Show HAVANA SAID TO BE impregnable cannot be reduced by six months siege blockade has not been successful owing to the great fertility of the business proceeds as in peace times st louis july SS augast grupe one of the foremost merchants of cuba who has lived in havana for 24 beare stopped here today en route to germany on a visit in an interview mr grupe said when I 1 left havana two weeks ago the inhabitants were not in the slightest ear that aba cily would be bombarded in fact everything was going on the same as usual the theartres theatres the atres dancing halls business of every character were flourishing but for the presence pree ence of troops in the city you would never know a war waa in progress the blockade at havana has thus far not proved very effective the farms around the city furnish all the supplies necessary the soil is so fertile that crops can be produced in thirty days there is no scarcity c provisions in havana nor has there been any perceptible cep tible advance in the price of food there are regular soldiers and volunteers in the city about are working night day havana fortifications under the personal direction of Gen Blanco A few days before I 1 quitted the city the captain general told me havana would ba well nigh impregnable and that the talk of its fall after six months of bombarding waa sheer nonsense |