IN FLIGHT.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIV, Issue 190, 14 August 1933, Page 7

IN FLIGHT.

DEPOSED LEADER.

PRESIDENT OF CUBA.

Riotous Scenes Accompany

Revolution

BRITISH PROPERTY SAFE.

(United P.A.—Electric Telegraph—Copyright)

(Received 1t.30 a.m.)

HAVANA, August 13.

The Cuban Army at noon on Friday demanded the resignation within 24 hours of the President, General Maehado. This move was suggested z'eeently by the mediators who are attempting to stop the political turmoil in the Republic. Yesterday the Cuban State Department formally advised the diplomatic corps that General Maehado would take leave of absence and that he proposed later to resign. A British official wireless message says that the Foreign Office announces: "It has been reported in the Press that His Majesty's Minister at Havana, Mr. Grant Watson, had made representations to the United States Ambassador in Cuba, Mr. Sumner Welles, in connection with damage to British property in Cuba. Such reports are entirely unfounded. The British Minister has made no request whatever to the United States Ambassador for protection. He has, in fact, reported by telegraph that the British colony is safe and that he has heard of no damage to British property with one exception, namely the setting on fire on August 10 of a hut used for the cable connection of the Cuban Submarine Telegraph Company at Bicnfuegos. Mr. Watson has asked the Cuban Government for an investigation of this." ,

General Machado subsequently left the island by aeroplane. Senor Carlos Manuel do Cespedes, formerly Secretary of State, was chosen by all the Cuban political. parties and the army to be provisional President and last evening ho officially took over that office.

The army assumed control of the city, including Congress and the Supreme •Court, while a small force of loyal troops guarded General Machado in the Palace.

Secret Meeting of Congress. Late last evening Congress assembled secretly, guarded by soldiers, and accepted General Machado's petition for "leave of absence." This prepared the way for the installation of Senor Cespedes as President. Rioting continued unrestrained last night. Not only the mob, but the soldiers apparently were acting under instructions and systematically hunting down and killing the secret police.

Fragmentary reports from the provinces state that similar scenes are occurring in other cities.

Students expended much energy in destroying a large statue in Havana called the Machado beacon monument. Working in relays and using sledgehammers and crowbars they broke it down piece by piece. A military order to clear the streets during the evening, was completely ignored, the soldiers making no attempt to stop the looting. Pent Up Hatred of Years Released. The political situation was so confused throughout that nobody appeared to know the nation's exact constitutional status. However, few seemed to care. Tho people, releasing hatred which had been pent up for years, had no time to consider the ultimate fate of the Government. The carefully laid plans to effect the change in Presidents constitutionally were nullified by the reluctance of the majority of the members of Congress to expose themselves in public. The plan was that all the Cabinet Ministers except General Alberto Herrcra (War) should resign and that he should be President for a few hours and then appoint Senor de Cespedes. After the appointment was confirmed by| Congress General Herrera was to resign and Senor Cespedes was to assume the Presidency. However, fear of the mob kept the majority of tho members of Congress indoors so Congress could not be convened and the plan failed. Some neutral observers thought this was a clever ruse by General Machado to get General Herrera made Dictator so that General Machado might return when order was restored. This was not acceptable to the people. General Strike Continues. Tho general strike which precipitated the crisis is still in progress. Numerous military executions are reported and violence in the provinces is spreading, but dislocated lines of communication and the censorship prevent confirmation of the stories. The army leaders were reluctant to attempt to handle the mob. One said he would-try to. persuade the people to keep order, but he would not risk further bloodshed by force. Officers of the Aviation Corps had informed the United States Ambassador. Mr. Sumner Welles, that General Herrera was an impossible choice for the provisional Presidency. They declared that General Machado's successor must be a non-military and impartial man, not anyone connected in any way with the Machado regime. Both people and army, they said, were opposed to General Herrera.