Jasper County Democrat, Volume 4, Number 5, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 11 May 1901 — PAY FOR MAINE VICTIMS. [ARTICLE]

PAY FOR MAINE VICTIMS.

Claims Filed Will Lead to a Thorough Investigation. The filing of two claims before the Spanish claims commission on account of damage incurred by the blowing up of the Maine in Havana harbor may result in a more complete investigation of that disaster and a judicial decision determining how the battleship was destroyed and 200 members of her crew killed by explosion and drowning. Ex-Senator Chandler, chairman of the commission, says that the manner in which the Maine was blown up will constitute an important feature of the trial of claim cases. It will be recalled that the naval board of inquiry which investigated the disaster found in a general way that the explosion occurred from the outside. The general assumption based upon that finding and upon suspicion was that the Maine was destroyed by treachery. This convictionwas responsible largely for the declaration of war against Spain. The naval board did not attempt to fix upon Spain responsibility for the disaster. It will not necessarily follow that complicity in a crime will have to be proved against Spain in order to reaffirm the validity of the claims for indemnity, since responsibility through lack of proper care in assigning the ship an anchorage, without any criminal idea on the part of the Spanish officials, might be deemed sufficient to warrant indemnity. A novel feature of the case is that the United Stalos, by assumption of the indemnity clause under the Spanish treaty became the defendant in these claims. A decision adverse to the claimant would stand as a vindication of Spain and remove one of the popular motives for the war upon that country, which lias already proved so disastrous to Spain.