Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1898-02-26
D|SQU|E TING RUnORS
DO Not Disturb the Secretar,
of the Navy.
QUESTION OF INDEMNITY
freccds nts Being Consider, Il with VI. w q.
Making Out II Claim Against Spain
lr the Accident shcory
Is Exploded.
tBy Telegraph.)

'tie StSuleS tudl come 1rOTl unuIlclu.
sources in havana as to sensational de-
Ns!op;lient:s in come. ton with the work
| OF th- divers in the Names hull the al
| ihnlstration remains trm in it's state
meEt that there is no reliable evidence
oi.e wayl or the chter as to the cause OF
TIE disastsIi and holds to its purpose to
aWaft the CONCLUSION of the inveStiga-
ton now making by the court OF in
qUiry.
This position was emphasized at to-
days cabinet meeting. People who
t1cheI Toy sCune startling ANNOUNCEMENT
We're disappointed as the members with
out reservation frankly admitted that
the subject OF the .oss Of the Maine had
p>eEl l1Scussed, Tut that the government
+:da received no information from Ha-
Vana since yesterday ond had no in en-
t!on or changing its policy unit. there
was something OF slibs lance TO warrant
it.
The Spa nish legation was equally in
the dark as to any of the discoveries
repOrtelI from sources that are not eli ed
secretary Long has been under heavy
ana almost constant strain ever since h..
Was awakened in the middle Of the nigt
week ago last Tuesday 10y, the news
or the less CT The Maine ard ROW that
matters are, a least for the time being
III QuiGter state. he hos gone away for
q few Gays rest, leaving Ass slant Sec
rotary Roosevelt to manage the depart
ment.
The latter has been thoroughly .d-
vistd at every step OF the secretary's
fo!Icy or treatment ctf the Maine affair
so that there is not likely to b. any
cnanse in that respect caused by the
temporary assumption OF the duties of
secretary by Mr.. Roosevelt.
Just before the department -o.ed he
ned wo!E OF the sailing o. the cruiser
montgomery from Tampa for Key West.
UP to that time the vessel had been
gwen no orders so that the date OF her
departure for Havana. IL she is ,c 70 at
ali, is conjectural. The ship went tn
Ia naI1a instead OF Key West on ner re-
turn from San Domingo in o1'.er to ia
c!l!tate the speedy return to his duties
III washington OF Captain CROWNS hi.-d.
the chief OF the naviga ton lGreau, who
saved fun day by the movement
Inc Cnstine the second CT the United
states warships on the South Atlantic
Station arrived today frcsm Rsilhaiioes
where she joined the Circ;nnati I. NAV
be that tine Castine will go to Mart:-
hique TO be locked. as she is in need OF
CLEANING after her tropical service
Since so much depends upon the re-
port OF the court ot inquiry 1t may be
interesting to note that so far Secretary
Long himself Ebes not know VIXEN to
expect this Important document up to
this time having heard 9th g tre1n
any of the mem bers on this roEt H.
rather expected that the court when
has complete power to work on It's own
lines. would wind UP its work at Ha-
Fana before leaving. sos as to avoid the
necessity for return trip.
One member OF the cabinet rad more
i:'@finit@ opinion on the subject, expect
ing the receipt VI: the report from the
court about the middle Of next week
There IS reason to believe that mean
time, and to prepare for the reception
of a report that world show the disaster
to be other than the result OF an acct
dent, some OF the officials cf the admin
istrat!un have b&e1 looking UP the sub
ject OF indemnities. SO as TO lay the
foun-ation OF a case, in the event it
should be decided to resort to that
| method OF settlement.
There ara n large number Ut prece-
dents which will ala the authorities in
shaping their action In this direction
when the facts ara fully established
full loss Of lie sustained by the Maine
| explosion, yet they include many in
stances In which the United States has
adopted energetic measures to redress
the killing o.. AM, rican citizens in f,r-
%ign countries. In general way these
methods OF redress have Included de-
nanns for indemnity. proclamations ex-
cluiiEnG warshrs OF the offending ma
ton from our ha-bors. display OF force
non-Intercourse. wi.hd rawal of our min
ster, reprSal ard Blockade SOM, of
these steps border very closely on war
although they are regarded as the
movements just preliminary to actual
hostIl!ties, ard AS amounting to a tpreat
that force will fO.lG il PREPARATION is no,
made.