The herald., 1898-03-22
NO MORE BATTlESHIPS
HAVE BEEN PuRcHAsED By THE
GOVERNMENT
SOME SATISFACTION IS FELT
Negotiations Prove That Spain Can
not Secure the Argentine Cruiser
General o'Higgins

:
General o'Higgins
Associated Press Special Wire
WASHINGTON, March 21.-The gev-
ernment has made no further pur-
chases of warships. but its negotia-
tions in that line have been productive of
at least one important result, namely,
in establishing the fact that unless the
battieship General O'Higgins becomes
the property of the United States. 1t will
not be sold at all. Spain, it is confidently
asserted, will not be able to secure this
war vessel. Practically the same condi-
ton prevails as to the Argentine ar
mored cruiser San Martino, which will
become the property of this government
If 1t passes out of the hands OF Argen-
tine.
There was the usual flood Of speculative
reports current today, including re-
newal of the report that Lieutenant
Blow, one Of the Names survivors, who
reached here Saturday, brought letter
from Admiral Sicard, containing the in
formation that the explosion was ex-
ternal, but it is not directly attributable
to the Spanish government. Officials
high in authority are loath to make spe-
cif1c denials of these rumors as there are
so many afloat, but the story was dis
missed as unwarranted. One high off,
cial, who would be likely to know it II
such information had been brought,
stated that If it was in hand, the fact
had not been made known to him and he
seriously doubted it's correctness. 1t is
undoubtedly true, however. that the
Names officers who have reached here,
expressed it to be their personal opinion
that the cause of the explosion was ex-
ternal.
Lieutenant Blow is a junior officer
compared with Lieutenant Holman. an
other of the Names survivors, who
arrived here Saturday, and Admiral ST.
card, it was stated, would not so set
aside the punctilious requirements of
naval precedence by committing such
grave responsibility to junior officer.
Lieutenant Blow has gone to La Sale,
ILL.,, for a rest and the other Maine sur
vivors are also free to go where they
please and recuperate from the trying
ordeal through which they have passed.
If the report is coming by Captain Bar
ker, as some press dispatches intimate,
the fact is not disclosed in any official
quarter. Nor, indeed, is the route by
which the report will be transmitted
made public as 1t would merely serve to
ieopardize it's safe transmission and
arouse groundless conjecture.
Captain Barker left Washington the
middle of last week. He is the naval
oil 70 Caorotorv LONG opd n G M t,ir-
ally inferred that his going from the
Secretary to Key West at this time has
some immediate relation to the impend-
ing question. Further than this, how
ever, the naval officials will say nothing
as to the purposes of his trip
Secretary Longs office at the Navy
Department was again the center of con-
ference today. Senator Hale, chairman
of the Senate Committee on Naval At
fairs, was one of the early callers and
spent half an hour with Mr.. Long. Sem
ator Pritchard of North Carolina also
had a. talk with Mr.. Long. Mr.. Hale
went from the Secretary's Office to the
White House and had talk with the
President. Within a short time he was
followed by Secretary Long, who spent
some time with the President. The Sec
retary carried with him bundle of
documents, which, however, has become
his custom.
Senator Hanna came to the Secretary's
office during his absence, and learning
that he was with the President, spent
some time in conference with Assistant
Secretary Roosevelt.
The Spanish Minister called at the
State Department today and presented
Messrs. Angulo. Valera and Cadenas,
who are the direct representatives of
the autonomous cabinet at Havana
With these presentations negotiations
toward a commercial treaty will be
opened.
A high officer of the navy, who has
intimate knowledge of the affairs, said
today:
1.-The greatest difficulty is being ex-
perienced by the government in pro-
curing ships abroad, but it is hard at
work and making as much progress as
could reasonably be expected under the
circumstances. Spain is pushing work
on it's war vessels The Pelayo, it's larg-
est and best battleship, is practically
ready for sea and its second biggest ship,
the Carlos v, will be ready in fort
the Navy Department are doing every
thing in their power to prepare for any
possible conflict. Anything, however.
which is gotten in the way Of tug boats
and yachts will be for makeshift, and
our people would do we'll to learn that
the only way to prepare for an emer-
gency is to see that the navy is put in
first rate shape before the emergency
arises, and this can be done definitely
only by building battleships and de-
stroyers and by adding permanently to
our naval lists of officers and men, and
by Immediately passing through Con-
gress the pending personnel bill, which
is absolutely necessary to the handling
of the new navy. The results, however,
of the preparations so far as made, with
the material at hand, are eminently sat
isfactory. The greatest preparation
that has been made was with the drilling
of battleships and torpedo boats last
summer, and as a result the navy is now
doubly as efficient as one year ago. The
people of the United States may trust to
the navy with absolute confidence that
it will respond to our call with the high
est credit to itself and the nation. The
question of the purchase Of the O'Hig-
gins is still in the air. Spain will not
get her, and if she is sold it will be to
the United States"
ON THE TURF