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Title
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The Americans in Cuba : A Diary by Miguel A. de Capriles
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Date
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January 1939
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volume
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4
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issue
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1
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pages
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1, 7, 8, 9
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content
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en
THE AMERICANS IN CUBA
A Diary By Miguel A. de Capriles.
December 21, 1938. At 3 P.M., one hour before sailing time, the American fencing team of four men arrives on board the T. E. L. (Turbo Electric Liner to you) ORIENTE, at the foot of Wall Street. President Harold Van Buskirk is on hand to give his final instructions to our Captain, John R. Huffman. Official word has come from Cuba that a series of three matches — all with the épée — will be held for permanent possession of a trophy donated by Colonel Fulgencio Batista, Cuban Army Chief. We are to try to arrange for the holding of the North American zone final of the Russell International Challenge, if it is at all possible...
We are accompanied by John’s mother, Mrs. Eva B. Huffman, and by my wife, Dorothy. As the boat leaves the pier, we meet on board Stanley Sieja, the freshman fencing coach at New York University, who has decided less than an hour before to make the trip as a vacation.
—
The Southbound Voyage. We make the acquaintance of the President of the Amateur Athletic Union, Judge Samuel Hoyt, of New Haven, and of his charming wife. Judge Hoyt and John Huffman, both old Elis, spend many hours talking sports, while the three de Capriles and Warren Dow engage in a marathon bridge contest... Lucky moments: José takes the ping-pong championship (practically no opposition); Dorothy and I win the vaudeville contest (with a well-organized cheering section); and the fencers draw two free rounds of refreshments at the “lucky table” contest... Training stunts: John, José, and Warren take a “constitutional”: 20 times around the deck; while I engage in a series of bitter duels over the chessboard with the famous New York attorney, Arthur Garfield Hayes... The weather: The sea is calm; the air gets balmy as early as Friday the 23rd; by that evening we are all on deck, in summer clothing, watching the bright lights of Miami. We get to bed rather late.
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Christmas Eve. We are up at six-thirty, in time to see a magnificent sun rise upon a cloudless sky. In an hour we are gliding past Morro Castle, so near that we can almost touch the old fortress. A few harbor boys dive for nickels. As we dock we are met by a dozen or two officials. There is a note of apprehension at the pier: It seems that one of our fellow passengers is former President Machado's Secretary of State, and trouble is feared. All goes well, however. The great Ramón Fonst — the only Olympic fencing champion born and raised on this side of the Atlantic — greets us warmly. We meet again a former and most respected opponent, Carlos Lamar, who will be remembered as a member of the Fencers Club ten years ago. But no one is so glad to see us as our good Hungarian friend, George Worth, whose bright debut in American fencing was reported in THE RIPOSTE about a year ago...
We are introduced to our hosts, both in government circles and in fencing. We are whisked into huge Packard touring cars for a sight-seeing trip, including a visit to the beautiful gardens of "La Tropical," a brewery famous for its sports grounds, and to Camp Columbia: Colonel Batista’s splendidly equipped Military City. We have our misgivings as we experience the hazards of motor traffic in Old Havana, but we deposit the ladies safely at their hotel, and then go to the smart Vedado Tennis Club. Here, in movie-set surroundings, featured by giant royal palms, we are to make our headquarters. A huge new outdoor swimming pool has been completed just the week before. We lose no time in getting into our bathing suits to enjoy the clear salty water and the blazing sunshine. It is hard to believe it's Christmas Eve...
In the afternoon, following our training plan, we visit the fencing room of the Colegio de Arquitectos, which seems to be the current fencing center of Havana. It is stiflingly warm, and we enjoy the iced vermouth, served in champagne glasses, between bouts. (Try it sometime). The Cuban board of strategy watches our performance, as we limber up by taking a foil lesson from Warren Dow. We do a little épée but it is mostly practice work. Then George Worth takes on John Huffman and myself in sabre, and this proves to be the big hit of the evening for our Cuban friends... Afterwards we are introduced to the “Cuba Libre,” and we have a long bull-session with our opponents-to-be. We have dinner rather late, and we are all so tired that we forego the Christmas Eve party at the Havana Yacht Club — which incidentally is considered the high spot of the social season.
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Christmas Day. This is a day of rest. We sleep late, swim leisurely, play some bridge. In the evening we go to cheer the Kingsport High School basketball team from Tennessee against the Vedado Tennis “juniors,” but our cheers are not enough to compensate for the Cubans’ superior speed and team work.
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December 26. This is a legal holiday, and again we take things easy. We watch with interest the finals of an inter-club tennis tournament organized as a Davis Cup plan. The Vedado Tennis Club wins 3-2, when Lorenzo Nodarse, doubles champion of Cuba, wins his singles match. We decide to “adopt” the Vedado Tennis Club.
