The Saint Paul globe., 1899-02-01
GOMEZ ASKS MILLIONS
WILL NOT DlsBAND HIS ARMY UN-
TIL THE PROPER PAY IS FULLY
.,o GUARANTEED
WILL REQUIRE seo,Ooo,ooo

mes, Would Not Pay All Cuban
Oh1cers--Mr. Robert Porter Starts
for Cuba to Try to Compromise.
WASHINGTON, Jan. 81. - Maxine
Gomez. the Cuban commanding gen
eral. has demanded nearly $50, ,000, 900
from the United States and refuses to
disband his army until the money is
paid. He has repudiated the arrange
ment made by Calixto Garcia, who
came to Washington with authority
from Gomez to provide for the return
OF. the Cubans to their peaceful pur-
suits and whose work was barely ac-
complished before his sudden death, on
Dec. IL. 1t was then agreed that the
United States, in order to secure the
prompt resumption Of labor on the
plantations Of the islands, with a view
to promoting the speedy revival Of
prosperity and settled conditions,
should distribute about $4,000. 600 among
the thirty thousand said to be still un-
der arms. in the ratio of 500 man.
the officers in proportion to their rank.
to receive greater amount, the ordi-
nary enlisted men to be discharged
with sums. then. less than 800, depend
Ing on the length OF service and other
considerations. For over a month the
pay corps Of the army has been maxi
ing ready to carry out this arrange
ment the national defense fund being
available for the purpose An accurate
list OF the soldiers entitled to compen-
sation had to be prepared and other
formalities gone through. It was in
tended that the Cubans at the proper
time should apply at established Amer
lean garrisons in the various provinces.
where on throwing down their arms
and presenting the proper credentials,
they were to receive their quota Of the
allotment Of the pay officers at the
stations. In the meantime Gen. Brooke
and his chief subordinate have been
endeavoring to give employment, most
ly of permanent character, to large
number Of Cubans, in order to reduce
the number requiring bounty and at
the same time to give the inhabitants
opportunity to begin governing them
selves.
GEN. GOMEZ OBJECTS.
Gen. Gomez has come out against
this scheme. which was operating sat-
isfactorily to most Cubans and has
struck for greater stakes. 1t is official
ly known here that he is endeavoring
to dissuade Cubans from accepting Of
hce under the American occupation,
and is urging all the natives of every
grade to stay with him in the field un-
til the United States is compelled to
accede to his terms of disbandment"
Gomez alleges that his army consists
of 10000 men, and he states that most
Of them shall be paid for three years
service at the rates which prevail in
the United States army. He fixes the
date Of the Cuban declaration Of in
dependence Feb. "a, 1895, as the begin
ming Of the period from which he and
his followers are to be remunerated,
and for himself, with the rank of lieu
tenant general, he will be satisfied with
81 900 annually, the American rate for
that grade. Gomez also has about
twenty major generals, for each of
whom he wants $500 annually, and
his army" is equipped with nearly 200
brigadier generals. each rated accord
ing to the United States army pay ta-
BILE at $500 annually. This aggregates
the nice little sum of 1888, 900 for gem
erals alone; then there are colonels
| lieutenant colonels and majors, whose
numbers run into the thousands The
privates do not amount to much, for
they are comparatively few. but each
of them will require $685. and the army
paymasters who figure out the total
have reported that over s57, ,000, 900 will
be required to crafty all the demands
Gomez has made, which is an average
of S1,425 a man.
1t is to meet all these demands and
show Gomez their absurdity that
Gonzales Quesade, who for the last
three years has been the representa-
tive of Cubans in Washington, started
for Cuba last week, after reaching a
thorough understanding with the war
department authorities. Robert P. Por-
ter went along with Mr.. Quesade. as
the official representative of the Unit
ed States in the matter.
GOVERNMENT MAY YIELD.
Mr.. Porter's mission to Gen. Gomez
is Of a two-fold character, to discuss
with him fully the position of the Gu
ban army and to invite him to Hava-
ma. The Washington administration
| desires an immediate and friendly set
tlement of the Cuban army question.
AS the military chiefs decidedly re-
fused to accept 100000 in complete
satisfaction Of the claims of the SOL
diery, Washington has decided, it Is
said, to offer a much larger sum-even
| as large sum as $15,000,000, if less
will not be accepted. Whatever is
agreed upon is to be a charge upon the
| revenues of the island until 1t is paid.
| The Cubans, civilians and military are
aware that an engagement Of this sort
may prolong the American occupation,
but, as it seems to be their earnest
| wish that the army be paid great
| sum, the administration at Washing
tor will yield, 1t is understood, and
open negotiations with this ultimate
object.
| SENIOR GALBIs APPEARS.