The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-04-09
AyISIT TO MAX[M0 GOMEZ.
n,rIyG PERSONALITY OF CUBA's
yOREnOST LEADER.

- ~ fnF noun - ~ '''T '''' -
y ainc, he entered the cuban capital a few
49,, = ,hrrc Is none now, The passing OF
Nv C,b,r Assembly carries with II the one
M. IN, r, NJ opposition to the stele looking
-, s,rurtion agreed upon hy the Cuban
~" aud The President o The United States.
. ,.somhly still holds to its WnHnnd for
t.omrishiug what 1t cannot do to-day.
~, rho Assembly, practically has no to-
-o,,ov There are tw"nty-seren mem
nv. 1, ,bn Assembly. Those twrnty-seven
sar who runstitutrd tn" chief element
=, disaFcctiuu. assumcd the power to de-
Came from command Of the armv. and
p".n,,.d the tender Of 100000 nv from
'I.rj,cd States. have been blind hut now
.h.r soc sentiment is all ore way. 1t is with
nomez tlc Popular idol. who has the loyalty
.,,ho CuI an soldiers and the confidence of the
Crh,n rcou,c There is Il suggestion OF des-
nora,ion in tho present attitude OF the Cuban
ls.snhlv. Il has no Influence. and its fnture
a O, no consequence as a factor in the gov
.msn, Of cuba. Undoubtedly there will be
49,. m,lrontents after the DISARMAMENT Of
~. army. 1t would be strange il there were
not. But. on the whole. the CUBAN soiuiers VIII
h. satisfied and grateful.
u m. Meantime, where Ia Gen. Gomez. who.
18th hit ragged. hungry men. led the long
.,,,ools for Cuba's freedom. Those who be-
u.-. IN the Divine direction OF things will sec
,hs hand OF Providence in the transformation
vhicb has taken the in surgent leader from his
,opub. noyerty- stricken camps and placed him
IN the summer villa. formerly occupied by the
sn,nish Captains General in Havana. But
h.,a I, ia. at Ouinta de los Molinos. in the CEN
t. n, the extensive and beautiful Botanical
Gardens, that Gen. Gomez has his h%eadquar-
t.rs, two miles out from the noise and hustle
a, the city. During the war the house and
s-runds we're sadly neglected. Captain General
0.vier EXPRESSED a superstitious belief in the
unbealthfulness OF the place. and his sue
eessor. Captain General Blanco. was not in
eliped TO spend any time there. 1t is intimated
that both weyler and Blanco regarded person.
nj safety more certain in the Palace. guarded
BY their soldiers. But, above all neglect. there
IA still the beauty OF royal palms. and every
where blossoming vines show IA wealth OF
foliage and brilliant color that is a delight to
the eve. Signs Of better days are much in evil
depce about the house. though most OF the
furniture has gone the way OF other valuable
transportable property and has been carried
oyer 10 Spain. A shaded avenue leads up
from the street. broken half way by two sentry
boxes. These are old and dilapidated. and are
the same which were used under the Spanish
regime. Where the Spanish regular held
guard for SO many years the Cuban insurgent
now stands in careless ease. for it Is a military
form without military necessity. Such is the
change for Maxine Gomez, so marvellous that
II might be a fairy tale rather than reality.
In a curious way the photographs of Gomez
Civ him an angular figure. hard features. a
oareworn EXPRESSION. and age anywhere from
70 to 80 years. But as a matter OF fact no pho
tograph does him Justice as a true picture Of
face. figure. or age. This was the quick i'm
preston that fixed itself on my mind. as the
young staff officer who went up with me
paused on the threshold Of the balcony where
Gen. Gomez sat looking over some papers. II
was but a moment, though long enough to
study the personal appearance Of the man
who to-day. il the Cuban people had their will.
would round his career as President OF a re-
public Of Cuba, The real Gomez is 62-not 81
years old. but 81 years young. His slen-
der figure is erect. 1.-THE and active as a
boys; so slender and straight that he seems
taller than his staff officers. who are OF average
height. His face is as young as his figure. 1t
Is bronzed. hut smooth and free from lines.
Neither age nor war has left its impress. and
there Is no trace OF the hardship. suffering.
dieouragement and often hopelessness which
have filed his life through the past -four years.
In physical vigor Gomez is a remarkable man.
But he is more remarkable in that other
strength-the strength OF leadership. which
held his half-starved army together in
time OF war, and now supreme and
ready. holds his followers in time OF peace. II
marks his face. strong and stern in repose. but
nne. magnetic aud responsive when he smiles.
Twas prepared for something OF bruslueuess
In the soldier more conversant with camps
than social environments. But Gen. Gomez
received me with a courtesy and quiet dignity
that would grace any drawing room. The
young stan officer had gently warned me I" not
TO open fire on the General" with political
questions. The warning was unnecessary
Gomez is not the man to he interviewed against
his will. He is capable OF a reserve quite i'm
penetrable. At the same time he is enough Of
adipiomatlst to turn interviewer himself. and
% cleverly that his visitor is hardly conscious
dh' There was at frst a slight reserve. like
eshadow. on his face. 1t quickly passed. and I
found myself talking on the future Of Cuba az
easily as one talks to a friend. Gomez by his
manner making my visit personal and divest-
'heltof business or official character.
without quoting him direct. l may say that
na1lmo Gomez sees but one fnturs for Cuba:
'natls, independence He also sees. and more
clearly than any Of his followers. the difficult
eonuitions which can only be met and over
come bS time. patience. forbearance. and.
soo'e all. Justice. One can fancy Gomez stern.
even marsh and infexible in purpose. but never
unjust No man understands the Cuban peo-
pie better, He knows that the Cuban char
@eter IL what centuries ~ oppression have
maze II. The regeneration Of Cuba Is not
s'ohe 10 the swift or the strong. but TO the
patent and the lust. There may be only the
S'Einning in his day, and even in the