The Yale expositor., 1898-03-11
ITS A WAITING GAME NOW.
Uncle Sam Awaits the Report Of
the Court of Inquiry, but
is PREPARING FOR WAR, AND
VIII not be Caught Mapping IL War should
be the Outcome of the Maine Dis
aster-President Mckinley VIII Take
Prompt Action When the Time Comes

Awaiting the report of the naval
court of inquiry as to the cause of the
Maine disaster there is very little
change in the situation. There are
rumors and rumors as well as multitu-
dinous surmises, conjectures and theo-
ries as to the cause of the destruction of
the warship, the probable report of
the board of inquiry and the proposed
action of the administration at Wash
ington. Notwithstanding all this UNI
certainty there are certain surface in
dications which are observed with in
terest by all who are watching the pro-
gress of affairs. Among these may be
mentioned an interview given out by
Secretary of the Navy Long at the close
of meeting of President McKinley's
cabinet, in which he expressed the
opinion that Sin his judgment any Off
cial participation by the Spanish gov
eminent in the blowing up of the YES
sci had been eliminated" The query
that arises in the public mind is on
what facts the secretary bases that
opinion for up to this time the depart
ment has announced that every dis
patch bearing on the disaster has been
given to the public 1t is we'll
that the Secretary in his statement
does not use the word responsibility,
for whatever the report of the court
may be there is little doubt but that
this government will hold the Spanish
government responsible in damages for
the loss of the battleship and lives of
the men.
At the capitol there has been great
deal of adverse criticism of the admin
istration for its apparent policy of
peace at any price. Where there was
a few days ago an evidence of a strong
policy on this question and an indica-
ton that Spain would be dealt with in
a firm but just manner, there is now
complete change of sentiment, and the
administration is beginning to talk of
the possibility of settling the whole
affair through the ordinary channels
of diplomacy. Diplomacy, it is con-
tended by many public men, cannot
deal properly with this subject, for
diplomacy means delay and aggravat-
ing postponcments of the final day of
reckoning.
However, congress may intervene.
1t has the constitutional power to de-
clare war. Once Capt Sigsbee is exon
Grated it will be difficult TO restrain
the representatives of the people. Al
ready there are muttcrings against the
acceptance of an indemnity for the
murder of our brave sailors and more
than one member of the House has said
that unless the administration takes
satisfactory action without unneces-
sary delay the representatives will take
a hand in the case. There are threats
that the Spaniards will not be humored
in procrastination. The stiff announce
ment from Madrid that Spain never
will consider an offer To purchase Cuba
has shown with what contempt that
people will regard our talk of money
for the loss of the battleship Maine.
Secretary of War Alger is showing
a spirit which is gratifying to patriotic
Americans, although he has won the
disapproval of certain conservative
statesmen who don't want business
disturbed by warlike action" Gen.
Alger gave an order TO the Carpenter
Steel Co., the Midvale Steel Co. and the
Firth Sterling Steel Co., for 81 100000
worth of projectiles to be delivered as
soon as the Lord will let those concerns
make them. Some of the grunters OBJ
jected to this kind of action and init
mated that congress might refuse to
make an appropriation TO pay. for the
projectiles, when prominent congress
man replied tartly: Secretary Algcr is
all right. He has made other contracts
for material, and as long as he is sccre-
tary of war this country will have the
material TO fight with, appropriation
or no appropriation lie is placing our
military forces upon n splendid footing
and if the congress of the United States
does not appropriate money to pay for
il Gen Alger will pay it out of his own
pockets"
Without adding unnecessarily to the
flood of mcclure concerning the find
ing of the court of inquiry ii is fair TO
say that as a matter of fact most of the
naval officers at Havana and at Key
West incline to the opinion that the
court will find that the disaster to the
Maine was caused by the explosion Of
a floating submarine mine under the
port side of the ship forward. Opin-
ions agree, not only as to the existence
of mines in the harbor, but also that
this one was laid purposely near the
buoy where foreign vessels were di-
rected to moor, and was fred from an
electric battery on shore. 1t is further
regarded as settled by the evidence be-
fore the court that the port side of the
hull forward was completely blown to
pieces and that the only explosion on
the Maine, except of isolated cases of
fixed ammunition, was that of 1000
pounds of salut;ng powder, stored for
ward, and of which no trace can be
found.
Senator Proctor, who is making a
personal investigation of the situation
in Cuba, has seen much in a short time,
and there is good authority for saying
that he will make the results of his oh