Page:Collier's New Encyclopedia v. 03.djvu/260

CUBE and the United States in May, 1903. The first Congress of the Cuban Government met in Havana, May 5, 1902. Aug. 14, 1902, the Cuban Government authorized a loan of $35,000,000, redeemable in 30 years, the object being to assist sugarcane growers. A reciprocity treaty with the United States was signed on Dec. 12, 1902.

An insurrection broke out in 1906, which necessitated intervention on the part of the United States. A provisional government was established in August of that year, which continued until January 24, 1909, when the American authorities again evacuated the island, turning the administration over to the newly elected president, Jose Miguel Gomez.

The government prospered under the administration of General Gomez, but in 1911 discontent of the old soldiers who felt that they had not been sufficiently rewarded for their services led to uprisings. There was a threat of further American intervention, but the revolt was quelled by the authorities and order was quickly restored. In 1912 Mario Menocal was elected president. He at once addressed himself for financial and economic reforms, and in 1914 secured a large loan from the United States. President Menocal was re-elected in 1916. Up to the declaration of war by the United States against Germany, Cuba remained neutral, but on April 7, 1917, acting upon the advice of President Menocal, the Cuban Congress declared war against Germany. On the following day the German minister was given his passports. Several Cuban vessels in German waters were seized. War was declared against Austria-Hungary on Dec. 16, 1917. On April 3, 1918, the Cuban Congress passed a law authorizing the creation of an obligatory military service, applying to all male Cubans not expressly exempted, and to remain in force for two years, and for one year after the time of peace. The army was to be composed of 17,000 men in active service. This law was repealed in January, 1919. In 1920, Dr. Alfredo Zayas was nominated for president, by coalition of the Conserva t ive and Popular parties. He was elected by the returns, but the election was disputed, and it was necessary to hold by-elections in 1921. Gen. Crowder as representative of the United States visited the island in the spring of 1921 in order to supervise the elections and otherwise guard the interests of the United States.  CUBE, in geometry, a solid figure contained by six equal squares, a regular hexahedron. From the simplicity of its form it is the unit for measuring the

contents of the other solids. Cubes are to each other as the third power of any of the lines inclosing their sides.

In arithmetic, the third power of a number; a number multiplied by itself, and the product multiplied again by the original number; thus, 125 is the cube of 5, for it is 5 × 5 × 5.  CUBEB, the small spicy berry of the plant or plants described under.  CUBEBA, a genus of hypogenous exogens, order Piperaceæ, tribe Piperidæ. The flowers are dioecious, invested by sessile bracts; the fruits contracted at the base into what look like pedicels. They are found in Asia and Africa.  CUBISTS, painters, belonging to the group called post-impressionists, who claim to see in the perspective of natural objects a series of cubical forms which they endeavor to depict in their art.  CUBIT (Lat., cubitus, “fore-arm”), a Roman measure of length supposed to equal the length of the fore-arm from the elbow to the tip of the middle finger. It was 1½ Roman feet (17½ English inches). The English cubit is 1½ English feet. The cubit of Scripture is generally estimated at 22 inches.  CUBITT, SIR WILLIAM, an English engineer; born in Dilham, Norfolk, in 1785, was a miller, cabinet-maker, and millwright until 1812, when he became a chief-engineer. In 1823 he joined the Institution of Civil Engineers. The improvement of the Severn and of Boulogne port, the Bute docks at Cardiff, and the water-works for Berlin are among his works. He also invented the treadmill, and constructed the South-Eastern railway; and for his services in connection with the erection of the Great Exhibition buildings he was knighted in 1851. He died Oct. 13, 1861.  CUCKOO (Cuculus canorus), a well known bird. The head and upper parts are of dark ash, the throat, the under side of the neck and fore part of the breast of a paler ash or brown, the rest of the breast and the belly white, with transverse undulating black lines, the quill feathers with white on their inner webs, the tail ash, white, and black commingled, feet yellow; length, 14 inches. The cuckoo forces foster-parentage on other species of birds. <section end="Cuckoo" /> <section begin="Cuckoo Flower" />CUCKOO FLOWER or LADY'S SMOCK (Cardamina pratensis), a common and pretty meadow plant, order Cruciferæ, with pale lilac or white flowers. C. pratensis is abundant in Great Britan and is found in swamps N. of New York. <section end="Cuckoo Flower" />