The times., 1899-08-27

Governor General Brooke has suspended
the work OF disbursing three million dol
lars among soldiers who served in the
Cuban army of Liberation. He has said
that his reason for this suspension is that
on the supplementary rolls OF the Cuban
army furnished him there appear the
names of men who never saw military SER
vice. The Governor General also charges
that fraudulent duplication of names has
been resorted TO for the purpose OF swim
ding the United States Government He
has said that many names found IN the
original army rolls are also 10 be found in
the supplementary rolls. General Brooke
has as yet made no formal report 10 the
War Department on this matter, but
reasonable inference is that q number Of
Cubans VINO saw no military service in ths
contest against Spain have been paid by
the American military authorities in Cuba,
and that a number OF these men have been
paid twice.
Il is said at the War Department that OF
the original fund of 100000, s., $50 600
have been disbursed. leaving on hand
S750.O00. II is understood at the War De-
partment that at the conclusion of an in
vestiEatioR, which is now being made by
Governor General Brooke, payments viii
be resumed and that the money remaining
on hand VIII be disbursed at the rate of
SO per capita TO those men whose names
appear on the original rolls and to men
whose names appear on the supplementary
rolls, provided those men whose names are
borne on the last-named rolls furnish suf-
fcient evidence that they served In the
Cuban army. When the claims of these
men shall have been satisfied, and should
there remain a balance Of the original
fund, 1t viii be used TO relieve disabled
and INDECENT Cuban officers.
Many wordy Wars
Many verbal wars have been waged be-
cause OF this payment TO the Cuban troops.
When the proposition was made last win
ter that a payment Of money should be
made TO the Cuban soldiers and that they
should surrender their arms, delegation
headed by the late Gen. Calixto Garcia
came 10 Washington and ratified the agree
ment, which was subsequently approved by
Gen Maxine Gomez. The sum of So, 600, 600
appeared too small 10 the members of the
Cuban Assembly and tempestuous passages
Of words ensued between that body and
General Brooke The Governor General and
General Gomez held conference on March
6, and on March 10 General Brooke ad-
dressed a note TO the Assembly in which he
said that neither he nor the American Gov
-s.ument would pay any attention to the de-
cislons of the Assembly nor accept any con-
tracts, loans, or promises of a pecuniary
nature made by that body. After writing
the note General Brooke summoned Gen
eral Mendez Capote, OF the Assembly and
Informed him that it would be wise to ad-
wise Senor Freye Andrade, President of the
Assembly. and ali the members. TO aban-
don the holding Of long secret sessions
% debate the disbandment of the Cuban
army. On March 10 Generals Brooke and
Gomez met and 1t was then decided that
General Roloh, Inspector General of the
Cuban army, should prepare lists of the
Cuban soldiers, and that these lists should
be used by Paymaster Cory in disbursing
the fund Then there arose heated con-
troversy as TO the desirability of dissolying
the Assembly. The Assembly retaliated by
removing General Gomez from the command
Of the army and by removing Senor Gonzalo
De Quesada from the Office of Secretary of
the Cuban delegation at Washington, and
by declaring that both men were traitors
General Gomez, on March i2, issued man
ffesto, which IN part follows:
Using its extraordinary powers the Assembly
of Representatives, which represents the Army,
not the people. has deposed me from my rank Of
Coramanderin-chief Of the Cuban Army, place
to which was appointed By the revolution and
in wfli& always did my duty The Assembly
considers il a breach Of discipline and as show
ing lack Of respect that should refuse to sup
port IT'S efforts 70 raise loans and enlarge the
debt Of this country. ] think that the great
political and financial interests Of Cuba would
be compromised By such loans
There were demonstrations throughout
Cuba in behalf OF General Gomez and
against the Assembly. Senor Quesada on
March IA issued statement to the Assem-
bly,, saying in part:
The action Of the Assembly In deposing me Is
in line with its conduct toward that faithful and
unsullied patriot Maxine Gomez The Assembly
does not represeTE the tuolcious sentiment OF the
ClikaD repxle or the Cuban ARMY.
The Arrest of Acea.
On March Is the Assembly. supported by
General Rodriguez and part Of the Cuban
army, ordered the arrest OF Colonel Acea
for taking part in Gomez demonstration,
and Manuel Sanguily and Seniors Villalon,
Hevia. and Despaigne were appointed q
commission 10 visit President Mckinley
and urge the American Government 70
guarantee a loan Of $15 00o, 900 which an
American syndicate offered under this con-
dition TO let the Assembly have. There
was also considerable talk in the Assembly
OF rebellion against the authority OF the
United States General Rolof, on March
Is turned over to the Cuban Assembly the
army rolls which he had prepared at the
instance OF General Gomez and General
Brooke. On the same day the transport
Meade, carrying the S3.000.0o0 and con-
FOyed by the cruiser Chicago, entered the
reached Havana from Matanzas that Jose
Miro, a general in the Cuban army. had
gathered a thousand men near San Luis
ard was issuing invitations 10 other chiefs
TO Join him in a revolt against the United
Etates There was great excitement in
Havana and il looked as though the Cuban
army might not disband.
A day or two later, that is, Oh Thurs
day. March g, an important meeting OF
Cuban generals was held at Havana
Among those present were Generals No
darse, BeiaBcourt Diaz, Hernandez, Ro-
las. and Gonzales IL was decided TO notify
the Cuban Assembly that the Cuban army
must be Immediately disbanded and its
arms be- surrendered, and that the soldiers
must be allowed to accept the money Of
fered by the United States The generals
named commanded all the Cuban forces IN
Havana. Santa Clara, Pinar del Rio Ma
tanzas. and the commanders IN Santiago
and Puerto Principe endorsed the action
OF this meeting. This cleared the atmos-
phrre for while. Still the Assembly re-
fused 10 relinquish the muster-rolls, and
the payment and disbandment of the troops
could not proceed without these The
commissioners of the Assembly reached
Washington on Tuesday morning, March
zs. but President Mckinley declined 10 re-
ceire them officially. The three-miilion-
dollar contribution was the most perplex-
ing and the most talked OF topic OF that
period.
II appears that on May the agreement
concerning the disbandment Of the troops
and the disbursement CT the fund donated
by the United States TO the Cuban troops.
was announced. Each non-commissioned
officer -snd private who was IN the service
prior 70 July IL, 1888, and who was not
fr iCV rF ~ .f.~fT frs