The herald., 1898-03-26
OF EARLY INDEPEN DENCE OF
THE CUBANs
FREEDOM MAY BE PURCHASED
The Insurgent Leader Earnestly
Hopes That Spanish-American
War May Be Avoided
Associated Press Special Wire


the Tribune from Havana says: Word has
been received by the Tribune Correspond
ent direct from General Gomez at his camp,
near Sancti Spiritus. in Santa Clara prov
! ince. A week ago, when the messenger
| left him, he was IN excellent health and
was planning an insurgent campaign which
| should follow the expected recognition of
Cuban independence by the United States.
| Apparently he did not think Spain would
Immediately accept intervention or media
ton by the Washington administration
and he believed the recognition of inde-
| pendence would follow the refusal Such
action he regarded as a natural sequence
| to the Maine incident and the other Incl
dents bearing upon the position taken in
! the Presidents December message. While
| preparing to take advantage of whatever
| is done, Gomez does not look for an ending
of the Cuban war. His idea is that Spain
will continue such fighting as has been
| going on and will not at once abandon the
| island.
His military plans are based upon this
! view and he has impressed upon the in
surgents that they must not expect imme-
diate independence as fact following the
declaration. The insurgent commander
seems to think that while Spain will not
| now accept the good offices of the United
States, she might ultimately do so. Then,
he believes, the best proposition is for the
purchase of the island by the Cubans under
| guarantee by the United States.
"That is best for all parties" was his
language.
1--WE would perhaps pay 5000 900 900 for in
| dependence. If Spain will not take that she
will take nothing away from Cuba except
| her war debt. If she will accept indemnity
| before it Is too late, we can pay 1t. The
guarantees of the United States would be
| in the nature of a protectorate. Annexa-
| ton would not follow. We know the Amer
| lean people do not want to annex Cuba.
| All they want is a commercial treaty giving
| them trade advantages which are naturally
| theirs.
"I hope" continued Gomez, 'there will
| be no war between the United States and
Spain. 1t would be too costly. The Span
iards are senselessly blind to their own
weakness. Besides, fear that if hostili-
| ties between the two countries come it
| will add to the burdens of the Cubans when
independence is secured. The island is a
desert and will remain SO while Spains
rule continues"
| The Tribune's correspondent informally
says that Gomez discussed the relations of
Spain and the United States several times
| and always in language showing his earn
| est desire that the American people might
| be spared war. His anxiety was deep. 1t
| is probable that Gomez's sentiments on this
matter will be communicated to President
Mckinley. He is more concerned over it
l Dlx T. -
think that in case of war Cuba would be
I asked to pay a portion of the war ex-
penses, which the resources of the island
| would not be sufficient to meet.
Gomez dismissed the suggestion of modi-
fying AUTONOMY SO that it would be accept
able to the insurgents with single word
They will treat with Spain on no basis ex-
cept that of outright independence. This
| is absolute.
| He spoke with bitterness of some mem
bers of the autonomst government who
were engaged in trying to win his followers
| by bribery, saying that the Cubans would
remember them These efforts he de-
clared were futile, as was shown by the
few isolated instances in which money had
induced insurgents to present themselves.
| On the other hand, Gomez said he was
constantly receiving reinforcements and
gave several specific cases. He stated that
| in the eastern part of the island the insur-
| gents had received 5000 recruits since au-
| tonomy was proposed. Other evidences Of
| their renewed strength were given. Per-
| haps the best evidence of this is that the
| insurgents occupy large portion of Santa
Clara province unmolested. The Spanish
| troops make no effort to penetrate the
| country where the insurgents camps are
| located. The present method of warfare,
| Gomez said, would be kept up until Spain
withdrew. He still counts on the climate
as a more potent means of destroying the
| Spanish armies than the weapons of the
| insurgents. For the Spanish soldiers he
uttered the most kindly sentiments, say
| ing that when peace came 1t was his hope
| that they would remain in Cuba and help
| in its recuperation. To the Spanish prop
erty owners on the island, he reiterated his
previous declarations that they would be
protected In their property and would have
nothing to fear under Cuban government
Gomez spoke incidentally of international
| Spanish politics, but without any idea that
| it's Cuban policy would be materially
| changed by what happens in Spain. He
| thought Senor de LONE had been willing
| to have his letter published and return to
| the peninsula as martyr De LONE, Co.
mez described as an able but scheming
and unscrupulous man, who saw the ad-
| vantage of getting away before the end
came. 1t is his belief that De LONE will
seek to form a new party out of the dis
satisfied Conservative and Liberal element
| Anti-American sentiment would be the
basis of this organization.
General Gomez said that when recog-
| milton was accorded there would be no
| trouble in finding the civil government of
Cuba. He would quickly conduct the
| proper persons from his headquarters to
| it, His refusal to entertain any suggestion
of Spains sovereignty over Cuba makes
| the detailed opinion of the latest program
| of the radical autonomists, backed by the
Blanco government, unnecessary. His
personal sympathy was extended to the
| American people for the Maine disaster,
without assuming to influence the policy
which the administration should follow.
| Next to his hope that the United States
would not become engaged in war with
| Spain the significance of what he says lies
in his belief that the intimate solution of
the Cuban problem is indemnity to Spain
| for independence. That proposition may be
| unpopular in the United States but it
! cOmmends itself to the commander-in chief
| of the insurgent forces, whose genius made
| the success of the revolution possible
| In December, when Blanco's prospective
| military campaign and the concessions of
|