The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1899-02-01
GREEDY Old GOMEZ
Demands S60,O0O,OOO as the
Price of DISARMAMENT,
WANTS THREE YEARS. PAY
Uncle Sans Reasons for Not
Seeing 1t That Way.

| from the United States and refuses to dis
band his army" until the money is paid
He has repudiated the arrangement made
by Calixto Garcia, who came TO Washing
ton with authority from Gomez to provide
for 1.-THE return Of the Cubans to their
peaceful pursuits, and whose work was
barely accomplished before his sudden
death on December II. 1t was then agreed
| that the United States in order to secure
! the prompt resumption of labor on the
! plantations of the island, with a view 10
| promoting the speedy revival of prosperity
and settled conditions, should distribute
about s3.OOO,OOO among the $1,000 said to be
still under arms, in the ratio of 500 a man,
the officers in proportion to their rank to
! receive greater amount, the ordinary
enlisted men to be discharged with sums
less than 800, depending on the length of
service and 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 being available for the purpose. Ac-
curate lists of the soldiers entitled to COM
pensation had TO be prepared and other
formalities gone through. 1t was intend
ed that the Cubans at the proper time
should apply at established American gar
risons in the various provinces, where, on
throwing down their arms and presenting
the proper credentials, they were to re
ceive their quota of the allotment from
the pay officers at the stations. In the
meantime General Brooke and mis- chief
how
employment mostly Of permanent CHAR
acter, to large numbers of Cubans in IL
der to reduce the number requiring a
bounty and at the same time to give the
inhabitants opportunity to begin govern
ing themselves
Gomez has come out against this sch ene,
which was operating satisfactorily to most
Cubans, and has struck for greater stakes.
1t is officially known here that he IS en-
deavoring to dissusde Cubans from &C
cepting office under the American Occura-
ton and is urging al the natives of every
grade to stay with him in the field until
the United States is compelled to accede
to his terms of disbandment." Gomez
alleges that his army consists of forty
thousand men and he insists that most of
at the rates which prevail in the United
States army. He fixes the date of the
Cuban declaration of independence Feb
ruary a. 1885, as the beginning of the pc
Rod for which himself and his forces are
to be remunerated, and for himself with
the rank Of lieutenant general, he will be
satisfied with 81, 900 annually, the Ameri-
can rate for that grade.
Gomez also has about twenty major gem
erals, for each Of whom he wants $500
annually and his "army' IS equipped with
nearly 200 brigadier generals, each rated.
according to the United States army pay
table, at $500 annually. This aggregates
the nice little sum of s., $4,000 for generals
alone. Then there are colonies, lieuten-
ant colonies and majors. whose numbers
run into the thousands. The privates do
no amount to much, for they are com
paratively few, but each of them will re-
quire S64S and the army paymasters who
figured out the total have reported that
over S57O6Oo0O will be required to crafty
all the demands Gomez has made, which
is an average Of 81, 425 man.
It is to meet these demands and show
Gomez their absurdity that Gonzales Que
sada, who for the last three years has
been the representative Of the Cubans in
Washington, started for Cuba last week,
after reaching a thorough understanding
with the war department. authorities. Rob-
ert P. Porter went along with Mr.. Que
sada as the official representative Of the
United States in the matter.
WHAT CUBA EXPECTS
Havana, Jan. 31.-Robert P. Porter, the
representative of President Mckinley, and
Senior Gonzales Quesada, the Cuban COM
missioner. who recently left Washington
on a special mission to Cuba, started at
O'Clock this morning for Caibarien, pro-
vince of Santa Clara. in order to see Cen
eral Maxine Gomez.
The Dayton excursionists have arrived
here.
Mr.. Porter's mission to General Gomez
is Of two-fold character. to discuss with
MIN fully the position Of the Cuban army
ana 70 invite him TO Havana.
The Washington administration desires
an immediate and friendly settlement OF
the Cuban army question. AS the mill
tary chiefs decisively refuse to accept
S5.o0,N0 In complete satisfaction of the
claims Of the s0ldiery, Washington has
determined. il s uik.erstood. to offer a
much larger sum, even as high 3 sum as
SIS. 100000 If less viii not be accepted.
Whatever is agreed upon is TO be a
ccharge upon the revenues of the islands
until it is paid.
The Cubans. civilians and military. are
aware that an engagement Of this sort
may prolong the American occupation.
but as il seems 10 be their earnest wish
that the army be paid a great sum. the
administration at Washington viii yield
il Is understood, and open negotiations
with this ultimate object.
Mr.. Porter IS said TO carry letters from
President Mckinley and Governor General
Brooke. The scope OF his Instructions
is not disclosed. except that ii Is known
that he has rather fun preliminary pow
ers. Senior QueSada did not know them
until he ana Mr.. Porter were aboard
ship.
The Cubans here are in q state OF ex-
pectation and excitement. Shares on the
local bourSe rose from one 70 three points
today. which is generally attributed 10
the probability that the Cuban soidiery
will be diSbanded and VIII return 10
work.
NATURE OF PORTER-S MISSION
Washington d. g. Jan. Sit Is learned
AZ the war department that NIr. Robert
>P. Porter's mission 10 Cuba Is entirely Of
financial and statistical nature and that
he is not empowered 20 make any pay
ment 10 the Cuban troops Il Is admitted
that he may md it within the limits OF
his duty while in Cuoa collecting this in
formation TO gather. al. The data he can
respecting the strength and condition %
the Cuban troops
Touching Nj ouesada's mission 10 Gen
tons from President Palma. 81 the jUnts