The Topeka state journal., 1898-10-07
GARCIA WON OVER
He Leaves Santiago For a Tour
Among Cuban Camps
For the Purpose of Inducing
the Troops to Disband.
VIEWED WITH ALARM
Many Suspect a Scheme to
Prevent independence
But the General is Meeting
With Success.
VIEWED WITH ALARM

New York, Oct. IA Herald dispatch
from Santiago de Cuba says:
General Garcia left the city Thursday
morning on his mission through Santi-
ago province acting as an agent of the
American government, to arrange the
details for the disbandment of the Gu
ban army in the east. He will confer
with the military commanders in the
outlying districts, using his strong in
f1uence to induce the peaceful disarm-
ing of the Cuban soldiers and their re-
turn to work.
The Cuban leader left the city with
an escort of sixty men and was accom-
panied by Lieutenant Colonel G. PaOz,
Captain J. Escab bante and Lieutenant
A s Colante, as his aides. He will go
to Jiguani, Bayamo and Manzanillo,
visiting on his way all the other impor-
tant Cuban commands. The tour will
probably occupy three weeks, and his
party received rations for that period
from General Lawton.
The officials of the American admin
istration here prOphesy good results
from his negotiations, believing that his
euOrtS viii be successful in getting this
province rid of the large number of
1nSurgent bands VINO are living on the
country in a condition of OutlaWry,
levying contributions on the planters
and preventing the resumption of peace
of doing so.
General Garcia is, however, daily los
ing influence among the Cubans. His
action in denying the authority of the
provisional government has estranged
the majority of the moderate party
while the extremists resent his friendly
feeling for the United States and his
cooperation with the administration
here. Many of the latter characterize
him as a renegade from the principles
of independence and openly avOW that
he is allowing himself to be sold to the
Americans. His motives are looked
upon with suspicion and his desire to
remove the friction between the Cubans
and Americans is openly stated to be
a trap for the defeat OF Cuban indie
pendence- This feeling will initiate
greatly against his usefulness from the
American standpoint.
AS a result of Garcia's negotiations
General Perez will assemble the remain
ing troops of his command in the vicin-
ity of Guantanamo October 10 and will
there disarm and disband them. This
news, which was communicated to Gen
eral LawtOn through General Garcia,
has given great satisfaction, being the
first instance of the voluntary disband-
ment of important insurgent COM
mand. General Perez, however, recog-
nizes that he cannot restrain his men
under the present circumstances and
that the only solution Of the problem
is to disband them, allowing the Amer
lean troops to deal with isolated cases
of lawIessness without any restraint.
A scheme will be presented to the
Cuban assembly of delegates by 100 Off
GERS of the Cuban army, proposing the
raising of a fund locally among the
planters to pay the insurgent army. It
is believed the planters would gladly
contribute this sum for the purpose of
freeing their estates from the present
members of the Cuban military organ
ization. The assembly will be asked to
guarantee the loan by means of Cuban
revenues, which security, it is believed,
the planters would accept. Garcia's
proposal to go to the United States to
raise a similar loan is not looked upon
with favor by the Cubans, unless the
United States is behind him in the
matter. 1t is scarcely possible now that
the assembly can meet him on the 10th
as first proposed. Probably the first
meeting will be hello on the goth. The
tabulated returns thus far received here
show the entire dominance of the party
adherent to the present provisional gov
ernment, which will probably be re-
elected.
The first business to be dealt with is
the question of the payment and dis
bandment of the army. The next is the
relation which Cuba will have to the
United States and the final matter for
settlement is the future government Of
the island.