The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-07-07
WANT CUBA LIBRE
GOMEZ SPEAKS FREELY AT UNIO2
LEAGUE CLUB.
GEN. PALMA FOR PRESIDENT.
THE OLD HERO BANQUETED BY
w. e. ID. STOKES.

He Speaks Freely of Cuba's Debt OF
Gratitude to the United states.
Only a Question of GrnvitntiOn
When They VIII BE One, He Said,
But for the Present the Cubnns
Want to Feel Their Freedom
Hundreds of Thousands of Lives
Have Been Lost TO Attain 1t.
New York, July 6.-W Il. d. Stokes
gave a dinner at the Union League Club
this afternoon to Gen. Maxine Gomez
and Gen T Estrada Palma. Mr.. Stokes
was formerly a member of the Cuban
League of America, and was closely iden-
tilted with the work of the junta OF
which Gen. Palma was the head.
The dinner was arranged on the spur
of the moment Gen. Gomez intending to
return to Cuba to-day, and not deciding
to remain over until the morning, when
he accepted Mr.. Stokes invitation, and
the guests were summoned by telegraph.
The Cuban general was the hero of
the occasion, and was warmly received.
He made brief speech, which was in
terpreted by Secretary Gonzales.
Gen. Gomez said he was almost touch
ed to tears by the remarkable reception
he had received in the United States. He
knew Cuba was indebted to the United
States, but he never knew until he came
hers how deep that debt was-that it was
not merely the obligation of one people
to another, but of brother to brother.
Every Cuban born and bred, he said, lived
and died with the idea of Cuba libre be-
fore him, with the hope of the people be-
ing free and relieved of the yoke of op-
preston.
Cuba and the United States, said the
General, belong together. 1t is only a
question of gravitation when they will be
one. But at present, after the great
struggle, in which hundreds of thousands
of lives were sacrificed and when men re-
turned to their homes only to find their
wives and children starved to death in
the restricted barriers in which Weyler
held them under his policy of reconcen-
tration, they felt that they must have
Cuba libre. 1t is realized fully, he said
that Cuba cannot get along without the
United States, but the Cubans do want
to feel freedom.
Gen. Gomez referred to Gen. Palma as
the holdover president Of Cuba, having
been elected during the insurrection of
1868 and he pointed to his fellow Cuban
as the President of Cuba libre.
Gen. Palma made feeling reply, warm
ing to the subject of Cuba llbre, and
speaking enthusiastically of the future of
the Pearl of the Antilles.
Grateful to the Press.
After the dinner Gen. Gomez said to
the newspaper men that he wished to ex-
press his gratitude to the press of the
United States and of the world for the
l,..1 fa b.
of Cuban libre. He said that when he
came here years ago he was very sad,
but that on this visit he was very happy
and was glad to recognize how much the
American people had done for the Cuhans.
He had fell bond of sympathy with :hc
American nation when ne frs. mingled
With its people, but he now felt much
more suohgly the reality If that bnno
He sure that the Cubans would now
establish their own government ana would
show hoH nuch they feel gratitude f.
the successful help of the Americans, in
removing the Spanish yoke.
rs there any feeling of apprehension
in Cuba with regard to the intentions OF
the United States?' he was asked.
NO there is no question about it," he
replied. Cuba trusts implicitly in the
honor of the American people,"
What can you say as to the future pol
icy of Cuba?"
THAT cannot be answered." replied
Gen. Gomez, because no one can fore
see the future, but / believe that the
attitude of Cuba will be one OF gratitude
in accordance with the obligations Of
Cuba to the United States"
VIII Not Accept Presidency.
Whom do you think will be the Pres
ident of the Cuban Republic?"
Il don't know, but l hope that II will
be Gen. Palma"
"No. no." said Gen. Palma, that is
for the Cuban people to say"
We'll, there are three candidates" said
Gen. Gomez, cor rather three persons
named, myself Gen. Bartolomeo Masso
and Gen. Palma. will not accept under
any circumstances. Gen. Palma was
elected during the ten years war and
hope that he will be elected again"