The pioneer press. (Miller, Hand County, S.D.) 1893-190?, 1898-03-03

Washington, Feb. 26.-In snjte 90.
stories that come from upofBo,a,
sources In Havana as to the senSo,,aa
al developments in connection W.T.,
the work Of divers In the Maina,S san
the administration remains firm IL :.
statement that there is no credible or
luence one way or the other ne 70 .,
cause or the disaster and holds 70 =,
purpose to await the conclusion ~ ,rs
investigation now being made nv ~
court OF inquiry. This position wos
emphasized at the cabinet mee,irc
People who looked for some stortlr,
announcement were disappointed %
the members. without reServot,on
frankly admitted that the subject Of
the loss Of the Maine had been die.
cussed but the government had 70.
ceived no information from uav,n.
since Thursday and had no intention
or changing its policy until there was
something Of substance to warrant il
The Spanish legation was equally in
the dark as TO any of the discoveries
reported from sources that are rot
cited, as was shown by the message
from Capt. Gen. Blanco.
Secretary Long has been under .
heavy and almost constant strain ever
since he was awakened in the middle
OF the night week ago last Tuesday
by the news of the loss of the Maine
and now that matters are, ut least for
Il time, in
a 9uictcr State.
he has withdrawn from the navy de.
partmont and gone away for a few
days rest, leaving Assistant Secretary
Roosevelt to manage the department.
Just before the department closed he
had word of the sailing Of the cruiser
Montgomery from Tampa for Key
West. Up to that time the vessel had
been given no orders, so that the date
of her departure for Havana, if she
is to go at all. is coniectural
The CaStine, the second Of the Unit
ell States warships on the South At
lantic station, has arrived at Barba-
does. where she joined the Cincinnati
1t may be that the Castine will 20 to
Martinique TO be decked rs she is in
need of cleaning after her tropical
service
Since so much depends upon the re-
port of the court Of inquiry it may be
interesting to note that so far as See
rotary Long himself does not know
when to expect this important docu-
ment. up to this time having heard
nothing from any of the members Cd
this point. He rather expected that
the court, which has complete power
to work on its own lines. would wind
up its work ut Havana before leaving
so as to avoid the necessity for re-
turn trip. One member of the cabinet
had
More Definite Opinion
on the subject, expecting the receiW
Of the report from the court about the
middle Of next week. Tlcre is reason
to believe that in the meantime, ana
TO prepare, too, for the reception OF
report, that would show the disaster 10
be ether than the result of an accl-
dent. some of the officials of the at
ministratiOn had been looking up the
subject of indemnities, so as TO lay
the foundation of a case in the event
it should be decided to resort to that
method Of settlement.
There are large number of 9rece-
dents which will aid the authorities III
shaping their action in this direction
IL the facts are fully established"
While none of the cases show the fear
full loss of life sustained by the Maine
explosion. yet they include many ID.
stances In which the United States mas
adopted energetic measures to redress
tie killing Of American citizens III ioi-
eign countries. In general way these
Of redress have included DE-
mands for indemnity. proclamations
excluding the warships Of the otfehu,
ing nation from our harbOrs. displa! ..
forces, non-intercourse, withdrawn u
our minister. reprisal and blockaue'
some of these steps border very Close,
ly Oh war. although they are regardeu
rs the movements just preliminar! "
actual hostilitieS. and as amounting ="
that force will follow If repa'-
alton Is not made.