The times., 1899-03-15
GENERAL WASHINGTON
NEWS AND GOSSIP.
Tint Mysterious sI2.OoO.oOo Loan.

hau offered to advance Sl2 eco GOO to the So
called Cuban Assembly to pay OFF the SOL
diers of the Cuban army. This syndicate /
has been operating. it is understood. IN
dependent of the American Government
and its offer of 50, COZ, 900 to supply the /
temporary demands of the Cubans. Com
plications that have arisen over this mat
ter are responsible, it is said, for the de-
posing o; General Gomez and Senor Quesa-
da by the so-called Cuban Assembly. Some
curiosity has been manifested as to the
identity or personnel Of the sl2,OoO,Ooo I
syndicate. 1t was learned yesterday that
Robert NJ. Fryer, a civil engineer OF dis
tinction, who has made his headquarters
in Washington for some time, was the
originator of the syndicate. Mr.. FRYER
consented last night to make the following
statement regarding the matter;
81 have been Mr.. Quesadas friend since
long before the election OF the present
Cuban Assembly, at which time Mr.. Quesa-
da was considering, with me, certain In
dustrial enterprises for the development oil
Cuba by honorable American capitalists
whom ! was instrumental in bringing 10
the notice of Cuban representatives. At
the instance of one of the leaders in Cuba,
it was shown that the Cuban troops should
| be paid, or partially paid, i'll order to bring
about the best results in the shortest pos
siple space of time-throughout the whole
island of Cuba. | then suggested that
could produce gentleman OF my acquain-
tance who could raise all needed money
for the above purpose If terms and condi-
tons made satisfactory to him, or
/ that | believed | could do so. 1t is need
less to say, perhaps, that this suggestion
was acted upon without delay. | produced
my man. and all prelirninaries attending
such q transaction were completed in
very short space of time, and then came
the election of the Cuban Assembly, OF
which Mr.. Quesada was telected) mem
/ Der. This was followed by the appoint
( ment of a Commission, headed by General
Garcia, which made its appearance in
Washington, as is well known. The finan
cial agent / had presented to Mr.. Quesa-
da was presented 10 tine Cuban Commission
by Mir. QUesada, and then the offer OF all
needed funds was formally made, but upon
what terms | do not know, though | W..
given to understand that the only thing
needed was approval on the part of the
United States Government in advance Of
completing the transaction. Then General
Garcia was taken ill. ending in his death,
wherefore all negotiations came 10 an end,
so far as this transaction was concerned,
until after the Assembly reorganized in
! Cuba, though in the mean time much "a
! tention was given to the matter of keep
! ing up interest on the part OF those who
could control the millions OF dollars necss-
sary for carrying out the wishes of the
/ Cuban Assembly, should 1t get itself into
condition to accept the mysterious loan
/ as proposed, and, during the same inter-
val, it is to be stated, Mr. Quesada has
( worked just as hard TO secure from our
| Government sufficient sum of money 10
meet the most urgent needs of the Cuban
/ army. He still feels that he is dong right
| in that direction, and here arises the diff
! ficulty between himself and the Assembly,
! which looks upon the $4,000, 000 tsnder of
| the United States as inadequate sum
for the real needs Of Cuba, and by accept
ing 1t through proposed channels, its hope
is lost for raising enough money for plac-
| ing Cuba on fair business basis. The
| financial agent above referred TO is nov
| in Cuba by right, as the first to offer d
4 rectly to General Garcia and associates the
money they came here to secure. He went
| there with the full knowledge and consent
/ of Mr. Quesada, who would like nothing
| better than to have the Cuban Assemb
accept his proffered loan, provided such
j would not be displeasing to our Govern
y
Notwithstanding what may be said by
others on that subject. He is not "trai-
| tor" to anything or anybody in Cuba or
/ elsewhere, and ii is terrible to see such
! things in print, wherever they emanale
/ from. You understand that | occupy here
| the position OF a mutual friend, whose
! business it has been to bring capital and
! enterprises together in such manner as to
result in profit to all concerned unless dis
! Fk.
/ stroys it.
There has at no time been anything
mysterious about this proposed bond trans
! action; none more, anyway. than would
/ surround business transactions of far less
magnitude, and were it not to place GER
tain of my friends in proper light before
the people of this country and Cuba.
would not feel justified in saying so much
! as | do here. The facts are these in a few
! words-thc Cubans are offered from So
600. coo TO $40 900 600 to do with as circum-
! stances demand it could not have been
| offered to them had the matter not have
been handled in a business way; if the
offer is accepted. the people who have been
instrumental in raising the money will
| make something out of the transaction
and II not accepted. these same people will
not only not get anything-but will have
lost some time and money in it, but so
far as the Cuban army is concerned it will
| probably find more attraction in the direc-
| tion of the Assembly should that body
take this big sum. will other Cubans.
and so will other kinds of people for it
is natural that it should be so.
With age, the Assembly will tolera te
the gOading and abuse it gets without
striking back at obstructonists as it does.
but TO do its worst it cannot permanently
injured GoDzala de Quesada in the estima-
tion of people in general either In Cuba
or in this country: Mr.. Quesada is an every
day, honest, straightforward gentleman.
and one who could be used to land more
capital in Cuba for legitimate purposes
than could any other man in this world TO
say nothing about the moral influence that
he will exert over that island as long as he
lives"
The Ohio Go,ern"rshtp.-Jame y
Garfield. son Of the late President Gar
field. has been brought OUT as a candidate
for Governor of the Buckeye State An
other former Presidents son Major Webb
c. Hayes. is also making a canvass for the
Republican nomination. Both young men
are understood to be proteges of Senator
Hanna. Garfield has had more political
experience than young Hayes, however
as he mas served in the Ohio State Senate
He was an unsuccessful candidate for Com
gress last fall In his fathers old district
Garfield is said TO be n good talker, pos
sessing something OF his fathers ability
as an orator. AS between the two young
men 1t is understood that Hanna would
favor Garfield. However. II is quite likely
that he Will turn both down.
General Nheeler's Casc.-'The an
parent effort on the part of certain officials
In the War Department TO sidetrack Gen