Adams County news. [volume] (Ritzville, Wash.) 1898-1906, 1898-03-23
CONTINUE PREPARATIONS
KNOW NO HOURS OF REST.
General Belief at the National Cap
ital Of the Statement In the Army
and Navy Register That the
Maine Was Blown Up by a Cow
eminent Submarine Mine.

HouTS All HoutS anu minutes count III
the work, and all are utilized to the very
best advantage. The Secretaries of War
and the Navy know no hours of rest. They
have their regular Office hours Mt the de-
partments, and then have their confer
ences with subordinate officers at home.
The positive declaration of the Army
and Navy Register that the President has
certain evidence in an unofficial way
showing that the Maine was blown up by
a government submarine mine deliberate
ly exploded by Spanish officials has at
tracted much comment in Washington.
Is Conservative and Reliable.
Army and navy officials regard the Reg
lister as very conservative and reliable in
it's statements, and do not believe it could
have made this assertion without the very
best evidence that it was correct. 1t
agrees with the daily press reports from
Havana, Key West, and Washington. 1t
has been repeatedly denied at the White
House and Navy Department that there
had been any official communication from
the board Of inquiry. That is regarded as
a jury whose verdict should be beyond
even the suspicion Of having been inHu.
'enced by any high power.
These denials are no doubt literally cor
rect, and yet it is the general belief that
there has been outside information laid
before President Mckinley that made him
abandon the accident theory and begin
active preparations for war.
Some of this information came before
the Maine was blown up. 1t came from
Consul General Lee, who doubted the wis
dom of sending war vessel to Havana
on peace mission. He doubted the pro-
fessions Of friendship by the Spaniard4.
He had reason to suspect treachery. He
communicated these suspicious to the
state department and to the president.
There have been other evidences of
treachery which did not come from the
board of inquiry. Not all the evidence
Of how the battleship was blown up is
held exclusively by the board Of inquiry.
There has been much that the general
public has received from outside sources.
Received UnOfficiaI Evidence.
The president and his cabinet have re-
ceived much evidence that is unofficial
which did not justify the administration
i'll waiting for the official report before
beginning preparations fol- war.
1t has ben repeatedly said that the
president will not begin war. No one
doubts that, but one of the most expert
enced diplomats in Washington said that
this could be quite true and yet there
was every indication of war If Spain
was directly responsible for the explosion
il was hostile act and meant war unless
she apologizcd and made such reparation
a. might be demanded. Indemnity alone
could not settle the question. 1t must be
the disavowal Of the act, the execution of
the officials who offended, the reduction
and disgrace OF the captain general under
whose jurisdiction it occurred, the pay.
ment of an indemnity, the salute Of the
flag, and the surrender of Cuba, if this
government so demanded.
For such an act this government would
be justified in demanding the most COM
plete surrender by Spain and that with
very short notice, OF the investment OF
Havana harbor. 1t Is for such an emer.
gency that the government is preparing.
1t does not fear another attack by Spain.
It does not fear that Spain will bonn
bard New York or capture some of our
merchant vessels without provocation. 1t
has no reason to fear that Spain is seek
ing war, but it knows that it must be
prepared to make war unless certain
things are done regarding the blowing up
of the Maine and the future of Cuba.
White House DeniaIs.
Denials of the fact that the president
knows what the verdict of the court of
inquiry il to be have been made from
the White house. They are to be accept
cd as part of the situation. There is alb
solutely no reason for retracting the state.
ment published Thursday to the effect
that the president does know that the
court expects to report that the explosion
was due to outside agencies. OF course
he has no "official" knowledge of this
fact. To this extent the denials are ac-
curate; beyond this they are misleading.
No one for moment believes that the
president lacks in ordinary prudence and
common sense. II would indeed be remark.
able if the administration was simply
cropping and stumbling along in blind and
utter ignorance as to what the verdict of
the court will be. II is doing nothing
of the kind. The president told friend
at the White house Friday afternoon, be.
fore the dinner to the Belgian prince, that
he had abandoned the theory of acciden.
tai explosion, and when that friend said
to him, "Well, Mr.. President, what them"
the president gravely responded, at means
that the independence of Cuba is writ.
ten in the book of fate
Demand Is Being Prepared.
This is the presidents exact language
The state department is already prepar.
ing its demand to be sent to Spain. De.
mails from the White house are for the
purpose of quieting the public mind They
are ridiculed by persons who have ac.
tual knowledge of the situation.
Elaborate Scheme.
General Miles prepared an elaborate
scheme contemplating the transfer of in.
fantry and cavalry from the interior posts
to the stations along the seaboard. This
order was sent to Secretary Alger, who
failed to act on it previous TO his depar.
ture from home, when he had been APP
prised of the death of his sister. The or
der is one which does not require the
immediate movement Of troops, but was
gotten up to be used in the event Of hos.
tilities Adyices hovn alraofy haon cant