The Indianapolis journal., 1898-09-26
DENOUNCED BY GARCIA
THE ALLEGED CUBAN PROVISIONAL
GOVERNMENT SCORED.
Called a Clique with No Standing Be-
fore the PeOple-United States in
Control of the Island.

NEW YORK, Sept. 25.-The Herald's San
tiago de Cuba correspondent says: Just be-
fore General Garcia's official reception at
the Club San Carlos he granted an inter-
view, in which he discussed with much ami
nation the present situation. The general
was found surrounded by his staff in large
drawing room in his house in Gale de Ba-
silio, seated in roomy rocking chair, with
the insignia of his rank in the Cuban army
still on his uniform, chatting cheerily with
hs aids. With him was his son, Colonel
Garcia, who acted as interpreter during the
interview. First of all was asked:
General what have you to say regarding
your resignation from the Cuban army and
the dispute with General Shafter leading up
to it?"
II should like it clearly set out" Garcia
replied, that 1 had no personal quarrel
with General Shafter He had given me a
distinct promise that the American and
Cuban troops should enter the town to-
gether. That promise he has denied but,
nevertheless it was So / felt keenly the
indignity and neglect of the Cuban troops,
and still more strongly the fact that the
Spanish officials still retained Office in San
tiago. l could no longer obey instructions
to cooperate with the American army,
and as this feeling was antagonistic to the
orders had received from the commander
in-chief, L resigned my command, writing
a letter to General Shafter, which has been
published"
What, in your opinion, General Garcia,
led the provisional government to accept
your resignation"
General Garcia rose from the table where
he was seated, exclaiming, excitedy:
Provisional government! What govern
ment? There is no government. 1 sent my
resignation to General Gomez as my COM
| mander-in-chief. 1t was accepted by Gen.
eral Gomez in his military capacity
II deny the legality of the actions of the
present So-called provisional Cuban govern
ment. According to the constitution the
dent, vice president four secretaries and
four subsecretaries. The government to-day
is composed of only two persons They can
not form quorum. Their acts are not
legal.
I'm the army we do not pay much atten-
ton to this little clique playing at govern
ment. So long as they keep quiet and don't
interfere with US it is all right and they
may sit up at Camaguey and make laws,
but we pay no attention to them. They are
not fighters and the real revolutionary
| party in Cuba is the fighting party Have
| you ever heard of Bartolome Maso as a
fighter, or of Senor Capote in a battle? Maso
was once a colonel under me, but he has
never been in fight. Faugh! These men
are not the leaders in Cuba.
| 1t is supposed to be in Santa Cruz. Maso is
i'll. Capote is Vice President and Secretary
His assumption of the secretaryship of war
is illegal. There is no quorum to give weight
| to their acts.
MY resignation was accepted. Probably
| the cause was that it was feared the
! publication of my letter to General Shafter
| some feeling might be stirred up against
me in the United States, and therefore it
| would be impolitic to continue me in my
| command, but my letter caused exactly the
reverse result. / have. received from the
| United States thousands of letters of con-
| graduation. l don't think it has caused
| me to be in any way persona non grata to
| the American people or the American gov
ernment.
| II do not recognize any government on
| this island save that of the United States.
From the moment the American troops
| landed on this soil but one government is
represented in Cuba. There was a Cuban
revolutionary army in arms against Spain,
acting under orders of General Gomez. The
| so-called provisional government we do not
recognize.
IF General Gomez has resigned, as 1 un-
derstand he has, regret it very much as it
leaves Cuba without official representa-
| tive head. We deny the power and author
ity of the provisional government in any
way to interfere with the actions of the COM
mander-in-chief. The provisional govern
mcnt has been and is a figurehead, nothing
more: ,,Ao
tion to my commander. His instructions
were to cooperate and put myself under
the OTueTS Oh the american
These orders l transmitted to my divisional
commanders. with the additional instrue-
tions to carry them out even if opposed to
my own orders Finding the situation at
Santiago such that it would have been a
personal insult to me and to my army TO
carry them out, | resigned.
II should have liked to continue in COM
mand until the island was settled but my
work was over. The war was ended, and
as l said in my speech tonight. the duty of
the soldiers is to lay down their arms, to
resume work and to endeavor under the
protecting arm of your great and good gov
ernment, 20 build up free Cuba.