Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1899-05-15
THAT SLY OLD FABIAN GOMEZ
Begins to Give Trouble to Brooke Who
Asks Him What He Means.

Havana, May 15.-General Gomez has
sent a message TO Governor General
Brooke that he will do himself the pleas
ure of calling at headquarters this morn
ing for a further conference regarding
the payment of the Cuban troops The
appointment for the interview is the
result of q direct inquiry as to what
General Gomez intended to do, in view
of the resignation and non-appearance
of all the Cuban officers nominated by
him to represent the several corps in
the distribution of the $4,000, 600. Gen.
eral Brooke is determined to disregard
for the present the reports that reach
him from various sources as to the al
legged intention of Gomez to withdraw
his cooperation and thus to throw into
confusion the carefully matured plans
for distributing the fund.
General Gomez is acting Queerly re-
garding the distribution of the s.. Geo.
GOO. The commissioners chosen by him
to assist in the distribution as represent
tatives of the Fourth, Fifth and Sixth
army corps either refuse to act or fail
to appear. As the arrangements to pay
the soldiers have been pending for three
and a half months further delay is es-
pecially annoying. General Rojas waz
appointed to act for the Fifth Cuban
army corps. He came to Havana Saturn
day. called upon the governor general,
and in the course of a pleasant inter
view promised to meet the other COM
missioners today. Rojas then called up
on General Gomez, and an hour later
wrote a note to General Chaffee. Gener-
al Brooke's chief of staff, declining to
serve, but giving no reason for his ac-
ticv. General Francisco Carrillo, an
other commissioner. arrived in the city
Friday. but did not visit the American
headquarters. The commissioners for
the Sixth corps. who were to meet at 10
o'clock Saturday morning. did not make
their appearance, ard General Brooke
sent Captain Page to inquire of Gomez
why none of his generals was on hand
In an interview with the governor
generals representative the Cuban
commander appeared Indifferent, and
seemed not to care whether the COM
missioners came or not He made no
suggestions Senior Nolasco, Gomez
secretary, said Saturday night that Go
mez would not agree to have the arms
in the arsenals under control of the
Americans. and wanted them to be in
the custody of the Cubans exclusively.
AS General Gomez saw the order re-
garding the disposition of the arms be-
fore ii was made public. and approved
it. this is a new attitude. The fact
seems to be that the Cuban commander
feels that he is losing his hold upon Gu
ban opinion. and wishes apparently to
prolong the payment of the troops and
then gain time for his political manoeu-
VeTs.
The Cuban Colonel Enrique Col
lazo. in a letter to La Lucia, published
Saturday. sounds an alarm and calls
the Cubans to witness the danger of the
country in longer submitting to the
Americans. In his communication Col
onel Collazo says: THE conclusion is
logical that we cannot serve Cuba and
America. their ideas being contradictory.
The Americans have proved the
falsity of the promises they have made,
and our ideal of independence is endan-
gered. Fighting as we fought, to aban-
don it today is impossible. The moment
has arrived, without doubt. when we
should unite with the same energy with
which we fought the Spaniards." The
writer declares further that the McKin-
ley administration is the mortal enemy
of the Cubans.
The Cuban General Rafael Rodriguez,
speaking for Gomez, said that the re-
ports of a difference with General
Brooke were absolutely untrue. The
attitude Of Gomez. he declared, had
undergone no change. and the principal
generals of the Cuban army. as we'll as
the rank and file. continued to support
Gomez. as they always had. He asserted
that all the talk about a revolt in the
army against the surrendering of the
arms was the work of members of the
former military assembly. The Cuban
generals who withdrew from the COM
mission did so Of their own volition.
being thereinto melted by politics or
disappointed ambition, he said. and 9TH
ers would soon take their places.