The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1899-05-19
NEW SIGNS OF TROUBLE.
Comes Intimates He May Not Abide
by His Agreement with Gen.
Brooke.


night Gen. Gomez would not agree to
have the arms of the Cuban soldiers de-
posted in the arsenals under control OF
the Americans and wanted them to be
in the custody of the Cubans exclusive
ly. As Gen. Gomez saw the order re-
garding the disposition of the arms be.
fore it was made public and approved
it this is new attitude. Gomez is act.
ing queerly regarding the distribution
of the S., 100000 advanced by the United
States government for the payment OF
the Cuban troops, and the commission.
ers chosen by him to assist in the distri-
button as representatives of the Fourth.
Fifth and Sixth army corps either re-
fuse to act or fail to appear.
As the United States authorities are
unable to begin the disbursement of the
money without the assistance of the
Cubans, Gen. Brooke is astonished at
the Indifference shown by Gomez. Sat
urday evening Gen. Brooke sent Maj
Kennon, of his staff, to see Gomez re-
garding the situation. Gomez declared
that he was unable to explain why the
generals would not serve, and expressed
the belief that their action was due tc
the influence of his enemies.
Gen. Gomez fiat refusal at the last
moment to assent to the delivery of the
Cuban arms to the American authori.
ties is the immediate cause of the
break. The insurgents, from the ex-
commander in chief to the rawest pff-
vate, resent the demand that they shall
surrender their rifles as the price OF
the payment of the S3,o0o,OOO, and the
younger element does not hesitate to
declare its intention to take TO the
woods rather than submit to what is
called 1.-THE humiliating bargain" pro-
posed by Gen. Brooke.
There is no doubt that the attitude
of the army is the same as that of the
former commander in chief. Tele-
grams are being received from every
corps in the island declaring that the
Insurgents will not surrender their
arms under the terms of the former
agreement. Back of the present trou-
bic is the failure of Gen. Gomez pet
project of recruiting a militia army OF
$4,000 men from insurgents disposed to
continue soldering.
Gen. Gomez personal following has
dwindled at frightful rate since the
first publication of the fact that he had
assented to the American terms, and
the declination of Gems. Betancourt,
Monteagudo, Rojas and Llorente to
serve as Cuban commissioners in the
payment of troops brought the fact
that his power was waning sharply to
his attention. The old insurgent yield
ed Saturday to the tremendous popular
pressure and served notice on Gen.
Brooke that he would not attempt to
force the 100000 upon the army ex-
cept as free and unconditional gift
Washington, May 1.-the serious
condition of affairs in Cuba, where a
clash seems imminent between the
United States army and the Cubans I'M
der Gen. Gomez, is causing apprehen-
sion in the war department. President
Mckinley has made it plain to Secre-
tary Alger and to Maj. Gen. John 4.
Brooke, military governor of Cuba, that
there must be no open rupture with the
Cubans, because of the international
effect of a physical clash, and yet the
difficulties in the way Of peaceable
settlement appear practically insur-
mountable. Gen. Gomez has all army
Of $4,000 men, which he insists shall be
kept as military organization under
his control after the payment by the
United States of 100000 to the men
who claim to compose the insurgent
army. This proposition has been I'M
equivocally rejected by Gen. Brooke,
and in this stand he is sustained by Sec
retarv lrer