File No. 837.51/292
The Minister in Cuba (
Gonzales) to
the Secretary of State
No. 581
Habana,
February 18, 1918.
Sir: I have the honor to report that on
returning to Cuba in the first week of last September, I asked
President Menocal for a statement of expenses of the Republic of
Cuba on account of the war, explaining that both the Department of
State and the Secretary of the Treasury of the United States were
desirous of furthering a loan to Cuba, and hoped to find means to
overcome legal obstacles that had arisen.
President Menocal stated that all this data had been taken to
Washington by Doctor Patterson, the Subsecretary of State, but he
would have it prepared. The President then left Habana for a period
of two and a half weeks, and early in January I again asked him for
the statement. He urged General Marti to hasten the preparation of
his part of it.
Two weeks ago the President was taken ill and has now gone to his
country place, El Chico, to recuperate, but he has sent General
Marti to me with a statement of expenditures, actual and proposed,
on account of the war. I am enclosing in duplicate the
translations.
President Menocal asks for the loan of $15,000,000.
Cuban naval vessels are doing patrol duty on the Cuban coasts, and to
that extent, the American Naval officer, representing Admiral
Anderson here, informs me, relieving the American Navy of such
duty.
I have [etc.]
[Enclosure—Translation]
Army
| Budget increase by reason of reorganization under
decree No. 600 1917 |
$5,579,420.67 |
| Increase in personnel of surgeons, veterinary, and
Signal Corps, according to plan of reorganization |
181,488.00 |
| Cost of war supplies which the present Secretary of
War and Navy has requested of the Washington
Government |
282,618.00 |
| Cost of telegraph material for the Department of Posts
and Telegraphs, which the present Secretary of War and
Navy requested of the American Government on his recent
visit to Washington |
248,865.00 |
| Cost of repair of works of defense of the City of
Habana |
280,000.00 |
| Cost of artillery and emplacement thereof |
54,970.00 |
| Cost of ammunition for the artillery of the defense of
Habana |
2,816,280.00 |
| Purchase of 50 machine guns and equipment
therefor |
48,300.00 |
| Extraordinary expenses for the purchase of cattle, and
supplies of all kinds, for replacement of those
destroyed and lost during the late uprising, and for the
purchase of trappings and equipment for increased
mounted forces |
1,518,073.62 |
| Cost of supplies for Signal and Aviation Corps |
100,000.00 |
| Estimated cost of building new quarters, hospitals,
and infirmaries of the Army, and repair of existing
ones |
4,000,000.00 |
| Total |
$15,110,015.29 |
[Page 319]
Navy
| Budget increased by reason of reorganization under
decree No. 1427 of 1917 |
$337,644.00 |
| Repairs to schoolship Patria
and gunboat Baire to date |
183,639.62 |
| Cost of war supplies requested by Secretary of War and
Navy, including radiotelegraph apparatus |
469,679.96 |
| Sixteen submarine chasers |
1,600,000.00 |
| Personnel and supplies for submarine chasers |
316,160.00 |
| Installation for radiotelegraph stations, buildings,
etc |
227,618.45 |
| Total |
$3,134,742.03 |
Additional Cost
| Increased police force |
$730,325.92 |
| Cost of increased harbor police |
24,500.00 |
One million dollars has already been advanced to the Cuba
Railroad, and an additional $2,000,000 will be loaned to that
Company, making a total of $3,000,000.
An advance has been made to the Cuban Eastern Railway Company of
$93,000.
Recapitulation
| Army |
$15,110,015.29 |
| Navy |
3,134,742.03 |
| Police and harbor police |
754,825.92 |
| Cuba Railroad |
3,000,000.00 |
| Cuba Eastern Railroad |
93,000.00 |
| Total |
$22,092,583.24 |
