Show jAUTHORT 1 OF GOMEZ Cuban Commander Cannot Disband the Insurgent Army HIS COURSE CRITICISED I I DISAPPEGVAL OF CUE I2T LEAD ERS T AT HAVANA 4 They Ask No Charity From the United Unit-ed States and tile Provisional Assembly sembly Acne Has Power to Di band the Army General Gomez Must Explain i Havana Feb 3The news of General Goes acceptance of the proposal of President McKinley through Robert P Porter has not yet been thoroughly weighed in this city The Cuban leaders seem uncertain for the moment whether to support General Gomez or criticise him Public opinion opin-ion had been wrought up to demand and expoat a larger payment Some of the Cuban major generate who have not been consulted may strongly disap prove o an agreement which gives them a minute portion of the 520000 which each had expected Among the Cuban leaders who have given expression to their views on the subject it Is asserted that General Gomez Go-mez was not authorized to acree to the disbandment of the army without consulting I con-sulting the Cuban assembly and ob taining its is permission Indeed when the report arrived that I General Gomez had accepted Mr Por tees proposition o behalf of the pre dent many doubted it refusing to b lee that he would act in this fash Ion A prominent Cuban said today I the news is true the Cuban assembly as-sembly will have ground for proceeding against General Gomez The idea of J3000000 as a gift from the United gft Unied States to the Cuban soldiers Is repug reug nant and wounds the pride of Cubans A number of interviews obtained to day with prominent Cuban generals go to show the feeling in the higher mili mi tary circles General Slayia Rodriguez commander of the Cuban forces in the provinces of Pinar del Rio Havana Matanzas and Santa Clara and second In command in the Cuban army paid I cannot think that General Gomez would take this resolution regarding a matter o such transcendal importance as the payment and disbandment of the Cuban army without consulting the Cuban generals Although I still be lieve that the United States 1ee Unied State will fulfill its promise to give Cuba her liberty I think the Cuban army should continue to aid in preserving order in the island until this promise has been fulfilled I and until certain important matter I have been clearly decided such as for instance who is to pay the cost of the I numerous and unnecessary American army of occupation Cuba OT the Unit ed States General Gomez docs not hold the power to disband the army without the authority of the Cuban assembly and until after consultation with < the generals Generals Lcyte VIdal and Perraza concur in the views of General Rodri r I guez WANT NO CHARITY General Enrique Collazo said The Cuban army cannot and should not accept I ac-cept a gift or charity from any nation I We asked for what is rightly ours That i > which Cuba owes to her defenders In i i arms should be delivered up to no one i because no one ha vanquished us Our ales cannot and should not enact such a painful sacrifice The Cuban army Is a danger to Cuba but a guarantee I of order I General La Cret said I think Mr i Porter must have assured General Gomez I Go-mez most convincingly of our approaching i 1 approach-ing independence before hti would have I been willing to express himself as is reported At the proper time General Gomez will express hs Ideas to the people of Cula General Mario Menocal formerly Cu ban commander jn Havana province and now chief of police in Havana City said I doubt the truth of the statement state-ment attributed to General Gomez If it is true I can simply say that General Gomes is not authorized to solve this problem unaided The Cuban army does not ask and cannot accept charity from the American government The I country has asked a loan to facilitate the payment of money rightfully due I the army j j AH the gensmls interviewed were In I dined to be iruarderl in their state I I I ments pendIng the receipt of word from General Gomez which up to 930 I this evening was not at hand Still i the general fettling in Cuban military i circles I is that the commanderinchief i I 1 i I will have an explanation upon his arrival ar-rival here of his conduct which to many Is remarkable and incomprehensible I incomprehen-sible I POWER O1J ASSEMBLY I Senor Porluando president of the executive committee of the Cuban assembly as-sembly which nets for the assembly i when the latter is not in session as is now the case said j General Gomuz is only commander inchief of the army As such he is under the direction of the assembly which alone represents the army The i I assembly is empowered to direct the j army as to its line of conduct I have no official data enabling me to judge i of the conduct pf General Gomez respecting re-specting the qucsIon of disbanding the I troops but he is fully of his trOps fulJ aware own i powers as well as those of the assembly as-sembly I knot his spirit of subordination subordina-tion to superior authority and I a sure that he will act within the limits fixed thereby I While there promises to be trouble with the assembly some declare that i Gomez will be able to sway the deputies f depu-ties to his will and to secure the dis bandment of the anpy I is significant signifi-cant however that the Cubans who have already been engaged as members i mem-bers of the Havana police force had to deposit their arms and ammunition I with tie oincer commanding the regiment regi-ment to which they have belonged inform in-form him as to their new residence ancj give a pledge to return to the army when called upon to by the Cuban Cu-ban assembly The following message from President Presi-dent McKinley was received by Robert I P Porter this morning and was transmitted trans-mitted to General Gomez Hon Robert P Porter Havana I The President sends his hearty congratulations con-gratulations and thanks for your dispatch I dis-patch Convey his coruial greetings to General Gomez and his grateful appreciation I ap-preciation of the generals frank and friendly message The cooperation of General Gomez in the pacification of Cuba will be of the greatest value for both peoples Signed JOHN HAY Secretary of State |