After dinner we get ready for the opening match, which is to be held at the Palacio de los Deportes — a huge indoor stadium, originally built for Jai-Alai, but now used for other indoor games. The starting time is officially 9 P.M., but everybody knows that that means 9:30 or 9:45. As Ramón Fonst is indisposed, our opponents are Eugenio Gárate, Diosdado del Pozo, Carlos Lamar, and Eugenio Sardíñas. Gárate and Sardíñas were first and third respectively in the recent Caribbean Olympic games. The match is hard-fought. We lead 8-5, with three bouts to go, thanks to José de Capriles’ four straight victories, when the Cubans stage a splendid rally to tie the match 8-all. When touches are counted, we lose 38-36. Gárate and Sardíñas with three victories each are the leading scorers for Cuba, and the consensus of opinion in the American team marks Sardíñas as the most dangerous épéeist on the home team.
We are frankly disappointed in the ability of the jury to follow the play, so that when both men are touched the decisions seem to us to be frequently incorrect. Too much emphasis is placed upon “where,” rather than “when” the touch lands, and there is too large a number of double-touch decisions. However, we cannot complain, as the bad breaks go against both teams...
After the match, Comandante Jaime Mariné, head of the government’s sports organization, is our host at a late supper held at the Palacio de Cristal, in the older section of town. We are served a number of the excellent “criollo” dishes, while we talk on many subjects. The Comandante outlines his plans for popularizing fencing; we exchange ideas on sports and on political economy. Around 2 A.M., he decides to show us the Gran Casino Nacional, which is located out in the suburbs. Our official caravan, led by Mariné's new lavender Buick, roars through the streets at sixty miles an hour. The Casino is beautiful, but we arrive too late for the best fun, so that an hour later we are back in town, at the Montmartre, which features “hot” music. It is 5 A.M. before the Comandante agrees to leave. Almost immediately the lights go out through the city, and we go home in Stygian darkness. Bed at 6 A.M.
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December 27. We get up late, and enjoy the newspaper stories on last night’s match, which feature José’s outstanding performance. We are impressed by the excellence of the stories, and particularly by the critique written for El País by David Aizcorbe, which we believe to be keen and accurate. Later we are told that his criticisms of the jury have resulted in a challenge to a pistol duel with one of the members of the jury. We wonder about that, considering the popularity of the sabre for duelling purposes, until we remember that Aizcorbe is the Central American sabre champion...
At noon, a cocktail party at Bacardi’s. Then to an official luncheon at the Havana Yacht Club, where we are entertained by our friendly opponents, and by Mrs. Lamar and Mrs. Sardíñas. We must record the American team’s devoted appreciation to these lovely ladies, whose gracious charm and hospitality made our visit to Cuba the more delightful. We talk about fencing, then more fencing…
In the evening it rains for fifteen minutes. It clears up immediately, and never rains again during our stay.
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December 28. Today is the Day of the Innocents — the Cuban April Fool’s Day. The youngsters love to play tricks in the streets upon bewildered Americans, who can’t quite make out what it’s all about... We pay our respects at the American consulate, and then go shopping. We are in quest of mosquito netting... We have not been able to sleep with closed windows, and the mosquitoes have kept us awake for several nights. There are disadvantages to the beautiful palm trees, which make excellent breeding places for the little beasts. At any rate, we are badly in need of rest...
Our second match begins promptly at 6 P.M. John Huffman’s brilliant performance enables us to win, 8-6, with two tied bouts. Curiously enough, we are tied in touches, 34-34. The jury seems more efficient, and we are well impressed by the work of Sergio Luis Barrena, a Cuban épéeist who was unable to participate in the matches because he was preparing to take a competitive examination for a professorship at the University...
Afterward the team splits up in the company of Cuban officials. Huffman and Dow attend the Jai-Alai games, featuring the two best players in the world. The de Capriles tribe are invited to dinner by Mr. George Green and his delightful sister at their home in the Edificia América. Mr. Green is the Havana partner of Mr. George Cochrane, our A.F.L.A. Treasurer. A British gentleman, with a manner which reminds us of one of our favorite actors (Clive Brook), Mr. Green introduces us to the game of darts. He and José give Dorothy and me an unmerciful trimming at this enjoyable — and at times exasperating pastime.
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December 29. We sleep soundly and late under our mosquito netting, and all of us feel much refreshed. Comandante Mariné invites us for an outdoor luncheon at “Vainilla,” his finca in the country. Some fifty people are there, including a girls’ basketball team from Miami. John Huffman scores a big hit when he makes a speech of thanks in Spanish.
The newspaper reports praise John’s performance as well as José’s. To the latter they refer as “el toro” (the bull) of the American team. Of course, the bull is the symbol of strength in Spanish countries, but to us it seems that José’s nickname should hereafter be “Ferdinand.”
