The Smoke Gallery
By ‘A genial gossip’
From the ‘Daily Sketch’ I culled a very interesting
and picturesque item. In Hanover-square, in Town
a notice appeared to say that the lease could be
bought and with it the opportunity of acquiring
1,800 Havana cigars.
Were the cigars a bribe to buy the lease? Not a bit of
it, said to the man in the estate agents office. “The
cigars will be included with the furniture in the auction.
There was a time when any man who respected himself
sufficiently to wear a shining topper east of Ludgate
Hill had at least 1,000 cigars mellowing in his book
line study. Of course it seemed a bit strange nowadays
but the vendor is an old gentleman recuperating down
south. No longer has he any use for his London house
and his Havanas” What an old polished comfortable
world that Hanover-square notice conjures up!
Our Havana Letters
Havana’s Quest for New Markets
Foreign Spying
Cuban exports to Britain and France in the last four
months of 1939 and the first two months of 1940
dropped 50 per cent, compared with last year, from
about £2,000,000 to £1,000,000.
The Acting Secretary of state Eduardo Montoulieu
urges drastic action against espionage activities
of foreign agents here. Measures are being studied
to end foreign propaganda through the mails. The
communicayions Department is being given a freer
hand.
We took 161/2 million of her cigars in 1938. Figures have now become available giving details of the principal
markets during 1939 for Havana leaf and manufactured Tobacco, They are:
Cigars
Countries
United Kingdom
United States
Spain
France
South Africa
Argentina
Thousands
16,560
3,195
2,582
2,545
772
500
Value $
1,718,375
357,456
146,141
294,830
94,199
62,871
Average Price per thousand of cigars $
103.77
111.87
56.60
115.85
122.02
125.74
Belgium
Canada
Switzerland
Australia
360
349
309
266
23,955
29,387
31,693
28,437
66.54
84.20
102.57
106.91
The Union of manufacturers of Cigars and Cigarettes
of Cuba sent a telegram to the President of the Republic
expressing gratitude for the decree which abolishes gift
plans in the cigarette industry…..
Meanwhile, protection for Havana cigar brands abroad
and the seeking of more export markets were requested
by a delegatio n of leading cigar manufacturers in an
interview with Secretary of state Miguel Angel Campa.
The delegation pointed out that manufacturers in many
countries are selling their foreign produced cigars as
“genuine Havana” and the Secretary of State promised
to issue a reminder to the consular
corps to protect Havana brands abroad against illegal
competition.
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