The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-02-01


the Cuban troops. 1t is admitted that he
may ind il within the lines of his duty
while in Cuba collecting this information to
gather al the data he can respecting the
strength and condition of the Cuban troops.
Iouching Mr. Quesadais mission to General
GOmezs headquarters under Instructions
rom President Palma, of tne Junto the Of
ncials preserve a discreet silence, but it
seems entirely probable that if our govern
ment found it eXpedient to make any prop
@siLon 10 Gomez, touching the pay of the
Cuban soldiers that Mr.. Quesada would be
tho instrument chosen for that purpose, not
Csil5 because OF MS warm intimacy with
Gomez and other Cuban leaders. but also
because of his executive information The
pest Information so far obtainable at the
Gepartment and perhaps it is part of Mr..
forter's duty to verify this. is that the
Cuban troops who might properly apply for
money IN case IL should be decided to pay
lacm on number 5000. It is probable that
by basing calculation of $l00 per man on
ms number. that people in Havana OBJ
purse $4,000 for this purpose.
II IS well understood that the sum de-
manded by tha Cuban troops on account Of
their back pay is fully ten times This sum
IL probably viii he represented to them that
rs any payment whatever on this account
CUBA the United States. as the temporary
guardian of the island is in duty bound
70 avoid burdening it at the very outset of
It's Independent existence with a load be-
You'd its ability to bear in the shape Of OBJ
lbdtlOAs. Ine Cuban soldiers viii De asked
u take this sum rs q payment on account
ada The remuneration later Oh if it shall see
NJ The condition precedent to this first
payment VIII be a solemn promise TO dis
band at once
PORTER'S INSTRUCTIONS.
It was learned this evening that the de-
cis.on to send Mr.. Porter TO Cuba was
reached after a full discussion OF the situa-
ton of the insurgent army between the
President and his Cabinet. Mr.. Porter will
confer first with General Brooke, and his
mission is not TO make nor promise any
payments but to gather information. He
viii ask If the Cuban army will not dis
band on present payment of $3,O0O0O0. Our
legal right TO make this payment was re-
lerfed 10 the attorney general, who held
the sum might lawfully be advanced to the
llSuIs gent troops on condltion that the
treasury be subsequently reimbursed from
the revenues of the island, and it is under
stood that this course will be pursued if it
~ found that the desired results can be OBJ
tanned thereby. Mr. Porter was also in
strUcted to inquire into the workings of the
customs regulations and local taxation mat
tiers The Cabinet at to-days meeting dis
cussed very briefly the purposes of Mr.. Por-
ters visit to Cuba, but the greater part
OF the time was given to the consideration
or matters of no general interest. The SUBJ
Ject OF the Eagan court-martial was not
mentioned. There were no advices from the
Philippines Secretary Hay reported the
situation there to be apparently a little
easier
W. +. Curtis, correspondent of the Chi
cago record, in dispatch to his papet,
says; Two months ago General Garcia and
delegation of Cuban patriots came to
washington with credentials from a dele'
gate assembly to negotiate for the payment
OF the lnsurgent troops 1t was his prOpo-
lStlOn to give the rank and file 500 each
and the officers larger sums, from $500 to
5000 each according to their rank, in
der to enable them to take a fresh start i'm
life. He estimated that 100000 would he
sufficient, and, considering it cheaper to pay
them than to fight them, the President
asked for n appropriation of that amount,
passed before the holiday recess. 1t was
not stated in the bill that this money was
TO 90 to the Cuban soldiers, but it was so
understood by members of both houses.
EXTRAVAGANT DEMANDS.
Since that date the lamentable death of
General Garcia has upset all the calcula-
tions and thrown the negotiations into the
hands OF other men who are not so rea-
soT able or so patriotic The remainder of
the delegation, consisting of FIVE Cubans,
has remained in Washington, holding occa-
sional interviews with officials of the War
Department who have this matter in
charge, and receiving their instructions
from General Gomez A couple of weeks
ago they raised their price from $3,00O.OO0 to
S40.OO0,OOO and since then, by order of
Gomez, have increased it to S57 900 900. He
demands as the price of peace i'm Cuba and
the dissolution of the insurgent armies that
the government of the United States shall
furnish the funds or guarantee a loan of
the cuban government for an amount suffi-
cient TO pay every officer and soldier in
the Cuban army q salary corresponding to
the pay of the soldiers and officers of the
regular army of the United States. For ex-
ample, as Lieutenant general, he is to re-
eeiVe $4,000, which represents three years
service at $ll,VOO a year, and he has big
ilsl OF generals whose compensation IS cal
culated on a basis of s., 500 a year. He
claims for every colonel $500, for majors
$3.50, for captains $1,000, for leutenants
81 400 and $500 and for enlisted men all the
way from Sl3 to $50 a month. The total, =
ne figures it out on this basis comes To
Sol, 10000, and ne is willing to surrender all
his claims upon the government of Cuba for
that amount, which he thinks is very rea-
sonable compared with the S20,000,0 900 which
the United States has promised to pay for
the Philippine islands He is not particular
how the money Is raised but he desires to
disburse 1t, or at least supervise the dis
bursement through his own subordinates.
Under the Garcia plan muster rolls were
to be made out by the insurgent officers
with the names of all the soldiers who ac-
tually engaged in fighting under the insur-
gent banner, and each man was to be
Identified, surrender his gun, take an oath
OF allegiance TO the new government and
agree to return to the paths of peace and
industry. The money was to be handled
by regular paymasters of the United States
army. General Gomez refused to submit to
any such humiliating arrangement as that.
lie estimates the strength of his army at
forty thousand men, and prefers to pay
them on the Spanish plan. under which
every colonel receives an amount sufficient
10 pay a tull regiment, settles with his
men on the best terms possible and puts
any balance he can save in his pocket.
The insurgent army is larger to-day than
II ever was and may number forty thou
sand men. The prospect of receiving pay
from the United States government has
made recruiting very brisk. The several di-
visions are in camp at favorable locations
and General Gomez will endeavOr to main
tain their organization and numbers as a
menace 10 the peace of the island until he
secures a settlement Of the pay question.
lie is very much displeased with the in
surgent leaders who have accepted positions
under the new government and demands
that all the advocates of independence shall
pool their interests and stand or fall to-
gether. He insists that no individual faVorS
should be accepted and that the military
To fight the United States if necessary. He
has made no direct threat, but his dis
position is we'll understood and the ennis
sarieS he has sent to General Brooke have
made il perfectly manifest that Gomez is
determined to make trouble unless his terms
are accepted There is no other power
equal to his among the insurgents. He is
The government of the Cuban republic,
which some of our people in Congress were
SO anxious to recognize, never existed, and
the Cuban insurgents do not pretend to
keep up the fiction any longer.
Gomez was always a mercenary. He
would not accept the leadership of the in
surgent forces in 1895 until he was paid
April, 1886, he retired into the mountains
under the plea of i'll health, and refused
10 take the field until more money was
raised for him, but after that his avarice
was satisfied by the opportunity offered
him of blackmailing planters and other
B.