The record-union., 1899-05-20
Over the Question as TO Whom Shall the
Insurgents Surrender Arms.
Natives Seriously Object to the De-
termination OF Washington
Authorities That the Military
Shall Take and Retain Possess
sion Of the Arms, Asserting
That President Mckinley Was
Party to an Agreement That the
Assembly or It's Representatives
Should Receive Them.

Should Receive Them.
HAVANA, May 19-Havana is in a
ferment again over the idea that the
Washington administration has deter
mined to take the arms of the Cuban
troops, and to retain them in military
possession This view of the latest
news from Washington has been tele-
graphed to- the various cities.
Unless instructions to the contrary
are received from the Washington ad-
ministration, the Governor General
order respecting the distribution of the
So 100000, as modified, will be issued
morrow. The Secretary of War has
been informed as to the substance of
this order, in the usual course of bust
ness.
Havana's midday papers publish the
Washington news, some of them COM
menting editorially upon it. AS the
point where the arms are to be kept ap-
pears to be thought of vital Importance
in Washington, the conviction an
nounced there that the Mayors cannot
be trusted with them is cause of fresh
discomfort, just at the moment when
the various complications appeared to
be unraveled. The Mayors are the ap-
pointees of the Governor General, and
when the military assembly dissolved
they were made its representatives to
receive the arms.
Article of the agreement between
General Gomez and Robert P. Porter,
President McKinley's special represent
ative, runs as follows:
1.-The Cubans shall surrender their
arms to the Cuban assembly or TO it's
representatives.
General Gomez, who at the time of
coming to the agreement with Mr. Por-
ter had not quarreled with the assem-
bly, insisted upon this point. Since the
quarrel he has again raised the point
repeatedly, saying also that Mr.. Por-
ter brought written authority from
President Mckinley. and in the Presi-
dents name agreed that the arms
should go into the custody of the as
sembly or its representatives
The manifesto of Gomez last evening
is unsatisfactory to the military ad-
ministration, because its author failed
to disband the army He had been ask
ed to include a paragraph directing the
various commands to dissolve, and had
was authorized to disband the army.
promising to reflect upon the matter.
His attitude at headquarters yesterday
was quite different from his previous
bearing, and it soon became obvious
that he wished to discontinue giving
any advice, even on the subject of the
payment of the troops
The man who was reported to be
suffering from yellow fever is now out
of danger, and no new cases of the
disease have developed Order have
been issued that only immunes are to
be allowed to work under the ground
near the harbor, as it is believed this
work caused the former case of fever.
NO ORDERS COUNTERMANDED
WASHINGTON, May 19-'It is the
sheerest nonsense said Secretary AL
ger to-day, in commenting upon the
published story that the President or
himself had countermanded any order
made by General Brooke relative to the
disarmament of the Cuban troops. The
state of the case in brief is as follows:
The President canvassed very thor
oughly with Secretary Alger and Cen
eral Brooke the best method of securing
the disbandment Of the Cuban troops
and their re-entry into Industrial life.
1t was decided that another step toward
this end was the surrender of the arms
held by the Cuban soldiers 1t was
apprehended that, retaining their arms,
some il not large portion inclined bv
their past predatory existence would
lapse into brigandage. So the Presl-
dent had ordered General Brooke TO
cause the arms of the Cuban soldiers
to be delivered UP to representatives of
tn United States army.
With these instructions General
Brooke has been patiently carrying out
the Presidents plan. He has arrived
at that point where the Cuban leaders.
as matter of sentiment, they saw.
make it condition Of disarmament that
the arms shall be placed in the custody
of the Mayors of the Cuban towns. Re
alizing that to assent to such conditions
would be contrary to the Presidents
instructions, General Brooke has tele-
graphed to Secretary Alger the facts
in the case, and asked for a decision.
The Secretary in turn has communicate
ed with the President and asked for
instructions, for he feels that he is nat
authorized to amend or revoke an ortier
originally emanating directly from the
President. That is the state of the
case at present. The President has
not yet notified the War Department
of his intentions.
1t is said at the War Department
that should the Cubans refuse to ac-
cept the United States proffer, whether
it is conditioned on the surrender of
their arms to United States army off,
GERS, or to Cuban Mayors, that will ter
inmate the efforts of the Governor Cen
eral to come to a satisfactory arrange
ment with the leaders For thereupon
General Brooke will proceed to address
himself directly to the Cuban private
soldiers. He will have his agents
United States officers-pay off every
bona fide Cuban soldier who is willing
to comply with the conditions laid
down by him, and this will be done
without further reference to any of the
! leaders.
Sending Of Convicts to Siberia.
ST PETERSBURG Nav 10 - The