The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1898-03-08
SPAIN THINKS WAR
NOT So SERIOUS
Demonstration Of Her War Vessels In
Havana harbOr.
INVESTIGATION NEARLY DONE
Divers Have EAtsaded Their Examination o.
the Asiae's rLplosion Due
20 Foul rla,.

New York March ia dispatch % the
Tribune from Havana s1yn.
The arrival of the Spanish warship Al
mirnnic Oquendo. while the Spanish popu-
latlon WIS silli rejoicing over the coming
of the vlzeaya. has given the spaniards
an exaggerated notion Of spain's naval
prowcu The tendency Is 10 cause feel
, ing that war with the United States would
not be- "a serious for Spain. The Idea may
seem ridiculous In the states, yet the ex-
iHi'nce ~ this belief among large ele-
ment Of the population Of Havana should
not be- Ignored These Spanish warships
encourage the notion that the result Of the
Maine inquiry ls subjcc, of Indifference
10 the Spanish government Not many
days wlll be- needed Tor Captain Sampson
ana his associates 10 conclude the inyes,i-
CATION The wrccklng companies are max
INK progress In clearing a way through
the supcrstructuro.
During the absence OF the board the
naval department divers have been able
to extend thoii examination OF the plates
of the hull They found these plates
twisted as u from an outside explosion.
Everything previously learned regarding
the forward magazine being intact and
the existence Of large quantities Of Un-
exploded ammunition has been confirmed
and strengthened. without going into
minute details. It may be- said the navy de-
partmcnt divers have secured much tech
nical evidence from the condition OF the
hull and keel and the interior that the
Maine explosion was due TO foul play.
Whether by torpedo or submarine
mine. doubts may be left, Not much
proof can be gathered ty the naval board
concerning the persons who were in the
conspiracy. The Spanish authorities are
In a better position to determine the
matter The Spanish divers have been
working slowly They have been giving
more attention TO the coal bunkers. ap-
parenlly. than to any other portion of the
wreck They have made nothing more
than superficial examination OF the
hull II seems to be understood that the
Spanish board In It's investigation is find
ing little evidence to give plausible sup
port TO the theory OF accident This dis
tinctlon from positive proof OF an external
explosion It may be able to ignore. There
is clearly less confidence In official circles
than during the period when the declara-
tions OF accident were made by General
Blaneo. The Spanish inquiry proceeds In
lcisurcly fashion, II may be a long time
before conclusion is reached. This will
be no reason for a long delay by the naval
board. Under other conditions the ma
tional policies OF Cuba would be exciting.
for recent developments have been sig
nlncant The radical autonomists having
failed In their plan OF coaxing the insurg-
ents, reaction has come. The intransi-
geants now dominate the government
policy The divided autouomst cabinet
Is not factor in the situation Senior
GOWNS resignation has been demanded
by some OF the violent lntransgeants be-
cause OF his radical utterances for more
concessions TO the insurgents.
The cabinet is now powerless to with |
stand the pressure.
The Weylers and ultra-Spanish classes
and volunteers are supreme, An official
assurance by General Blanco and Premier
Sagasta that the government has no In
tcntion of dlsarming them tells only half |
the story, hereafter there viii be more
interfering in the affairs of the /
government They may hurry It along
into action before the Madrid cabinet is
ready, The volunteers as class are |
Filed with ignorant, hostility toward the
United States, Their movements here
after will bear watching.
Senator Proctor, who has been visiting
rlaces near Havana, is going to Sagua
md possibly to other parts of Santa clara
,rovincc, lie is In no hurry to return to
lie is inluiring especially
nto the economic conditions.
American relief, after much misman-
lgement, is finally reaching the starving
people in the country for whom 1t is
meant,