837.513/50
The Representative on Special Mission in Cuba (Crowder) to the Secretary of State
[Received May 9.]
Dear Mr. Secretary: I have already addressed the Department Memoranda Nos. 6 and 7, dealing respectively with “Congress and the Budget for 1922–23,” and “The Executive and the Budget for 1922–23,”30 both of which have been approved by the Department and submitted to President Zayas. I have forwarded a further Memorandum, No. 8, dealing with “Graft, Corruption and Immorality in the Public Administration”31 which awaits the Department’s action. The present Memorandum on the “Reform of the National Lottery” completes the series of important Memoranda referred to in my despatch of March 25th, which collectively embody the irreducible minimum of reforms and betterments which must be consummated if the solvency and stability of the Government are to be reëstablished.
[Page 1026]. . . . . . . . . . . . . .
One year has elapsed since Doctor Zayas, then President-elect, committed himself on the reform of the National Lottery in a letter written April 30, 192132 …
Two days prior to the above mentioned letter, on April 28, 1921, I had included the following commitment of Doctor Zayas in my Urgent No. 66 of April 28th33 which was shown to the then Presidentelect and endorsed by him before sending:
“He will immediately suppress all ‘botellas’ and within a period of five months make sweeping reforms in National Lottery particularly in the colecturía system.”
The promised action has not yet been taken and there are no indications that it is even being thought of. The evils of the system continue to undermine every phase of national life in Cuba, and the insidious corruption of the colecturía system has so extended itself as to render futile any hope that the evils will be remedied by the Cuban people through the ordinary agencies at their disposition.
It is my well considered opinion that the time has come for the Government of the United States to take official cognizance of the abuses, and to furnish that external support of the necessary remedial measures which, in the minds of all thinking Cubans, is absolutely essential to their successful execution.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . .
I am [etc.]