Late in the evening, the Cuban fencers tender us an official banquet at the Casino. We go in style. Meet several Americans. Have a fine time. Home at 3.
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December 30. We are called to the telephone at 9:30 A.M. The President of the Republic, Dr. Laredo Bru, asks us to give an exhibition at the palace in the afternoon... We discover that the President, though over 60, is an enthusiastic sabreman. He has a daily fencing lesson at 6 A.M. from Professor Fernando Alonso, the fencing master who is in technical charge of the government’s fencing program. Incidentally, Professor Alonso started fencing as a pupil of our own Julio Martínez Castelló, fencing master at New York University...
At noon we welcome the arrival in Havana of Roman Fischer, the Austrian Olympic star whose excellent work as an official in the various competitions held in New York this season has won him our unanimous respect. We are happy to learn that the Cuban officials have invited him to serve on the jury. He accompanies us to the President’s Palace, where we perform approximately at 5 P.M. Mrs. Huffman carries on an animated conversation with the President and his wife. We put on a good show, with much help from George Worth. The President enjoys himself and makes a courteous speech in which José and I figure prominently because of our mother’s Cuban birth. The President and his wife personally serve us with refreshing drinks after the match — a gesture that “goes over big” with us and with the newspapermen...
We go home for a quick meal, as we have barely enough time to reach the Palacio de los Deportes for the deciding match of the series. I am beginning to wonder whether I came along for the ride, as I have lost six 3-2 bouts in the previous two sessions. Fortunately, it is my turn to be “hot,” and I win four. Five times the score is tied, although we are never behind, and it is tied for the sixth time, at 8-all, when Gárate defeats José, 3-2. But we win, 37-35, when touches are counted, and the Batista Cup is ours. It is curious to find that about 48 bouts, the composite score gives us an advantage of only two bouts, and that both teams have scored exactly the same number of total touches...
Since the Russell trophy match is scheduled for 10 in the morning, John Huffman and I go home immediately. José and Warren make a tour of the “spots” with George Worth and Roman Fischer, before accompanying the latter back to his ship, which sails at 5 A.M.
—
New Year’s Eve. In the morning, John and I meet Lamar and Aizcorbe in the North American zone final for the Russell Trophy at the Colegio de Arquitectos. Ramón Fonst acts as Director of Combat, and a select fencing audience is present. The conditions are ideal, as the audience understands and follows the play, and discusses the more difficult decisions. The match is a huge success, and all concerned are most pleased: We in winning; the Cubans because of the close score.
Mishaps: John suffers from a sore muscle, sustained in the previous day’s exhibitions, but he says nothing in order not to upset me, and in the end he scores the winning points by taking his two sabre bouts. Carlos Lamar sustains a mild muscle injury and retired after the épée in favor of Ricardo Mira.
The American team gives a farewell luncheon to our Cuban friends. We talk fencing until after four P.M. Gárate, the President of the Cuban federation, tells us that their Constitution limits tenure of office to two consecutive terms... Fonst reminisces about his two Olympic triumphs early in the century... We wonder what would have been the result if Fonst had been able to fence — or if Sardíñas had not abandoned his close defensive game in order to make more spectacular touches which could be better seen by the jury... We discuss the judging problem, which is as acute in Cuba as it is with us... The entire Cuban team sings the praises of Harold Van Buskirk and Doris De Jong, who officiated at the Caribbean Olympics in Panamá last February. We are asked to state that the suggestion to use American judges in these games came originally from the Cuban delegation...
Late in the afternoon, we are supposed to visit Comandante Mariné’s city home, but we are all so exhausted that we are compelled to decline the invitation. Likewise, we give up our plans to greet the New Year at the Country Club, as our ship leaves at 2 A.M. Packing is a pressing problem, and traffic conditions are said to be very difficult in Havana on New Year’s Eve — sort of like Times Square...
We go on board near eleven, and have a New Year’s Eve party à la Americana in the company of Judge Hoyt and his family. We are all most grateful to Mr. and Mrs. Lamar, to Dr. Roberto Mañach, to Eugenio Gárate, and to George Worth, all of whom left their respective parties in order to come to the ship to see us off.
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Homeward trip. The voyage back to New York is calm and uneventful. We enjoy sunbaths until Monday, January 2. Two charming ladies from Washington are thrilled at being in the company of José and Warren. We all have taken a real liking to Judge Hoyt and his wife, and spend much time in conversation...
On Monday evening, our last night on board, Stanley Sieja gives a brilliant demonstration with Indian Clubs. The team puts on a short exhibition, in which the cruise director plays a successful comedy role.
We arrive in New York at noon on Tuesday, and we are met by our President, Harold Van Buskirk. We are glad to be home, but the memories of Havana and our Cuban friends will long be cherished.
