The times., 1898-02-20
NAVAL OFfICIa[s EXCITED
Fear Felt for Gen. Lee, Capt.
Sigsbee, ami. His Crew.
LIEUT.. soBRai@ CONDUCT
He May Be Compelled to Fight Be-
cause of His InstIIt 10 the Navy
Secretary I.onsss "A A neer and Cen
sure for CONSTRUCTOR Hichhorn-
Siesbee'ss wen.titned Can tiousness.

Excitement in naval circles ran high
| last night. The action of Secretary
Long in issuing strict orders that no Of
6cer should talk TO any person concern
ing he Maine disaster; his ensure of Con-
structor Hichborn: the refusal of the
President to allow Spain to assist in the
investigation of the Maine wreck, and
Lieut. Sobrals insult to the American
navy caused the blood to boil in the veins
of nearly every man who holds u commits
sion in the Navy.
Officers will not talk for publication, but
to newspaper men whom they know will
not use their names they are glad to
throw discredit on the accident theory
Constructor Hichborn gave out his first
interview to a correspondent of an out
of-tOwn paper, under promise that his
name should not be used, and the inter
view was printed with his name and title
appended. This forced him into a denial
but it is known generally that the inter-
view was bona iide.
Yesterday Secretary Long had moth
ing but severe criticisms for the con-
structor, and ii was rumored i'll the de-
partment last night that the Secretary
had gone so far as to threaten the Of
fender with arrest and disgrace for in
discretion and disobedience of orders.
This, of course, could not be verified.
Lieut.. Sobrals deliberate insult to every
officer in the navy has created such warm
feeling that were it not for the cast-iron
regulations of the navy il is certain that
he would receive more challenges to fight
a duel than he could well count. AS it is
the expectation of many officers is that
the Spanish lieutenant will be so insulted
should he return to Washington that he
viii be the challenger, and that some Off
Ger will resign from the service and fight
him. Despite the fact that the duel is
a thing both obsolete and in disfavor the
officer who would pursue such course
would earn the thanks of every one Of
Uncle Sans servants who wears shoul-
der-stTaps.
The official attention of the State De-
partment will be called to the incident" &"
and Senor Du Bose will be asked II the
report is true If an answer be not forth
coming at once. Lieut., Sobral will be
handed his passports Immediately, and
not given an opportunity TO resign, as did
De LONE. Should he deny the interview
all possible effort to getsat the truth will
be made by the department.
Much anxiety is felt for the safety OF
Gen. Lee, Capt. Sigsbed and all Ameri-
cans in Havana. Again and again naval
OHlclalS refer to the. 81 significant fact that
Capt, Sigsbee has never used the word
accident in his messages nor has Gen.
Lee, and it is poifited oyt that his re-
quest that Judgment he suspended was
made only to give to him an opportunity
of staying with the wreck until the Off
cial examination shall have been made
and until the wounded American tars
shall all be at hoiTie again Then, too,
say close observers. the fact that Capt
Sigsbee is sending his wounded sailors to
American soil just al fast as they can be
moved without danger to life is signifi-
cant.
Unless it be-, said one officer to a
representative of The Times yesterday,
that the Administration Is following the
policy adopted by Capt. Sigsbee. il is
proving by its conduct that the story
printed in The Times today in regard to
making Sigsbee the scapegoat is true 10
the letter ] myself believe it, and so do
many others of my acquaintance. One
thing that assists me in this belief is that
in placing officers guard over the
Maine and refusing 10 allow Capt. Sigsbee
TO board his ship. Spain has performed
an act OF which the President has
taken no notice of.
II have talked with several members
of the diplomatic corps today, and one
and all say that we ought to declare war
because Spain forciby seized our prop
erty. This is law. international law, and
no one doubts il"
News is looked for at any hour now
and news that will cause wave of in
dignation in this country such as has sell
dom been experienced in any country in
the civilized world.