Duelling Treasurer

Students and liberals secretly banded into a society known as the ABC were more responsible than any other group for the overthrow of pock-marked Gerardo Machado as President of Cuba. In its time ABC embraced various shades of political opinion held together by a common hatred of Butcher Machado. But even before Machado went, the ABC split in two factions. Founder Joaquin Martinez Saenz, now Secretary of Finance, holds the central core while the most important offshoot, the ABC Radical Wing, is under the headship of Politico Oscar de la Torre. Stiffly, Leaders Saenz and de la Torre met last week and right across the bald expanse of tablecloth Cuba's Secretary of the Treasury charged his rival with being a traitor to the main party.

There is one way to settle such arguments in Cuba, and an ideal place to do it. No longer ago than February Secretary of Health Santiago Verdeja soothed his honor and cooled his temper by taking pot shots at two doctors at the farm of the Jose Plasencia. Minister Saenz formally resigned from the Cabinet in order that he might duel. Next he signed another paper absolving everyone from responsibility in case of his death. Finally he went out to the Plasencia farm.

Both principals had seconds. Also on hand were an official doctor, a number 'of friends, reporters and Cabinet ministers. Scorning effete French sub-calibre duelling pistols, each principal was handed a hulking .38 calibre revolver, spent a few noisy moments blasting away at tin cans to warm up. Then they paced off 25 yards.

Each man was allowed two shots. Martinez Saenz fired first, sent two shots high in the air over his adversary's head. Then he stood, arms folded, to receive the fire. As far as observers could tell, Oscar de la Torre took careful aim at Cuba's Secretary of the Treasury and pulled the trigger. But he, too, missed. Both men shook hands stiffly and stomped off the field. Next day Martinez Saenz was again Secretary of the Treasury.

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