The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1898-03-20
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with several of the cabinet officers today
and after leaving expressed the opinion
that the report Of the naval board of in
Quiry would not be received urtl next
week. He thought it would come on Mon
day or Tuesday and was quite confident
that the president would send it to con-
gress as soon as received, if Of nature
20 permit that being done.
at is barely possible said the senator,
chat the character Of the document may
be such as to render 1t inexpedient to give
it out until congress can be made aware
gradually Of its contents. If, for instance,
it indicates beyond doubt the culpability
of the Spaniards in connection with the
Maine disaster 1t would not be wise 70
place congress in immediate possession Of
the facts officially for fear that war would
be declared instantaneously and without
due regard TO all the conditions"
He asserted his conviction that the navy
department and the president were as yet
ignorant Of the contents Of the boards
findings.
Secretary Long in the morning did not
deny specially that Lieutenant Blow was
bearer Of the report. but he asserted that
the lieutenant had conveyed to him no in
formation in the conference and added
that the report would be here next week
The revival of the rumor was called to
the secretary's attention during the after
noon, with a request for an answer to the
concrete question whether Lieutenant
Blow had brought with him the report of
the board of inquiry. In reply to this
p
say nothing more than he had already
said, that 1.-The report would be here next
week"
An unusually large number Of senators
took advantage of the fact that the senate
was not in session today to cali upon
the cabinet officers. with the hope of Sc
curing definite information as to the Gu
ban situation. They succeeded only in
tearing that the report of the Maine court
of inquiry had not arrived but that it
was expected early next week and that
It would be forwarded to congress imme-
diately upon its arrival, unless of an I'M
eXpectedly startling character.
Some of them found the high officials
of the state department celebrating upon
the line Of policy to be pursued in case the
report of the naval court should have the
effect Of entirely eliminating the Maine
incident from the situation So strongly
was this contingency dwelt upon that the
inference was drawn by some of the SEN
atOrial visitors that the department had
been led to believe, or had been informed,
that the report would fail to connect the
Spanish authorities or the Spaniards with
the tragedy. Still, the department Off
Gals did not make any positive declaration
that such information was in their posses
sion. rather advancing it as a tentative
suggestion, and when pressed for inform
alton on this point, replied that they on
~ knew that the report was to come next
week and that they had no advance in
formation as to its contents. They SEEM
ed to seek suggestions rather than to give
out opinions as to plans, apparently in
djcating that no definite course had been
decided on pending the Maine report.
COURT CONTINUES IN SESSION.
eKy West, Fla, March 19.-The United
States court of inquiry into the loss OF the
battleship Maine continued it's session to-
day on board the United States battleship
Iowa.
Judge-Advocate Mark came here later |
in the day. The court apparently held a |
short session