Ferment

President Ramon Grau San Martin's troubles multiplied. He faced a barrage of criticism from his own supporters for 1) not dealing with the acute food shortage; 2) hesitating to clean up the swaggering armed forces; 3) making bad political appointments. As adherents of his onetime patron, former President Fulgencio Batista, joined the attack, three mysterious bomb explosions rocked Havana.

Meanwhile the storm clouds gathered in the rural sections. Sugar-mill owners said they were unable to operate at a profit, closed their mills. In San Luis 1,000 desperate workers seized the city hall, settled down for a hunger strike to force the Government to open the local mill. Grau had appeased the mill owners with four-year tax exemptions, had threatened to cancel their quotas unless they ground sugar. The mills remained closed. Then Grau cracked a heavier whip. Sugar mills would prepare for production at once, the President ordered, or face confiscation.

On tour in South America, Ex-President Batista could chuckle to himself.

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