New-York tribune., 1899-02-11
RUGGED MAXIMO GOMEZ
CURIOUS CONTRADICTIONS IN THE -
BAN GENERALS CHARACTER
HIS scoRN OF GLITTERING UNIFORMS AM
ANXIETY ABOUT HIS PHoTooRAPHs-.x
AccoMPLIsHEp LETTER.wRI
Havana. Tohr,,,

Maxine Gomez's coming to Havana win ~ =
out his rugged personality IN a new light a..
from the political significance, the effect 4, -
presence will be chiefly interesting in its b.,,-
on large number OF Insurgent officers Th..s
not relish II. So long the shadow or an a.
exists Gomez will insist on maintaining ~
forms Of military discipline. He has ro ,vr,.
thy with outward show and parade. In Decf-
Der. when Cuban patriotic committee wen, ;.
him at his headquarters in the woods. he 90,
/ 1t sharply that he would not come to Hav.,.
! TO be made show Of. and rebuked its r,emh..
/ for their anxiety 10 indulge In display. A.
the protocol was signed ne alienated sons o,n.
officers OF his staff by crltcis!ng their resd,r,
TO parade themselves.
II Is q question whether General Conner IA.
uniform. a few days ago one OF the An.r..,
! officers In Santa Clara Province visited hin :,
Remedies. The officer young He tho,x..
| he was enhancing his own dignity and rlssr,.
| the insurgent commander in CHIEF by a2pe,r.'
In a gorgeous uniform which would have cana,
! envy at a White House reception In Wash,.
ton. Gomez in ordinary civilian dress :,
! the country-a straw hat. loose coat wtho,,
! waistcoat, and linen trousers He Listened :,
| what the young American had 20 say. corr.e,..
some misconceptions and then acknowledged -.
military salute which the officer gave On VITA
| drawing Gomez watched him a moment a.,
then dryly remarked How the young men N.
| gold buttons"
Gomez will be compelled 10 say the same ,h,,,
OF his subordinate Cuban officers Since n,
American occupation these have shown an ina,
| dinate fondness for the glitter OF war Th.-
have n camp uniform OF brown linen. heater an,
! cooler than the khaki OF the American troop,
This. however. does not fully satisfy them TA.v
prefer to appear in what they call the full-dr.,
uniform of the Army OF Liberation" The nat,
rial Is of a deep navy blue. Gold or silver sta,
on the shoulders and the sleeves indicate u.
rank The cap has an abundance OF gold braa
After three or four years in the bush. when
many Of them could no; always count on .
shirt. the indulgence Of this vanity Is harmle.
/ It is perfectly understood In Havana and s ~
spected. Some OF the insurgent officers VII,
have been most conspicuous in their military
array will probably keep in the background after
/ Gomez appears. They are officers whom he d.
ciplined-"desttuted Of their rank" the insur
gents call IT, Many OF them felt the iron han.
! Of their general -in-chef at times when weak
commander would have feared 10 ALLEVIATE sry
members OF the loose organization which h
called his army
Though General Gomez is Indifferent 10 ire
outward show Of dress. he has vanity Of the most
pronounced kind. He is particular about bis
picture. Most OF MS photographs which are re-
produced fatter him. An American newspaper
correspondent who had been with him during q
critical period OF the insurrecton published q
book giving personal experiences. Without BE-
Ing fulsome IL was sympathetic. and its plslr
narrative was of unquestoned benefit to Gomez
| and the iosurgent cause. The author couh
draw as well as write. Some rough pen-andIns
sketches OF Gomez found place IN the volume
They gave unusually good ideas OF Gomez IN be
most characteristic attitudes. and showed 20
| rugged qualities, In due time the book foundi,
way TO the insurgent headquarters. IN tie hin
OF Santa Clara Province. That day there vas
an explosion Of wrath which drove the stan 70
the woods and kept the rank and hle IN SUB
missive silence. General Gomez did not like t'
pictures. He ragged about them.
When his wrath had cooled enough to permit
discussion one Of his officers suggested that they
represented the General just as they all kner
him in the camp. and that was the way the
American people wanted to see him. But Gomez
/ would not be Modified. subsequently, during 100
blockade. the correspondent accompanied an n
pedition TO Gomez's camp His reception was
cold one and the insurgent general-n-ehlt'
threatened to send him back for trivial reason.
He said nothing about the book and It's pictures
After time he disclosed his grievance IN a d.
course which was at once a lecture q the CORE
| spondent and remonstrarce
When Special Commissioner Robert T. Pof's
! came away from Remedies after delivering PFet
| ident McKinley's message and receiving poh'e-
promise TO cooperate In dsbanding the lnssl'
gent troops the General presented 10 Mt fon''
| his photograph and autograph.
II Gomez has other vanity II Is the vanity q
the pen He likes 10 write letters he Wri'o
| them well. He wrote to Martinez Campos "ae1
/ that Captain-General was engaged In the lmpo,'
sibe task OF making Spanish rule In Cupa o,hs'
/ icent and conciating the insurrection out OF e,'
! istence. With Weyler he disdained 20 comrnu.'
: cate but when Blanco arrived as the Represents
tive OF the new policy OF autonomy Gomez wIy' w,'
a long letter 10 him. General Blanco never ma, y.
| the document public, but those who Nne. ~
contents realized the clear vision and The iho'"'
liable purpose OF Gomez. ~.
The General has written other letters since 's'
protocol was signed. and has not worried les, ~ ~
should be harmed by some Of them hnding u.y ,
way into print. He writes what he tnlnks -. !,
has no fear Of the consequences. coNecuVI. -, -
his letters since the insurrection Logan ~. ,
years ago would have a decided historical Nais'
His official orders and his addresses 70 'he ". ~.
bans are useful. but they do not give the sa~'
insight into his character -.
The relation OF General Gomez 10 the Ams,',, ,
can military control Is not so important ybs,, =. .
present as his relation 10 the Cuhans he - ss
! accepted the responsibility Of dissoiNlhs
army of which he is the head. Irregular ~ a.. .
their organization. the existence ot tNe"' a..
thousand troops Is an undoubted power ~ -.
commander whose authority they acknoN.ss-,1 III
When they are dissolved Gomez's innuehVs, 49,, 80
be that of a civil leader simply. He tahes rsS ss.
himself his strongest weapon. Ihs y 1n 1n,v,h
evidence which could be afforded OF his s'esss ,.
and OF his confidence in his power. some ,,rs o'
radical insurgent leaders are already gro"n--ss 80
against Gomezs policy. The first test VII, re-, ss-,
when he undertakes 10 deal with some OF u',,, !,
as he did in the field SO long as the "Ar"' n.
Liberation" exists they are his subordinate. -,
will insist that they obey orders and car n 40.
the plans by which the insurgent troops shar .s.,
liver up arms to the Cuban Assempy. = 4,
will probably growl more hercely out m t,S' ~.
no lack OF faith that Gomez VIII pre'a.. "a
arms be delivered up and the island enter ~, n,
its career OF civil government Gomez nss :,