Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1899-04-07
NEW WORK FOR GOMEZ
Cuban Chief Organizing the Ma.
tives in Opposition to
Annexation.
INDEPENDENCE FOREVER HIS CRY.
Never Has Given Annexation Any Encoar-
sgement, and May Now Give Uncle Sam
Some TroubIe-win Probably BE Re-
instated in the Position of Commander
in-Chief of the Army Which General
Brooke Wants Disbanded.

| Havana, April THE Cuban military
| Assembly being dead, General Maximo
| Gomez Will take up his programme or
| solidifying the Cuban people into a par
| ty that shall, without ceasing, urge the
United States to withdraw from the ISL
and. His purpose is to make the people
| seem to have but one emotion, one de-
sire-the thought of Independence and
| of absolute separation from the United
States. General Gomez considers the
dissolution of the assembly his personal
achievement, aided by the military ad-
ministration here and countenanced at
Washington. He believes that he
smerges from the controversy with the
assembly stronger than ever with the
better classes. His theory is that the
Cubans. who before thought him merely
an adroit guerrilla chief. are now pre-
pared to regard him as a political lead
er and tRt a few days more probably
will see him III name egeneral-in-chief OF
the army.
Will Reinstate Him a Chief.
Wednesday the Cuban General Pedro
Diaz, who commands in the province of
Pinar del Rio, invited several generals
ard brigade commanders who arr
friendly to Gomez TO a conference re-
garding the latter's future course. As
many who were invited were some dis
tance away from Havana, and could not
arrive here in time for the meeting.
there were only few actually present,
but the possibility of reinstating Gomez
as commander-in-chief was formally
discussed, with the result that little or
no opposition to the proposal developed.
In order to get more general express
sion of opinion it was decided to defer
the formal meeting until today. No 9TH
er candidate is possible and if any sucn
action is attempted it will undoubtedly
be carried through
May Have Trouble with Gomez.
General Gomez, if reinstated. would be
of greater service to the United States
in the disbursement of the $4,000, coo,
but his political programme means the
keeping up of agitation and disturbance
IL the minds of the people and the weak
ening of American authority by pro-
ducing the impression that everything
done by the Americans is temporary,
and may sooner or later be overturned.
American observers consider any such
agitation extremely harmful to the in
dustrial revival and the restoration of
Cuban credit. Some who are high in |
authority and who have exceptional op-
portunities of knowing the character |
ard ideas OF Gomez think the United |
States government may have trouble |
with him yet.
Has Always Been for Independence.
His attitude has always been consis-
tent regarding independence for Cuba |
and he is still working for the same end.
The National Cuban party and the Liga
Patriotica continue their campaigns for
the formation of the party of Cuban in
dependence. Efforts are now being Made
TO effect q consolidation of the two
movements. The probability Is that a
union Will soon be effected. and that
both organizations will then proceed
upon the same lines throughout. The ap-
pointment by Collector Bliss of a Cuban