The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-03-03
DEMANDS OF CUBANS
Three Millions Not Sufficient to Pay
Their Troops.
OFFER MAY BE REJECTED
STORMY SESSION OF THE MILL
TARY ASSEMBLY.
Cuban Army Maintains Order In
Four-ffths of the Island-General
Gomez Requests Brooke to Reduce
the Army of Occupation to Ten
Thousand Men.

Havana, March General Maxine
Gomez asked Governor General Brooke
to reduce the army of occupation to
10000 men, retaining 10000 Cubans in
the service of the military government
At least, so says Senior Manuel de Ces-
pedes, who acted as interpreter at yes
terday's council, adding that General
Brooke took the proposition under con-
sideration and promised to consult
Washington.
General Brooke himself says nothing
on the question. If Cuban soldiers are
enlisted, it will be under American Off
GERS and the old organization will be
broken up. Were 10000 enlisted, this
would allow the 100000 to be di-
vided among the remainder, less those
already employed on the streets and
the rural police, about 1900.
Major General Bates, military gov
ernor of the department of Santa Clara,
was authorized to employ 500 rurals at
$50. a month for priyates, the whole
force to cost $21, 0O0 but he was unable
to get the Cuban commanders to con-
sent to release 800 men. He then agreed
to pay four Cuban generals lump sum
in cash, to be expended for shoes,
clothing and supplies, but this agree
ment has not been approved by Cen
eral Brooke.
The Cuban military assembly met
today at Marianao, General Andrade
presiding. General Andrade announced
that the pending business was of a very
important and serious nature, connect
ed with the report of the special COM
mittee that had called upon President
Mckinley. He suggested that the ses-
sion should be private and the assem-
bly, so ordered. the public being imme-
diately excluded. 1t is understood,
however, that the session was a stormy
one, the discussion being over the ac-
ceptance of the $30O0,000 rendered by
the United States government. Seven
teen members, it is said, favored &C
cepting this amount, but no final de-
cision was reached, and the assembly
will meet tomorrow afternoon at FL
Correo.
General Enrique Collazo, in a letter
to the public, criticizes the assembly's
action, saying that its special commits
sion went to Washington for the eX-
press purpose of obtaining from the
United States money enough to pay the
troops or permission to raise money In
Cuba for this purpose.
Neither of these objects has been
obtained" he says. I'VE cannot accept
what is proposed, for the reason that
it is not enough and disarmament
would be unjust. The Cuban army has
maintained order in four-fifths of the
island since Jan. 1. Our men are living,
for the most part, in the interior of the
country. when at home, and 800 TO
each soldier would not be sufficient to
enable him to get to his home and to
live there two weeks. The assembly
has no need of further time to study
the question. The minds of its mem
bers should have been made up. The
only thing to do is to refuse the offer
and then let the United States act as
it sees fit L-
General Collazo insists that his views
express the feeling of a majority of
the Cubans in the eastern provinces,
and declares that as the time for def
mite action regarding the payment of
IS. coo 600 and disarmament has ap-
preached, the feeling has grown among
military men that the amount is alto
gether insufficient and should not be
accepted.
The fact that today's session of the
assembly was secret is strongly criti-
cised by certain Cuban leaders, who
are not members of the assembly.
These declare openly that the Cubans
have not enough confidence in the as
sembly to tolerate the idea Of secret
meetings. Gomez did not attend to-
day session.
General Gomez, who is thoroughly
tired out, requests that he be allowed
time for rest and recuperation, and
temporarily excuses himself from at
tendance at fetes.
Senior Capote, secretary of the de-
partment of state in General Brooke's
cabinet, has notified Senior Ramon Ar
guelles that the governor general can
not officially recognize his exequator
as SPANS representative in Cuba. His
credentials are said to be kilograms
and unofficial letters from General
Castellanos, Spain's last governor gen.
oral 'of Cl1ha