0,000
for the purpose of paying off the soldiers. This was not a loan, to be
repaid, but was an outright gift, being the remainder of the sum of
$50,000,000 which had been voted to the President at the beginning of
the war to use at his discretion. It was given on the conditions that
every recipient should prove his service in the army and should
surrender a rifle. To this latter requirement, which meant the disarming
of the Cubans, General Gomez strongly objected, but in the end he
acquiesced and agreed to carry out the plan as soon as the money was at
hand. Thereupon some other Cuban officers disputed his right to commit
the Cuban army to any such arrangement. They were dissatisfied with the
small amount, and they insisted that only the Cuban Assembly had power
to act upon the American offer. They added that they would refuse to
obey the orders of General Gomez, and would look to the Assembly for
justice. It should be added that these officers were not those who had
been most active and efficient in the field.

General Gomez ignored this mutinous demonstration, and proceeded with
arrangements to receive and distribute the $3,000,000; whereupon the
Assembly came together and on March 12 impeached General Gomez and
removed him from office as Commander-in-Chief, the charge being that he
had failed in his military duties and had disobeyed the orders of the
Assembly. This scandalous performance was ignored by Gomez, and was
condemned by the great majority of the Cuban people. It was also ignored
by the American authorities. General Brooke continued his negotiations
with Gomez, and finally reached an agreement. The terms were as follows:
Every Cuban soldier who had been in service since before July 17, 1898,
and who was not in receipt of salary from any public office, upon
delivery of his arms and equipments was to receive $75 in United States
gold. The arms and equipments were to be surrendered to municipal
authorities, and to be placed and kept in armories, under the charge of
armorers appointed by General Gomez, as memorials of the War of
Independence. The Cuban Commissioners protested against and resisted
this settlement, but finally yielded when they saw all the soldiers
accepting it. They continued for some time, however, to manifest
disaffection and distrust toward the United States, and to propagate
doubt whether that country would ever fulfill its promise to make Cuba
independent. Some agitators went so far as to t