New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-04-14
AN INDICTMENT OF SPAIN.
pEpORT MADE TO THE SENATE
cr-1rr OF THE MAINE ATROCITY AT
TRIBUTED TO OFFICIALS.

COURSE PROPOSED.
,,-.,,,c,on Aprn 13.-The following is the
-,u text Of the Senate Foreign Relations Com
,,,.tse's report. which accompanied the Cuban
resolutions:
-., destruction OF the United States battle
-, ,,o,,a and Of two OF her officers and 2G4
:, Nov creu in the harbor OF Havana on the
.,rh. ., February Is. 1905. excited 10 an I'M
-aoadented degree the compassion and resent
s,+ n. the American people. Manifestations
-, that resentment were suspended. although
~. ,eeIing was not allayed. by the selfrestraint
% our people who determined 70 hold their
Judgment in suspense concerning their ultimate
action until an official investigation should dis
.,o.. tho cause of that great disaster and en-
,h,. them by direct or circumstantia testimony
% minute the responsibility therefor.
That Investigation has been made. It was
conducted with judicial thoroughness and de-
,,n.-ation The difficulty Of demonstrating by
oo,clrsiye proof the efficient personal cause or
,bs. sinister event was the usual one or expos
,,s plotted and mysterious crimes. No such
d,ecultv however obscures its official and re-
sponsible cause
The evidence and findings Of the Court OF IN
ou,-v were transmitted TO the Senate by the
II.
,o--ea 70 the Committee Foreign Relations
THAT committee has considered them and also
,ba message OF the President OF April II, 1898
Nth all the careful and anxious dehoeratlon
which great duties and responsibility impose
unon the Judgment and conscience.
THE GROWING ATRoC1TY
rb. event itself. though in a certain sense
Ns,,nct occurrence was linked with series or
,-scedent transactions which cannot In reason
he disconnected from II. 1t was the catastrophe
n, a unity OF events extending over more 'hah
..reo Years OF roornentous history Standing by
,self II would be. perhaps. merely an omlnous
calamity. Considered. as It must be. with the
events with which reason and common-sense
mus, connect IT, and with animus by Spain so
,,s,rlv anparent that no one can even plausibly
de,y, ,ts existence il Is merely one reason for
~. conclusion 10 which the investigating nina
must come in considering the entire subject or
tho relations Of the United States with that
Government.
Your committee have also before them several
Senate resolutions which make II their ou'y
70 consider all our relations with Spain for the
last three years, including the destruction OF
,he Maine as one OF the incidents OF the history
Of the war which during the time has deVas-
.o,.d N. island OF Cuba So clearly Is the de-
struction Of the Maine only single incident III
tho relations Of this Government with Spain
that If that calamity had never happened the
Questions between the United States and that
Government would press for immediate solu-
ton.
II is the opinion Of your committee. having
considered the testimony submitted 70 the BOARD
OF Inquiry, In connection with further tesu-
rony taken by the committee ana win lhe
relevant and established facts presented Dy 'he
events Of the last three years. that the oestruc-
,ior OF the Maine was compassed either oy Tic
official act Of the Spanish authorities or was
made possible by a negligence on their part 80
willing and gross as to be equivalent IN cuipa
h,l,ty TO positive criminal action
STATUS OF THE MAINE.
The status Of the Maine while IN the haroor
OF Havana and the duty Of Spain toward her
are defined in the opinion Of Chief Justice Mar
shall in Schooner Exchange VS. Mctadden
Z Cranch. JIG. 141:
II there be prohibition, the ports OF
friendly nation are considered as open 20 liis
nutIc ships Of ali Powers with whom II IS at
neace and they are supposed TO enter such
ports and remain in them. While they are a.
lowed 10 remain. under the pro'ectoh u TIC
Government Of the place
7. I. not contended that this duty OF protec-
ton 70 which the public ship is thus entitled
vb allowed
nation imposes the obligation Of an absolute
suarsnteA Of her safety. But II is insisted that
~. existence Of the duty creates the obligation to
use due diligence IN It's performance Wheh
rronertv and life are destroyed by an act which
,ba exercise Of due diligence by the person
whose duty IL is 20 use II could have prevented,
the happening Of such event Is sufficient
,-oo- that such diligence was not employed
The system Of civil and military police and
espionage in Havana is all-pervading 70 an ex-
tent probably unequalled In any city in the
world 1t is not pretended that any employment
wac made as regards the safety OF the Maine
+. tbj. fundamentally for the detection or pre-
vention OF any attempt against her by private
persons.
MUST HAVE BEEN DONE BY OFFICIALS.
II IS estimated that the Maine was destroyed
by the explosion OF submarine mine IN posi'oh
under her in d Spanish harbor at place Whefe
She had been rnoored 10 buoy by the express
direction and guidance Of the Spanish authori-
ties Explosive contrivances OF this character
are almost exclusively Government agenclos OF
warfare There IS no operation q a pacific char
acter f0r which they can be employed, excepting
the removal II wrecks or Of harbor obstruc-
tons They are not 20 be had in any place or
private sale Their destructive contents. except
ing PERHAPS gunpOwder. which undoubtedly
was not employed In this instance, cannot be
easily obtained and not easily made The
entire contrvance is mechanism OF some
what complicated character not generally un-
deIstoCd except by special manufacturers or by
military or naval officers who have been In
structed how TO operate ia
Such mines when sunk in harbOrs, are almost
Invariably discharged by an electric current
conducted over wire leading from the engine
0. destruction 10 some place on the shore where
battery can he housed. guarded and attended
by trained operators. They now placed. or