Democratic Sentinel, Volume 22, Number 9, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 5 March 1898 — QUIET ON THE SURFACE. [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

QUIET ON THE SURFACE.

Warlike Spirit of the People Has Somewhat Subsided. TALK IS NOW LESS HOSTILE. Verdict of ttje Naval Board Is Patiently Awaited. Two Weeks May Elapse Before Official .Reports Are Made on the Maine Disaster—Belligerent Congressmen Claim the Silence Is Ominous—Meantime Uncle Sam Will Be Prepared for War. The naval court of inquiry in the case of the ill-fated battleship Maine is proceeding as a court martial and keeping its proceedings to itself. The Secretary of the Navy says that he has no information not given to the public, that he knows nothing of the character of the evidence taken, or the opinions or conclusions of the board of inquiry. What is more to the point, Secretary Long intimates that he does not expect to know anything about how the Maine was destroyed until the board of inquiry makes its report, which may be not for two or three weeks. With such positive assertions from Secretary Long, there can be nothing but speculation in Washington as to what the verdict will be. .There is plenty of speculation and little of it is now in line with the accident theory. In the absence of exciting news from Havana there has been a noticeable cessation of the war talk in Washington. The conservative attitude of the President has reflected in Congress, and members who first would listen to nothing but war are now disposed to wait patiently for the actual decision by the court of inquiry. Members of Congress, says a Washington correspondent, are gradually coming to see that events are moving fast enough

without any assistance on their part, and that if an cutside explosion is proved and an indemnity demanded Spain would nearly certainly refuse it and thus justify the President in interfering actively to preserve peace in Cuba. It is said at both the State and Navy Departments that there is no disposition to delay the publication of the finding of the board, but it is more than hinted that in all probability the board will merely present the facts and say that they are too vague to make a positive declaration one way or the other. That contingency will produce new complications, and it is probably this which has induced the President to say positively that there is no immediate prospect of any war between this country and Spain, for if the board of inquiry is not able to reach a positive finding it will be exceedingly difficult for the State Department to ■formulate any kind of a demand upon Spain. The President will not precipitate the country in a war unless the facts are such as to justify him in the eyes of an overwhelming majority of the people. He evidently realizes, however, the strained relations between the two countries and the active possibility if not probability of a dispute arising which could only be settled by a show of force on the part of this country. The President’s desire for and belief in peace has not interfered in any way with the orders issued to the army and navy to put the armed forces of the country into a condition for active service. It is distinctively announced that this is the ounce of prevention rather than the pound of Cure and that the preparations will continue until all possibility of actual war has been disposed of. So far as the general public is concerned the war scare has subsided, for the present at least. There may be more excitement when the report of the court of inquiry on the Maine disaster is received, but it may not be easy to stir the country up again. Besides, it is now pretty well understood that it is going to take a long

time to get at the facts. Secretary Long received a letter from one of the officers at Havana, in which the statement was made that so far the result of the investigations made by the divers within the wreck has been rather unsatisfactory. The writer explains that the water of Havana harbor is so foul the divers cannot see their way about and have to depend upon the sense of touch. It is understood the writer of the letter was rather pessimistic as to the outlook for getting at the actual facts. At best it is going to take time to ascertain the truth, and the country will have need of all its stock of patience. The court of inquiry will return to Havana to be present after the wrecking operations have been started. Although no official news concerning the movements of the court has been received, the authorities think the court will need at least two weeks, and perhaps a much longer time, for completion of its work. This inquiry, the conservatives say, is too important.to be rushed through. Too much depends upon its results. Most serious is the re-

sponsibility which the members of this cburt have assumed. As high-minded officers they are naturally eager to acquit themselves with credit. The issue of war or peace between nations may depend upon their verdict, and this is no trifling matter to be rushed through in haste. All the investigation the court has so far been able to make in Havana was of a purely preliminary character. The members will now have to carefully and patiently watch the wrecking operatious for further evidence. Secretary Long does not profess to believe in the accident theory as he did for several days after the Maine was blown up. Other members of the cabinet believe, as does Secretary Long, that the ship was blown up by design. The experts in the navy also believe this, or now profess to believe it,, but they will await facts before expressing positive opinions. Method in the Silence. It may be truthfully asserted, however, says a well-informed Washington correspondent. that nine out of every ten members of Congress believe there is a deep significance in the seemingly dilatory tactics of the administration in regard to the disaster. They believe that President McKinley and the members of his cabinet are not so much in the dark regarding the information secured by the court of inquiry as is indicated by the official bulletins, and that there is method in the silence. Many of the members are convinced that the President is playing for time and that every minute is being utilized to make preparations for war. Other members believe that the President has received word from the court of inquiry that the explosion was an accident and that he is taking measures to have it appear that the court is making a most exhaustive and deliberate investigation in order that no cry may be raised that a snap verdiet was returned. At the Navy Department the impression was given out that Secretary Long was greatly disappointed at the word which came from Key West that the board of inquiry would not be able to report for several weeks. Secretary Long hnd expected all along that the report would be in before this time. He said that he did not think-the President would be content to wait so long and that an intimation to this effect had been sent to Key West. The members of Congress, however, are skeptical of the assertion that the President is no wiser than the public, and many insist that every bit of important testimony is sent to him in cipher dispatches almost as soon as it is presented to the board of inquiry. It is believed by some that Spain is preparing the way to contest any finding that the battleship was blown up by accident. With the wreck sinking deeper and deeper into the mud of the harbor, it may be difficult to prove any assertion to the contrary. It has been asserted by Spaniards that there were mines in the harbor, and there has been no denial until Senor du Bose made the unofficial assertion Saturday. Shortly after Blanco became captain general of Cuba there were reports from Havana of explosions in the harbor which excited people, but were explained as caused by experimenting with explosives in the harbor, where Spanish officers were planting mines and torpedoes. It has never been denied that Havana was protected by these modern defenses. The denial at this time is looked upon as the beginning of more diplomatic maneuvers by Spain to delay and escape the responsibility for blowing up the Maine. Excitement Is Abated. Everywhere in Washington abatement of unrest and excitement of the past fortnight is noticeable and it is now quite evident that the administration has settled down to the belief that the naval board of inquiry will not conclude its work and be ready to report for two or three weeks, and that in the meantime the Government

and people can only wait as patiently as may be for the verdict. The action Monday of Senator Hale and Representative Boutelle, chairmen, respectively, of the Senate and House committees on naval affairs, in pigeonholing the recommendation of Acting Secretary of the Navy Roosevejt for legislative authority to enlist at oiice 1,500 additional seamen deprived Senators and Representatives of an opportunity to discuss the situation growing out of the Maiue disaster. Naval preparations go on as before, but the diplomatic policy of the administration with regard to the Cuban question is held in abeyance. Those close to the President say that he is loss apprehensive of the consequences of the disaster than he was a week ago. These represent McKinley as being inclined to think that the warlike spirit of the people which broke out so fiercely upon receipt of news that the Maine had been destroyed is subsiding somewhat. That the disaster to the Maine has upset completely the President’s Cuban policy is indicated by the fact that the time

has already arrived when the ultimatum of the administration was to have been sent to Spain. It was generally understood the Sagasta ministry would not be permitted to postpone beyond March its reply to the demands made upon it by Woodford, but the President knows no more now officially as to whether W’oodford’s mission is to meet with success or failure than he did when the minister forwarded Sagasta’s first reply to his note of instructions.

BARTOLOME MASSO, PRESIDENT OF CUBA.

RECOVERING BODIES FROM THE MAINE BY MEANS OF ROPES.

BOARD OF INQUIRY EXAMINING A WOUNDED MARINE.