admiral Calderon, Navy
Chief of Staff, Public Works Minister,
Nicolas
Arroyo, and Roberto
Mendoza in charge of works, inspect installations, now
well advanced.
The special needs and requirements of the port of Havana
were studied
in detail by Admiral Jose E. Rodriguez Calderon, one of the
principal
backers of the project, and Public Works Minister Nicolas
Arroyo
Marquez for a considerable period of time before plans for
the dock
were actually started. The final project was throughly
reviewed
by President Batista before its submission to Frederic R.
Harris, Inc.,
for technical consideration.
Steel pilings and reinforced concrete will form the
foundations of the
huge dock, now already in construction. Interior
dimensions will
be such as to permit servicing of ships up to 475 feet in
length.
Level of the dock floor will be 27 feet below the mean low
tide mark,
while the upper deck level will be eight feet above the tide
mark. The dock will project 640 feet out from the
containing wall
which will be built along the shore line. Each side of
the dock
will form a pier 37 pier feet in width, with the two side
extending 95
feet beyond the entrance of the dry dock itself on either
side.
The two 95-foot pier extensions will be built on
reinforced-concrete
pilings and will be used to guide vessels into the dry dock
chamber.
In addition, the dock will be equipped with a pumping
station to empty
the water from the chamber. A traveling, overhead
crane with a
45-ton capacity will be mounted on steel rails along one
side of the
dock.
Three electric winches will be mounted to draw incoming
ships into the
dock chamber and station them during docking
operations. For fire
protection the installation will be equipped with a salt
water pumping
system which will also be used for cleanup work. And
still a
third pumping system this one of purified water, will be
installed to
feed the boilers.
At the present time few of the many ships which use Havana
harbor can
be repaired in Cuba. Extensive repairs must be made in
either Key
West, Fla., or one of the Gulf of Mexico ports.
Exact figures on the amount of money spent annually in the
repair of
private Cuban vessels and foreign ships touching at Havana
are
lacking. The Cuban Navy Ministry, however, spends over
one
million dollars a year abroad on maritime repairs which in
the future
will be done in Cuba. Completion of the dry dock will
mean that
the huge sum now sent abroad to pay for repairs on Cuban
vessels will
be paid out instead to Cuban workers and spent within the
country, thus
cutting down sharply on the expenditure of Cuba's dollar
reserves.
The dry dock will also serve to encourage ship repairs among
the owners
of smaller merchant vessels and pleasure craft who will
prefer to have
the needed repairs and overhauling done in Havana,
"Crossroads of the
World", rather than returning to remote Gulf ports.
With this in mind, the dock has been planned to provide all
types of
marine services as well as repair and overhaul. These
include
scraping, painting and general conditioning.
Furthermore, it is
calculated that 75 percent of the vessels which use Havana
harbor are
under 475 feet in length and will be easily accommodated in
the dock
Included in the types of vessels which the new dry dock will
be
equipped to service are all known types of submarines and
destroyers,
including the newest U.S. Navy types, C-2 type freighters of
the U.S.
Maritime Commission, Liberty Ships, and several others.
An additional factor in the existence of such a dry dock in
Havana
harbor is that of hemisphere defense. In case of war,
the
democratic nations will have an emergency repair station
strategically
Page 90
PHOTO CAPTION - The Havana Dry Dock will be located
in an advantageous
spot east of the Cuban Navy's Northern Naval District at
the far end of
Havana Bay.
PHOTO CAPTION - Access to the dock will be through a
channel which was
recently dredged by the Public Works Ministry and which is
also used by
tankers which load and discharge fuel oil at the nearby
refineries.
PHOTO CAPTION - The dock project is part of the vast
commercial and
economic development program initiated by President
Batista during his
term as chief executive. Already well advanced, the
18-month dry
dock project is moving steadily towards completion.
located in Havana Bay for use in the defense of the
Americas.
Cuba's role in the combined allied effort of World War II
was a notable
one, with the staunch little island offering its naval
facilities
without stint to the fight against the German submarine
menace in
Caribbean waters. The island's value in any future
conflict will
be much enhanced by construction of the dry dock in Havana
Bay.
Still a further and important, factor in the construction of
the dock
is the work which it will provide for skilled Cuban
labor. More
than 300 specialized workers and technicians will be
employed at the
dock which will represent a national income of $5 million to
$6 million.
The Havana Dry Dock will be located in an advantageous spot
east of the
Cuban Navy's Northern Naval District at the far end of
Havana Bay.
Access to the dock will be through a channel which was
recently dredged
by the Public Works Ministry and which is also used by
tankers which
load and discharge fuel oil at the nearby refineries.
The concession for operation of the dock has been granted to
the BANDES which is also entrusted with financing the
project.
With completion of the new maritime installation, due in
large part to
Cuba's President Batista, the nation's economic potential
will be
notably increased and navigators from all corners of the
world will be
able to have their ships repaired by skilled Cuban workman
under the
warm sun and tropical breezes of Havana.
Page 91
PHOTO CAPTION - A side view of the huge Surgical
Hospital building.
The Clinical-Surgical Hospital
A Great Medical Center for a Great City
First establishment of its kind in Cuba, equipped with an
artificial
kidney. – 200 beds for patients. 60 rooms for coeval
escents. - Cost:
approximately 3 million dollars. – Free service for the poor
Page 92
PHOTO CAPTION - A view of the Municipal Surgical
Hospital, in the heart of Havana.
