Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-05-19
Gen. Brooke Telegraphs Conditions
Of Cuban Leaders.
WOULD DELIVER ARMS TO ALCALDES
Secretary AIger Communicates
With the President.
INCLINATION OF OFFICIALS

II is lHe SHeereSl nonsense, said Sec
| retary Alger today in commenting upon
the published story that the President or
| himself had countermanded any order
made by Gen. Brooke relative to the dis
armament of the Cuban troops
The state of the case in brief, is as fol-
lows The President canvassed very
thoroughly with Secretary Alger and Gen.
Brooke the best method OF securing the
disbandment of the Cuban troops and their
re-entry into industrial life. 1t was de-
cided that necessary step toward this
end was the surrender of the arms held
by the Cuban soldiers. 1t was apprehend-
ed, that, retaining their arms, some if not
a large proportion, inclined by their past
predatory existence, would lapse into bri-
gandage. Also it was apprehended that
another element, while not going to this
extreme, would serve to further sinister
designs by ambitious leaders against what
ever government might be erected in Cuba
by the business and agricultural classes
which have a right to representation in
proportion to their numbers.
So the President, himself. ordered Gen.
Brooke to cause the arms of the Cuban
soldiers to be delivered up to representa-
tives OF the United States, which, Cuba
being at present under military control
means representatives of the United
States army. With these instructions
striving to carry out the Pres-
dents plan. He has arrived at that point
where the Cuban leaders. as a matter of
sentiment, they say make 1t a condition
OF disarmament that the arms shall be
placed in the custody of the mayors of The
Cuban towns. Realizing that to assent to
such conditions would be contrary to the
Presidents instructions, Gen. Brooke tele-
graphed TO Secretary Aiger the facts in the
case and asked for decision.
The Secretary, in turn. has commune ated
with the President and asked for instruc-
tions for he feels that he is not authorized
to amend or revoke an order originally
emanating directly from the President
That is the state of the case at present.
The President has not yet notified the
War Department of his intentions. The in
clination of the officials is to adhere to the
original order, for il is still believed to be
wise to have these Cuban arms placed be-
yond the reach of any lawleSS element in
Cuba. Possibly Gen Brooke has planned to
attain this end without offending the senti-
mental scrupes of the Cubans. The details
of his scheme are not perfectly known here
and perhaps he had some means of assuring
control over the arms to the United States
army, while allowing them nominal1y to re-
main in the custody of the mayors of mu-
inequalities.
A sinister sentence occurs in the outline
of GOmezs proclamation, as published this
morning; namely the reference 10 the avail
ability Of the arms for the defense of Cuba
against its enemies, under the proposed ar
rangement. But, after all, this is regarded
as only an expression thrown out to placate
the sentimentalists among the Cubans, and
not as conveying threat against the
United States.
1t is said at the War Department that
should the Cuban leaders refuse to accept
Gen. Brookes proffer, whether it is condi-
toned upon the surrender of arms to United
States army officers or to Cuban mayors,
that refusal will terminate the efforts of
the governor general to come to a satisfac-
tory arrangement with those leaders. For,
thereupon. Gen. Brooke will proceed to ad
dress himself directly to the Cuban private
soldiers. He will have his agents-United
States army officers-pay off every bona fide
Cuban soldier who is willing to comply with
the conditions laid down by him. and that
will be done without further reference to
any of the malcontent leaders, who have
so long retarded a settlement.
Gen. Corbin to Confer With President.
Adjutant General Corbin went to Hot
Springs last night for the purpose of con-
ferring with the Prehident in regard to the
proposed disarmament of the Cuban troops,
and it is expected that definite instructions
will be sent to Gen. Brooke at Havana
tomorrow for his guidance IN the matter.
The only question of Importance at Issue
Is as to whether Gen. Brooke shall be au-
thorized to modify his orders to per
nit the Cuban soldiers to transfer their
arms to the mayors of the different muni-
cipalitieS the representatives of the
United States army.
1t is stated at the War Department this
afternoon that no word has yet been receiV-
ed from the President on the subject. and
the impression prevails that he will defer
action until he has had an opportunity of
discussing the question with his cabinet
or at least with the Secretary of War.
1t is not impossible that an arrangement
NAV be made whereby all Cuban soldiers
who prefer to do so may deposit their arms
with the mayors of the municipalities where
they reside, with the distinct understand
ing however, that such arms shall be trans
ferred to the custody of the military repre-
scntatives of the United States for safe,
keeping until the United States govern
ment shall be reimbursed for its outlay on
account of the payment Of the Cuban troops
Whether such arrangement would be
satisfactory to the Cuban generals is not
known, but whether 1t IS or not, it proba-
bly, represents the utmost concession that
President Mckinley is likely to make in
the premises.
Object of Disarmament.
Allowing Cuban officials to retain custody
of the arms would defeat the very object of
the transfer and lead to the Identical state
of affairs that it is the present policy of
the administration to avoid. The United
States gov ernment has no ulterior purpose
in this matter. and it is an insult to the
President and his advisers to insinuate that
the Cubans are to be disarmed in order
to prevent resistance to annexation.
1t Is explained that the surrender Of the |
arms is largely for the purpose of prevent |
ing any padding of the Cuban army roll. |
The Cuban soldier presenting himself for
his S75 or 500 must have with him his |
weapons of war, which he will surrender
on receipt of the gratuity. Those who can
not show any weapons must be able TO
prove beyond question that they really |
served in the Cuban army, but had given
up their arms some months ago, before the |
proposition was unade to distribute the $S,-
600 600 among the Cuban soldiers.
DENIED BY C1iEF DEVERY.