The Red Cloud chief., 1899-02-03
GOMEZ Wants S6O,OOO,OOO
Salaries for Hundreds Of Generals
and Thousands Of Colonies.
Is PLAYING FOR BIG STAKES,
n Cabsn wants His sfen Paid for
Three Years at American Army Rates
His Troops Urged 60 stay Armed
Until Given tho Money.

WASHINGTON, Feb. l. 49, Maxine
Gomez, the Cuban commander, has
demanded nearly 500, 900, 600 from the
his army until the money Is paid.
lie has rcpudiated the arrangement
made by Calixto Garcia, who came to
Washington with authority from
Gomez to provide FOR the return of the
Cubans TO their peaceful pursuits. His
work was barely accomplished before
his sudden death on December II.
II was then agreed that the United
States, In order to secure the prompt
resumption Of labor on the planta.
lions OF the island, with q view OF
promoting the speedy revival OF pros.
perity and settled conditions, should
distribute about s3, 900. 900 among the
5000 Cubans said to he still under
arms. The money vas to DO divided
In the ratio OF 500 a man, the officers
I'm proportion to their rank 10 receive
a greater amount, the ordinary en- .
listed men to be discharged with sums
less than 500, depending on the length
OF service aud other considerations.
For over a month the pay corps OF the
army has been making ready to carry
out this arrangement. The national
defense fund Is available for the pur-
pose.
Accurate lists of the soldiers en-
titled to compensation had to be pre-.
pared and other formalities gone
through. IL was intended that the
Cubans at the proper time should ap.
ply Mt established American garrisons
In the various provinces, where, ON
throwing down their arms and pre-.
senting the proper credentials, they
were to receive their quota Of the al.
lotmcnt from the pay officers at the
stations.
In the meantime, General Brooke
and his chief subordinate have been
endeavoring to give employment.
mostly Of n permanent character, to n
large number Of Cubans, in order to
reduce the number requiring u bounty
and mt the same time TO give the in.
habltants opportunity to begin gov.
erning themselves.
Gomez has come out against this
scheme, which was operating satisfac.
torily to most Cubans and has struck
for greater stakes. 1t Is officially
known here that he Is cndcavoring 70
dissuade Cubans from accepting Office
under the American occupation and is
urging all tho natives of every grade
TO stay with him In the field until
the United States Is compelled to
accede to his ''terms OF disband.
ment." Gomez alleges that his army
consists Of 10000 men and he insists
that most Of them shall be paid for
three years service at the rates that
prevail In the United States army.
He hxes the date OF the Cuban declar.
alton OF independence, February -,
1905, IA the beginning Of the period
for which himself and his forces IRE to
be remunerated, and for himself, with
the rank Of lieutenant general. he
will lie 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
C4uippCu WIN hSoriy -VV bTlkhuiel
generals, each rated, according to the
United States army pay table, at 50, 500
annually. This aggregates the nice lit
tie sum Of 81, 1888, 900 for generals alone,
then there are colonies, lieutenant col
onels and majors, whose numbers run
into the thousands. The priyates dc
not amount to much, for they are com
parativcly few, but each of them vii
require S6t5, and the army paymaster,
who have figured out the total hay,
reported that over S5., 900, 900 will b,
required to crafty all the demand.
Gomez has made, This is an average
OF 81, 1925 a man.
1t Is TO meet these demands an,
show Gomez their absurdity that Con
zalo Quesada, who, for the last tire,
years, has been the representative o
the Cubans In Washington, started 70
Cuba last week, after reaching u thor
ough understanding with the war dc
partment authorities. Robert Z. Por
ter went along with Mr.. Quesada n
the official representative OF tn
United States in the matter.