Richmond planet., 1898-03-05
SPAINS RESPONSIBILITY
In Connection With the Destruction
of the Battleship Maine.
gEoRETARY LONe,s sTATEMENT.

He Is Confident That suspicion Against
spanish Omcials Has Been Practical
" ETImInated-But This Does Not
Relieve spain OF Responsibility.
washington, March 2.-The main IN
terest yesterday in connection with the
Maine inquiry centered in statement
by Secretary Long. following the cab
met meeting, that IN his personal opin-
ion any official participation by the |
Spanish government in the blowing up /
OF the Maine was now practically elm |
mated from the situation This state |
ment was not OF formal or official |
character and was made by Mr.. Long |
as he walked away from the White
4 House. As usual. the various cabinet
officers were besieged with inquiries as
4 to the questions before the meeting,
s. and in response to these importuni-
ties the secretary rather casually sum
med up the situation In a few words
stating that moss Of the time had been
& given to the ourages on colored post
4 masters in the south
Naturally the Cuban situation had
4 been gone over. he said. but there we're
Il no actual developments. and he felt
B that public excitement over the sub
B ject had materially abated- Then he
+ added the statement IN the same pass
s ing way. that any participation by the
n Spanish government in the blowing up
of the Maine was practically eiimi-
Il mated in his judgment. This last re-
mark was speedily given wide circula-
b ton, apart from the quieting refer
ences which had accompanied It. 1t
Immediately started much comment
and discussion, and when Mr.. Long re-
turned to the navy department after
lunch he found that what he had In
N tended to convey was being given the
E force OF an official declaration that
81 Spain's responsibility for the disaster
had been eliminated. In order to make
clear his meaning. as a personal ex-
preston of opinion, Mr.. Long dictated
r the following statement:
.-The man thing we talked about in
the cabinet were the outrages on the
postmasters. one a white man ia
81 Georgia. and one colored man In
South Carolina In regard to the Gu
n ban situation I said thought things
IS were growing quieter every day, and
81 as far as my judgment went, was in
81 clined to think that any official parti-
81 cipation on the part Of the Spanish
n government In the disaster was now
dN practically eliminated"
The foregoing conveyed all that Mr.
n Long desired 70 say on the subject, and
~
8enlarged versions OF what he had said
= 81 Persons occupying the closest relations
: n with the secretary said that the opin
81 ion expressed was such as any ont
might give with the facts now at hand
: 1t was not in any sense. it was ex
&plained. a conclusion drawn from nev
evidence not made public either from
It& the court OF inquiry or any office
Enow concerned in the inquiry. tn
~ Of Nm
al the Spanish charge d'affaires, that n
Nmines or submarine defenses exist Il
the harbor Of Havana had come Z
the attention OF Secretary Long, an
this statement from the authorize
representative of the Spanish govern
, ment was felt to have been give
i due weight In the opinion expressed b
= 81 the secretary.
- E 1t was pointed out by persons bear
m H ing close relations 20 the secretar
an that the language used was "of1cis
-, 81 participation" on the part of the Spar
- 4ish government. This. II was said, ha
:, no bearing on the question of Spain
- responsibility. The official partic
- Epatton" of Spain was one thing, viii
~ 1.-The responsibility of Spain. in case II
a. 81 disaster proved to be OF external or
r. gin. was quite another thing. TT
~, secretary's statement was restricte
HIT was explained, 10 eAculpallnS spa
- Bfrom direct, official knowledge and pa
\, Sticipation in the affair. In case it WI
shown that the act was due to son
Hfanatic or person connected with Il
!. government then the question
o,E Spain's responsibility would be ST
,th Eopen.
81 Orders went out from the navy d
q. partment late in the afternoon to p
de- 1.-THE ironclads Miantonomoh and Kata
- din into commission on the 10th. Tn
- are now at the League Island ma
"a 3 yard, where they have been laid
80 for a year or two past 1t is said
-. the department that the purpose
-. 81 putting them into commission Is
NJ make berths for the survivors OF t
81 Maine now at Key West waiting on I
court OF inquiry, who viii withc
doubt have finished with them by I
10th.
lg- 1v u 'rs denart,nert s1r from m Adnjrsl r Al
card, at Key West. announcing Il
oS the court OF inquiry in the Maine d
u u'e aster will resume session at Hava
Ia" to obtain the evidence OF the div
'o" after further work upon the wreck
d" This communication sets at rest
oW mors that have been current for 50
eS days past that the court was not to
re 4turn to Havana for the reason Il
lose it had discovered the cause OF
sinking of the Maine. which was
an accident, and that they had no T
ther business in Havana