El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1898-03-31
GOMEZ VERY HOPEFUL.
Planni' g an Insurgent Campaign to
Follow Recognition of Independe nee.

Planni' an Insurgent Campaign to
Follow Recognition of Independf nee.
New York.-A dispatch to the Trib-
una from Havana says: Word has
| been received direct from General
Gomez, at his camp near Sancti Spiri-
tus, in Santa Clara province. A week
ago, when the messenger left him, he
was in excellent health, and was plan-
ing an iusurgent campaign which
sc Ould follow the expected recognition
of Cuban independence by the United
Stats. Apparently he did not think
Spain would Immediately accept inter-
vention or mediation by the Washing
ton adm nistratiOn and he believed the
recognition of independence would fol-
low the refusal. Such action he re-
garded as natural sequence TO the
Maine incident, and the other incidents
bearing upon the position taken in the
presidents December message. While
preparing to take advantage of what
ever is done, Gomez does not look for
an early ending of the Cuban war.
such fighting as has been going on, and
will not at once abaDdonsthe island.
His military plans are based upon
this view, and he has impressed upon
the insurgents that they must not ex-
pect imme diate independence as q fact
following the declaration.
He believes the best proposition is
for the purchase of the island by the
Cubans under guarantee by the Unit
ed States.
"We could perhaps pay 200 million
dollars for independence. II 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 it. The gusran-
tee of the United States would be in
the nature of a protectorate. Annexa-
tion would not follow. We know the
American people do not want to annex
Cuba. All they want is com mmercial
treaty giving them trade advantages
which are naturally theirs.
81 hope" continued Gen. Gomez,
''there will be no war between the
Uni'ed States and Spain. II would be
costly. The Spaniards are sepselessly
blind to their own weakness Besides
1 fear that if hostilies between the two
countries come it will add to the burd-
ems of the Cubans when independe nee
is secured The island ia desert and
will remain so while Spains rule con-
tInues. Toe much should not be laid
upon it when peace comes"
The Tribune's correspondents in
relations of the United States and
Spain several times, and always in
language showing his earnest desire
that the American people might be
spared war His anxiety was deep.
He is more concerned over it than
over anything else. He appears to
think that in case of war Cuba would
be asked 10 pay portion of the war
expenses, which the resources of the
island would not be sufficient to meet
Gomez dismissed the suggestion of
modifying autonomy so that it would
be acceptable to the insurgents with q
single word. They will treat with
Spain on no basis except that of out
rig ht Independence. This is absolute.
He spoke with bitterness of some mem-
bers of the autonomist government,
who were engaged in trying to win
his followers by bribery, saying that
the Cubans would remember them.
These efforts he declared were futile,
as was shown by the few isolated in
stances in which money had induced
insurgents to present themselves.
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
ulti mats solution of the Cuban problem
is indemnity to Spain for independence.
That proposition may re unpopular in
the United States, but it commends it.
self to the mapder-in-chief of the
insurgent forces whose genius made
the success of the revolution possible.
In December, when Blanco's prospec-
tive military campaign and the conces-
sion of autonomy was unknown factors,
Gomez he'd this view. In March, when
the failure of that military campaign
and the collapse of the new political
system left Spanish sovereignty para
lyzed, he reiterates bis conviction.
Members of the government in Hav-
ana who 10 DAYS ago professed hope in
the negotiations with Gomez, now
know that no prospect exists. Some
are again turning to war with the
United States as the only means of let:
ting Cuba go; others are more conser-
vative, talk with moderation about the
Maine report and deprecste the war
spirit. All seem to believe that the
Maine disaster will not, in itself, lead
to hOstilities