Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1898-02-17
THE ENGLISH PRESS.
Most, but Not All, Lean to a Suspicion of
Foul Play.


ternoon, commenting on the disaster to
the United States steamship Maine
says: 1t is impossible to refrain from
the suspicion that the explosion may
have been caused by foul means. AL
though anchored the Maine would
have steam up in one of her boilers for
the dynamos and auxiliary machinery.
If an Internal mchine had been hidden
in the coal and thrown into the fur
naces, obviously there would have been
an explosion Of the boiler, and as a
result of the magazine. That this terri
BILE event should have occurred in tho
harbor of Havana renders the solution
of the mystery of international import
ance."
Continuing the Globe says. "The
last serious disaster of the nature oc-
curing in peace times was in 1881, when
II. NJ. S. Petrol blew UP in the straits
of Magellan. The verdict of the court
was that it was caused by the forma-
ton of coal gas, another suggestion
being that n substance called Xerotine
sicative, slowed in the paint room, was
responsible. Upon this occasion there
We're two distinct explosions, and 143
out of crew of $50 persisted.
The head lines of all London news
papers hint that the disaster points to
treachery, either Cuban or Spanish, and
the papers allude to the excitement
and resentment at the Names dispatch
to Havana. The newspapers also pub
fish long descriptions of the Maine
with the names of her officers. They
describe Capt. Sigsbee as an excellent
officer and publish story of his
career.
The st. James Gazette leans to the
supposition that the disaster was
wrought by an explosion in the maya
zine which is beneath the forecastle.
and as far as possible from the engine
n H..
to be explained how n magazine care
fully guarded could be fired. As bear
ing upon this it must be borne in mind
that the discipline on American war
ships is rather lax. Another possibility
is that the disaster was produced by
the explosion n submarine mine or
torpedo caused accidentally or other
wise. This suggests the thought that
the outrage was perpetrated by a
Spanish conspirator Of Cuban insur-
gent incensed against the United
States"
The Daily News, commenting on the
disaster to the Maine. says: 1.-THE
disaster reaches the very extremity of
horror. The public feeling of the world,
shocked bv this 1'rest calamity, will do
to initiate the restraint imposed
upon that OF the United States by both
the Washington government and the
captain of the Inflated ship. For sus-
picions of foul play there seem to be
absolutely no warrant though natur-
ally they haunt the minds of many
Americans They should be enter
tanned only on absolute compulsion A
spark of misdlrected national feeling
might cause terrible mischief. The at
titude of Spain at this agonizlng mo-
ment will either efface the memory of
the De LONE incident forever or revive
1t with added circumstances of bitter
ness and transportation that cannot be
contemplated without shudler. The
calamity sends ~ panG to every British
heart"
The Morning Post, in an editorial of
profound sympathy. expresses the hope
that certain American senators who
have "allov d themselves to talk
rather wild y will suspend judgment
The paper does not believe In the tor
pedo theory, and thinks the disaster
the result of an accident, but 1t fears
the real cause viii never be known.
The Daily Chronicle says: British
sorrow and sympathy are little less
vivid than II the casualty had hap
pened to one of her own ships" 1t
thinks the theory that the boilers burst
absurd. and, Latter expressing the opln-
ion that there is no apparent justiflca-
tion of foul play, II suggests. that some
new f"d dangerous explosive which
was on board with view OF expert
ment. should occasion arise, exploded
spontaneously after suffering the press
of chemical decomposition, and so fired
the magazine. The theory that the off
GERS We're overhaullng the torpedoes
at that time of night. the Chronicle
dismisses as 'preposterous."
The Daily Mail says editorially:"The
suspicion of Spanish treachery exhib-
! tied by a section of American opinion
looks i'll beside the accounts OF the
splendid rallantry of the suspects in
saving drowning Americans. and 1t in
dicates an ugly temper toward
SPAIN"
The Times editorially expresses pro-
found sympathy with the United
states. With reference 10 certain om-
nous opinions heard in America" 1t
says: fortunately for America and
for the world the United States Is not
| governed by persons 81 this type. So
| far not only the governments hut the
people of America and Spain have
! acted with good sense. good feeling
and dignity. II b. to be hoped that
| the Investigation will prove the cause
OF the disaster as accident, although
the conditions which have led up to
| such an accident In such cil cumstan-
| ces are rather obscure"
Proposed Amendment to tho Constitution.
washington. Feb. 1.-THE House
| committee on the election of Presi-
dent, Vice President and representa-
| tives in Congress has authorized a ia
| yorable report on resolution to pro-