The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-02-03
GEN. GOMEZ'S LETTER.
He Tells the President He Will Assist
i'm demonstrating Cuba

He Tells the President He Will Assist
in RecOnstructing Cuba.
REMEDIES, Feb. 2, via Camaiuay.-Im-
mediately after yesterdays conference Gen.
Gomez wrote the following letter to Presi-
dent Mckinley in Spanish:
1T has been a great pleasure to ME to
confer with your commissioner, Mr.. Porter,
introduced by my friend 0uesada, and l am
now aware Of and pleased with your wishes
In short time l shall 20 to Havana and
confer with General Brooke, so that every
thing will go we'll Following your advice,
willingly cooperate in the work of recon
structing Cuba"
Immediately after writing the letter to
President Mckinley, General Gomez ad-
dressed the following letter to Mr.. Porter:
Dear Sir-Your visit has enlightened our
pain ana what we have spoken encourages
me 10 go 70 Havana, SO that, by comforting
with General Brooke l may aid in direct
Ing the unsettled affairs Of this country.
BE Kind enough to say to President McKin-
ley that l am grateful for his kind regards.
| shall do all in my power to maintain pub
lie order, helping to apply the Constitution
of the Republic, so that Cuba may be really
Iree and independent, and thus carrying out
President McKinley's wishes and my own"
General Gomez presented his portrait and
autograph with the letter. Mr.. Porter wrote
a cordial acknowledgment.
To-day General Gomez is preparing for the
trip TO Havana. The whole attitude Of the
old fighter is much more cordial than was
anticipated by Mr.. Porter. He told the lat
ter he was proud to receive the special COM
missioner of the President, and he is evil
IDENTIFY much gratifed at the prospect of the
early solution of the disbandment problem.
The money will be sent on Commissioner
Porters order to General Brooke, and will
be paid out as called for by distribution
through subcommittee of Cuban and Amer
lean officers in the various provinces. AS
agreed upon at yesterdays conference, the
entire amount will be in Spanish silver. At
the rate of 60 cents 1t will amount to
&,2O0,OOO, or nearly 500 for each man in the
Cuban army, as estimated by the delegation
from the Cuban military assembly which
went to Washington in December, and has
recently returned to Cuba. The late Gen.
CaliXto Garcia told President Mckinley this
amount would be satisfactory.
The correspondent of the Associated Press
learns that the delegation was examined by
Mr. Porter for the President, and that a re-
port was submitted which has not yet been
made public. The figures given in it as sup
Piled to the correspondent of the Associated
first estimate of the delegation, but the del
egatiOn said they would take less, and ac-
knowledged they could hardly expect better
pay for the Cuban privates than the Ameri-
can privates get. which is $13 a month, or
43 per cent. of their figures, and the Ameri-
can basis would mean $9, 100000 for priVates.
As the sum to be paid is worth more than
100000 in Spanish silver here nearly half
of the amount calculated on the American
basis is to be realized by the Cubans.
At the conference Mr. Porter laid special
stress on the fact that the $1,000 900 was not
to be regarded as wages due for services
rendered, but as relief fund from the
United States to expedite the dsbandment
of the army and to further the aims of re-
construction. This article of the compact,
previously cabed, was the most delicate
point under consideration, as the question of
the recognition of the Cuban army as a mil
DOQX. t9CiTlV- Nuh1n o.
lutonary government, was involved Gen.
Gomez acquiesced in this premise more
readily than might have been expected, in
view of his reputed hostility to the United
States.
General Gomez made the point in his dis
cussions with Mr.. Porter that the estimate
of the amount wanted for the army was
not his. but that of the Cuban Assembly.
II was then that he brought in his refer
ence to using the grant like the loaves and
fishes. The correspondent of the Associated
Press understands that the estimate fur
nished President Mckinley by the delega-
ton from the Cuban Assembly called for
payment of 5,119 commissioned officers 1852
noncOmmissioned officers and 30 160 privates,
divided as follows, with total estimated as
due each grade: Eleven major generals.
$500 a month"; $179,450; nineteen generals of
division, $3.50 a month, $296,175; tifty-four
brigadier generals, 500 month, S6S2 S25; 163
colonels, 1928 a month, 81 1491 .750 go lieuten-
ant colonies, $275 month 81, S62 500; SIS ma
jors, $220 q month, $3S70.240 965 captains,
$3.50 a month $,561 500; 1,245 lieutenants $100
a month, S. 763,200; 1,794 sublieutenants, 500
a month, S3, 1856 200: 3,123 second sergeants,
$50 a month 600; 4,509 corporals $40 a
month, S., 23S, ,240; 0,160 prtvateS, $50 month,
$21.502 go; total, 44041 men, $57, ,304, 3S0
The details Of the actual allotment will
fall to a commission consisting of Gov
ernOr General Brooke, Gen. Maximo Gomez
and various others. 1t is doubtful whether
as many men still under arms can be found
as was estimated by the Assembly'S delega-
ton. Large numbers, however, are scat
tered throughout the island though there
is no great force at any one place. General
Gomez has only four hundred with him
here.
Mr.. Porter left this morning for Havana,
General Gomez sending with him as a COM
plimentary escort, young aid on his staff.
The meeting last night at the cuban club
house took the form o1 a reception 10 Mr..
Porter and his party. 1t was arranged by
General Gomez, the invitations being sent
out after the close of the conference. The
private theater of the club was crowded
many handsome and gaily dressed women
in the audience giving beauty and color to
the scene: American ana CUBAN nags were
the principal feature in the decorations.
General Gomez, Mr.. Porter, Captain Camp
bell and Lieutenant Hanna sat together in
one proscenium box and Remedies ladies' oc-
cupied the other boxes. Senor De Quesada
made a stirring address counsellng falth IN
the good intentions of the United states, and
predicting glorious future - LOT the Cupah lst
roses by the women at the end of his speech.
Vivas were given for President Mckinley.
General Gomez Mr. Porter and the United
States Then followed other speeches, but
General Gomez did not speak.
The speech making over, General Gomez
room. brilliantly lighted where they in
formally received. Dancing began at TO,
General Gomez, Mr.. Porter, Captain Camp
bell and Senior De Quesada. with four Gu
han girls dancing in the head set of quad
rifle dedicated to Mr.. Porter Ihe pan came
to an end at l o clock this morning, amid
vivas for the United states ana Gomez
RETURN OF MIR. PORTER.