The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1899-04-03
ATTITUDE OF GEN. GOMEZ
HE RETIEUS HIS DIFFERE ENCE ES
WITH THE CUBAN ASSEMBLY,.
His Acceptance of s3,0OO,OOO for Cuban
Army Unwarronted Charge That He
Broke OFF Negotiations for $13,O0O,OO0
Could Not Sanction Raising IL Loan as
Assembly Lacked Adequate Authority.

Could NOtSanciion Raising Loan n
Assembly Lacked Adequate Authority
Havana, April 2,-General Maxine
Gomez, in a long letter. directed to his
wife in Santo Domingo, reviews his diff
ferences with the so-called military as
sembly. lie begins by describing the sit
uatlon as it was when Robert p. Porter
as the special representative of Presi-
/ dent Mckinley visited Cuba, after the
assembly's representatives. at Washing
ton had obtained a promise Of SO, 900, 00C
from the president. The writer, proceed
ing says:
This action on the part of the as
sembly's committee 1 approved. 1t was
then that Mr.. Porter appeared and ask
ed me as COMMUNICATIVE chief to decide
to accept the $3,000,000, to aid in its dis
| tribution and in the disarming of the
army and then proceed forthwith to Ha-
vana to assist the United States mill
tary governor, General Brooke | agreed
and on arriving at Havana, / conferred
with General Brooke, concerning the
payment and the disarmament. 1t was
decided that General Brooke should e.
quest Washington to ship Cuba the 49,,
100000 which had been obtained by the
assembly | saw to the adjustment of
all the questions that led up to a termn-
alton of the ridiculous armed situation
and began to entertain hopes of an ear
ly return to Santo DoninpO
"The assembly then called upon me
to visit it's president saying that the OBJ
ject sought was an unofficial exchange
of ideas. But they placed me upon the
bench of the accused, my crime being
that l was inclined to accept the $3,000,-
900 which the assembly itself through
its representatives, had induced Presi-
dent Mckinley to promise, a matter as
to which l had not been consulted. 1t
appeared that l had broken off negotia-
tions for $13000,000. To all this / re-
piled that / had acted in the best faith
but that nothing had been lost, as /
would withdraw the acceptance l had
given. Then they requested me to array
myself on their side in order to give
strength to their resolutions. / answered
that / had always done so and would
continue to do so except in cases where
the course of the assembly was opposed
to my conscience, to my sense Of justice
and to my idea of the best interests of
Cuba.
Regarding the matters under consid-
Grafton / said | had no hope of obtain
ing more than the s3.000,0O0 from the
United States and disapproved asking
charity, contending that the only meth
cd left was to raise a loan. for which
the assembly lacked adequate authori-
Zation. Furthermore | pointed out that
the soldiers could not wait, that already
they were too great a burden upon the
people of Cuba and that longer delay
appeared to me to be cruel.
THE conference ended without accept
ing anything. | saw | could not make
myself understood by the assembly and
decided not to be mixed up in its doings
but to wait developments. A few days
later three men whom | did not know
visited me and said that several mil \
ionaires stood ready to facilitate loan
of many millions, but that the matter
vas only possible with my cooperation. |
answered that | could not consider any /
proposition of the kind and regarded it |
IS strange that any one would be ready |
% loan money without guarantee. My /
visitors replied that the city council |
,ould arrange guarantee. Then a COM
nttee of the assembly approached me,
lskng me to support the assemblys eff
orts to obtain loan. To this I replied
hat Cuba could not make loan, as she
acked the necessary authority. The
lext day the assembly deposed me- 1
consider that ] have acted honorably,
md my strongest desire now Is to re-
urn home"