PHOTO CAPTION - First aid room, with all its
up-to-date equipment.
The Mercedes del Puerto Clinical-Surgical Hospital is
strictly clinical although it also house convalescent
surgical patients.
Included in the modern equipment, purchases at a cost of $1
million
will be the only artificial kidney in Cuba. The
magnificent
structure will consist of 60 comfortable rooms, fully
equipped with air
conditioning, indirect music and modern furnishings, and 200
beds for
the patients..
INTERIOR CHARACTERISTICS
All of the examination and consultation rooms laboratories,
X-ray
rooms, administrative office, the cafeteria and other
departments are
fully air conditioned. In addition all the walls are
lined with
plastic which contribute to the general hygiene and
appearance of the
interior.
The main floor is of marble and the rest of the building of
granite. There are 14 wards, among them wards for
cardiology,
gastroenterology, endocrinology and nutrition, diabetes,
internal
medicine and psychosomatic ailments. The hospital also
has a
special ward for persons suffering from burns; this ward is
air
conditioned and is the second of its kind in the
world. Six
solariums are also available for use by ambulatory patients.
The assembly half with 200 seats is an example of truly
modern
architecture and is also air conditioned. It has a
projection
room and fine acoustics which will provide both
entertainment and
relaxation for the patients.
The huge hospital had been started and finished by the
outstanding
administration of Havana Mayor Justo Luis Pozo, is a source
of great
pride for the Cuban people and provides still another
medical center in
the wards and examination rooms of which the city's poorer
classes will
be treated for their ailments.
The number of persons to be employed in the hospital has
been
calculated at 200, while technical personnel will total
another
100. Maintenance of the huge installation will come to
approximately $700,000 a year.
Page 93
The city's poorer and needier persons will receive quick
treatment and
medication at the new hospital plant, as they do in other
city-sponsored hospitals such as the Freyre de Andrade
Emergency
Hospital, the City Maternity Hospital and the Children's
Hospital. A special department of social workers will
help
determine each patient's financial status, and those lacking
sufficient
funds for hospital care will be treated free of charge.
PHOTO CAPTION - The Surgical Hospital sterilizer's
room: A first class of its type in the world.
PHOTO CAPTION - The hospital library has all modern
comfort, and a vast collection of important medical books.
PHOTO CAPTION - The hospital theater, arranged to
amuse 200 patients.
Page 94
PHOTO CAPTION - Another view of the Hospital
laboratories, shows its modern up-to-date furniture.
PHOTO CAPTION - A view of the laboratories. In
this place any medical test can be carry on.
PHOTO CAPTION - These modern steel tanks are part of
the Surgical Hospital big laundry
Page 95
PHOTO CAPTION - The Jose Marti –apostle of Cuba's
freedom and
independence– monument is shown in this photo. The
monument will
be one of the tallest in the Hemisphere..
PHOTO CAPTION - Another building of the "Plaza de la
Republica": The Communications Palace.
THE PLAZA OF THE REPUBLIC
CENTER OF FUTURE HAVANA
The city of Havana, capital of the republic and a vital
hemisphere
cross-roads for airplane and ocean traffic, has undergone a
sharp
transformation in the past five years due to the fast rate
of public
and private construction within its limits.
This construction boom is evidenced in the city's huge
hotels, avenues,
skyscrapers and vast public works projects. The growth
of the
population of Havana to over one million inhabitants
Page 96
PHOTO CAPTION - The National Lottery building, also
in the "Plaza of the Republic" shows its elegant lines.
has forced changes in all previous city planning and has
produced
Greater Havana, formed by the shift of large masses of
population and
commerce from the Old Havana section towards the western
side of the
city.
Downtown traffic and commerce has, in fact, become so
congested that
the government recently decided to transfer the bulk of its
offices and
departments to a zone which now bears the name "Plaza of the
Republic",
located on formerly unused lands purchased by the state.
Central edifice in the group of buildings which are going up
the Plaza
of the Republic is the monument to Jose Marti, founder of
the Cuban
nation. This monument will be the tallest government
building in
the plaza and mill consist of a straight and simple obelisk,
in keeping
with the personality of the great Cuban hero.
In front of this great monument, the huge Palace of Justice,
largest of
its type in the world, has been built. Backing of the
Marti
Monument stands the Court of Accounts Buildings, while to
one side of
the Palace of Justice is the Lottery Building, the Havana
City Hall and
the building which will house the Cuban Agriculture and
Industry
Development Bank (BANDES)
The vast movement of government buildings to the plaza has
also
resulted in a general building boom in that area.
Already office
and apartment buildings have gone up, magazines and
newspapers have
built new plants and the area is being transformed into one
of the most
cosmopolitan capitals in the Americas with the traditions
and
personality traits of the youngest people of the Americas.
Page 97
PHOTO CAPTION - The modern Court of Accounts
building is a pattern for Latin-America architecture.
PHOTO CAPTION Pages 96-97- This photo shows the
"Palace of Justice" or "Supreme Court Building".
Is
the largest
in the world, and it provides the Cuban justices with all
the
requirements
for they comfort and impartial administration of the laws.
Page 99
ADVERTIZEMENT - El Carmelo Restaurant.
Page 100 Back Cover
ADVERTISEMENT - Cubana Airlines
End of Page
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1998-2014 Cuban Information Archives. All Rights
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