The times., 1899-05-21
THE DIFFICULTY over
CUBAN ARMS SETTLED
Brooke Instructed to Proceed
in His Agreement.
War Office Objections Withdrawn
After an Explanation.
How the Weapons VIII He Disposed
Of-Tnrdy Relief From an Em-
barrnssing Situation.

Immediately after his return TO Wash
ington last evening President Mckinley
had a conference with Secretary Alger. the
result OF which was that the Secretary ca
bled directions to Major General Brooke
ri Havana 10 proceed Immediately with the
distribution of the s3 ,0G0,G eco furnished by
the United States for the payment of the
Cuban army on condition that il surrender
its arms and disband. This marks the
end of the embarrassment arising from
the negotiations between General Brooke
and Gen. Maxine Gomez which threatened
at one time to prove serious. The action
OF the President and the Secretary OF War
was made possible by more accurate knowl-
edge of the plan of General Brooke for
disposing of the arms TO be surrendered
by the Cuban soldiers. Although the agree
ment between Brooke and Gomez : mod
ification of that outlined in the original
instructions of President Mckinley, it is of
such character that the President and
Secretary Alger had no hesitation in ap-
proving II, and the directions to General
Brooke were sent accordingly.
The objections of the Administration to
the agreement made by Brooke and Gomez
arose from a misunderstanding as to Its
full purposes. From the information fur
nished by General Brooke ii appeared that
the arms of the Cuban soldiers were to
be turned over to the alcaldes OF mayors
Of Cuban municipalities, and were to re-
main In the custody of those officials. This
was clearly in violation OF the instructions
OF President Mckinley to General Brooke.
The President had expressly stipulated
that the arms should be surrendered to
officers OF the United States. 1t has since
been ascertained that this was only part of
the arrangement for the disposition of the
arms. General Brooke's plan, approved by
he n
evening, is in substance as follows:
The arms are to be surrendered to the
alcaldes in the presence OF United States
officers designated by General Brooke, and
pot directly to these officers, as originally
directed by the President The alcaldes
are then to turn over the arms to the
American representatives and representa-
tives OF the Cuban army, and they will then
be shipped under guard TO Havana and San
tiago, where they are to be placed in United
States armories. At the armories they
VIII be under the immediate care of ar
morers appointed by General Gomez, and
are TO be exhibited as relics of the Cuban
insurrection and Spanish-Ameriean war.
In this way the Cuhans will have pro-
pTietsry interest in the weapons. and will
be charged with their preservation, while
the American authorities will be in prac-
fical possession Of them. After being made
acquainted with these circumstances the
President and Secretary Alger decided to
approve General Brooke's agreement with
General Gomez.
The arrangement for the surrender and
future care of the arms was set forth in
an order issued by General Brooke which
he has sent TO the War Department for its
information. The order provides for the
distribution 10 the Fourth. Fifth and Sixth
corps Of the Cuban army or their portion
OF the 900 allotted by the United
States. 1t is similar TO other orders deal
ing with the remaining corps. In this or
der General Brooke names the commits
sioners who are TO have charge OF the
distribution. They are as follows:
Fourth corps-Lieut. Col. W. A. Raffer-
ty, Second Cavalry, L. s. A.: Gen. Fran
cisco Carrilio. Cuban army; Col Francisco
Lopez Leiva, Cuban army
Fifth Corps-Col. George NJ Randall.
Eighth Infantry, L. s. A: Gen. Carlos Ra-
Jos. Cuban army; Gen. Norbsrto Nodarse,
Cuban army.
sixth corps-Lieut. Col. William II. Bis
bee, First Infantry, L. S. a.: Gen. Juan
Lorente, Cuban army; Gen. Indalecio So
brado, Cuban army.
The order says; There will be given to
each nom commissioned officer and private
soldier Of the Cuban army who was in ser
vice on or before July II, 1898, and who is
not on this date employed in any pubic
once, civil or military, nor as a clerk, po-
lice, or otherwise employed in government
service al some fixed monthly compensa-
tion, and who shall present himself with
bis arms and equipments. the sum OF s75
IL American currency. The money shall
be paid by American paymasters under the
direction OF Major Francis S. Dodge. L S
A. to the individual soldiers after proper
identification by their company command
ers- Al the time OF payment each soldier
shall sign rolls in triplicate. Before sign
ing the rolls and before payments shall be
made 10 the soldier he shall give Up his
arms and equipments. The arms and
equipments received from the Cuban SOL
oiers VIII be taken, under guard. TO the
nearest station occupied by United States
troops, where they will be,stored until they
can be transported Havana or Santiago,
where they viii be kept in the arsenal as
souvenirs and cared for By armorers Sc
Ieeted by the commander-in- chief of The
Cuban army"
TRANSFER OF ARMS IN CUBA.