The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-03-18
Any Demand for Indemnity That May
BE Based Thereon VIII Be elm
dignantIy RepelIed by Spain"
LETTER WRITTEN BY WEYLER
THAT MAY PARTLY FIX RESPONSE
BILITY FOR THE DISASTER.
that Partisans of the
"Butcher" Deliberately Blew Up
the American Battle Ship.

WASHINGTON, March ia semi-offl-
cial statement given out at Madrid to-day
advancing the government view that de-
mand for indemnity based on Spanish re-
sponsibility for the Maine explosion would
be Indignantly repelled by Spain, attracted
much interest in official circles. The semi
official note, as cabled from Madrid reads:
'The report Of the Spanish commission
on the Maine is not yet known, but the
statements Of several technical officers,
who have made a close examination of
the scene of the disaster show it was in
dispueably due to an internal accident.
American assertions to the contrary are.
therefore, deplored in official quarters as
tending to mislead public opinion and rem
der the situation still more difficult from
the standpoint of maintaining friendly re-
lations between the two countries. 1t may
be regarded as certain that should the
American technical commission present
report declaring the disaster to be due to
an external explosion, the public here will
refuse to accept such a finding, and any
demand for an indemnity based thereon
will be Indignantly repelled by Spain"
There has been little doubt in Washing
ton for some time that Spain was preparing
for the contingency of an adverse report
by the American court of inquiry and to
that end was preparing to anticipate and
offset it by making clear the governments
policy of standing by the report of the
Spanish committee. The report of the latter
body was duo in Madrid yesterday and
while it's conclusions are not officially
known it is a foregone conclusion that it
to accident resulting in an internal explo-
sion. This was foreshadowed in the advance
utterances of Captain Peral head of the
Spanish committee, who stated publicly
several days ago that the theory of exter-
nal explosion was untenable.
Along with the semi-official statement
from Madrid that demand for indemnity
will be Indignantly repelled, is the further
statement from reliable sources that Spain
has made 1t clear to the authorities here
that intervention may lead to war. The
seriously entertained by Spain and strong
efforts have been made to avert it by show
ing that the condition of the reconcentrados
did not warrant this step, and also that it
would threaten to end all prospects of fur
ther pacific negotiations.
Both governments. have been sounding
each other on the activity of the other in
searching for ships, but there has been lit
tie ground for objection on either side, as
both have been in the same markets. The
administration explains it's buying of ships
on the ground that Spains attitude has
been so menacing as naturally to call for
an augmented navy, while Spain takes the
same view that the activity of the United
States requires suitable preparations by the
Spanish navy.
The report that Spain had protested
against fiilibustering expedition to
Puerto Rico cannot be verified, as officials
here say this expedition has not yet got
away.
Representative Wheeler of Alabama, in
troduced the following joint resolution to-
day:
Resolved, That a joint committee, con-
sisting Of five members of the Senate, to be
appointed by the Vice President, and five
members of the House, to be appointed by
the speaker, be created to report without
delay to the two houses an address to the
government of Spain, declaring, in firm and
diplomatic language, that Americans and
American interests in Cuba must be pro-
tected. and that the atrocities now being
perpetrated in that island must cease.
Resolved, That the executive be re-
quested to Immediately transmit this adj
dress to the government of Spain by such
methods as he may deem most advisable.
together with a letter of Endorsement and
approval Of this action on the part of Con-
gress.'